Our residential architects explain the importance of building regulations, and how working with building control surveyors can help you manage your budget.
The importance of building regulations
Some people think that getting building control officers involved in construction projects will limit design possibilities while increasing costs. This is simply not the case! In fact, seeking help from building control services and architects early on can be more cost-effective as you’ll be able to plan ahead and manage your build budget.
Building regulations don’t exist to limit you unnecessarily, they’re put in place foryour safety. Building control services can advise ways to follow regulations that best suit your budget and design goals, to help you create a safe and beautiful home.
Why you should never “work around” building regulations
Architects, structural engineers and builders all have a legal duty to follow building regulations. Perhaps more importantly though, building regulations are there for your safety. Putting yourself and others at risk is never worth any short-term savings.
If you try to sell your house in the future, any areas that don’t meet building regulations will be flagged and will very likely need to be put right. Submitting a retrospective building regulations application later on, when it’s likely you’ll havelost touch with the original architect and builder, will take a long time and probably cost more than simply following the regulations in the first place.
How planning ahead can help you manage your budget
Building control officers can help you identify and explore all the different ways to meet building regulations. You may wish to consider non-conventional alternatives, but it’s important to note that these can often have higher costs attached.
For example, while it is possible to remove walls from a secure fire escape route to create an open plan space, this may require the installation of mechanical smoke curtains and/or a sprinkler system. As this will probably cost more than building a conventional wall, exploring the possibility early on gives you the opportunity to factor it into your costs if it’s something that’s really important to you.
By sitting down with building control services and your architect as early as possible, you can discuss these issues and come up with the best solution to suit your budget.
If you’re currently planning a build or remodel, our architects are here to help. We’ve worked extensively with building control services to design beautiful homes that comply with building regulations, while meeting the needs and budgets of our clients.
To discuss your project, please get in touch with our team on 01202 755633.
