Book an inspection. Stages of Inspections
How to book an inspection
Request a building control inspection
Building Control telephone enquiries (0161 342 8355 – Option 4.
Tameside MBC’s Planning Technical Support Team are available to take your calls during the following times periods:
Monday – 9:00am – 1:00pm
Tuesday – 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Wednesday – 9:00am – 1:00pm
Thursday – 9:00am – 1:00pm
Friday – 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Please note that we need 24 hours prior notification for all site visits. While we try to attend site visits as quick as we can Surveyors are also on have for technical advice on a daily basis with you able to speak to your project manager directly.
Due to emergency calls out of dangerous Building Inspections may be rescheduled at short Notice however you will be contacted in this instance.
What information do I need to book an inspection?
- Your building regulations application number
- The location of the inspection
- Plot numbers (if you have plot numbers)
- What we are inspecting
- A contact name for the inspection
- A contact telephone number for the inspection
Building Control carry out site inspections to determine that building works being undertaken comply with the Building Regulations. The number and nature of the site inspections vary according to the type and scale of works being undertaken, the builders experience and past building control record. A list of general site inspection stages can be viewed below.
On commencement of the works or our first site visit being carried out the site fees will become payable.
Please be aware that where a full plans application is made and works are commenced without obtaining a plans approval or conditional approval certificate, any works commenced will continue at your own risk until approval is granted and any works found to be wrong on the plan examination and carried out on site will have to be corrected by yourself or your contractor.
If you are undertaking works under a Building Notice application, no formal approved plans exist and you must take further steps to ensure you or your contactor fully comply with the Building Regulations. If you have any doubt about your contractor's competency to work without full plans or the ability to manage the project without detailed plans and specifications, then you should consider engaging an architect or chartered building surveyor to supervise the works, in addition to the limited building regulation inspections the council undertakes.
In order to book a site inspection, You or your builder are then required to give us 24 hours notification of reaching certain stages in the project’s construction, these are listed below and may vary depending on the project. Our surveyors on site will inform you if an inspection is to be recompleted, or what the next stage inspection should be.
Please note that it is the Homeowners responsibility to ensure works are inspected at each stage to demonstrate Compliance of the Building Regulations. Failure to complete this may result in works having to be reopened to allow visual inspection. It is not the Councils or Surveyors role to project manage your works or act as Clerk or work duties. Our role is to check compliance of the Building Regulations.
You must Notify us a minimum of 48 hours before you commence the building work. This can be done by email, using the commencement notice provided with your approval or attached to the building notice form. You can obtain a copy from Building Control.
General stage inspections
Stage | Comments |
Foundations | Allows ground conditions to be checked to ensure that the foundations are suitable to support the proposed works and must take place before pouring any foundation concrete. |
Ground floor slab preparation (Oversite) | An inspection can be made before the area under the floor slab is covered over to inspect the damp proof membranes and floor insulation provisions. |
DPC | Wall damp-proof course's, floor damp proof membranes can be inspected prior to covering. Please check your approved drawing or consult with the Building Control Surveyor at the foundation inspection, as to whether a radon / methane barrier system is required, as it will affect your damp-coursing and slab construction. |
Drainage | Allows for the new drainage to be inspected for alignment and fall prior to covering over. |
Super Structure | An inspection of the super structure will be required to check external walls cavity ties and insulation before these items are covered over. |
Pre plaster | A non-statutory notification which we can elect to undertake as it allows for the inspection of hidden structural members / roof timbers prior to plaster-boarding. |
Prior to Occupation. | If you intend to occupy the building prior to fully completing the works, an inspection must be carried out before occupation. (Minimum 5 Day’s notice should be provided prior to occupation). |
Submission of a Completion Notice (Regulation 16(4a).
| A person who is required by Regulation 12 to give a building notice or an application for building control approval with full plans for carrying out building work shall, not more than five days after that work has been completed, give the local authority a notice which complies with Regulation 16 paragraph (4A) as set out below. Requirements of duty holders and their competence can be found in Part 2A of the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) |
Completion | Notify us immediately the works are completed to allow this inspection to be carried out. (Minimum 5 Day’s notice should be provided prior to occupation). |
Prior to Occupation
Prior to Occupation of the Works a completion inspection should be carried out on all projects. At this stage the submission of a Completion Notice should be completed by all duty holders.
Completion Inspection
Finally, you are requested upon completion to contact Building Control to arrange for a completion inspection (Where internal access will be necessary), please contact the Building Control using the details at the bottom of this page. Once the Completion inspection has been carried out The Surveyor will request all testing and commission certificates to be provided in order for a Completion Certificate to be issued.
Please note that All Completion Inspections should be carried out within 5 days of the work being completed.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the inspection service and the need to be available to deal with dangerous building callouts timed inspections cannot be offered. Preferences for am/pm visits can be noted by the admin team but no guarantee can be offered that these will be possible to meet as the nature of the visit rota is area based.