How to apply for building regulations approval
You can apply for building regulations approval either online, by email, by phone, or by post. Postal applications take longer to process than other methods.
Before you start an online or phone application, make sure you have all the project details to hand
Apply online
Apply online using either of two online portals:
The Planning Portal
Submit-a-plan
Apply by phone
Call our building control team on 01270 375256 to help you through the process.Planning Portal website
Apply by email or post
You can also download or print forms to email or post.
Email - email your form to building.control@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Post - post your form to Municipal Buildings, Earle St, Crewe, CW1 2BJ
After you apply for building regulations approval
When we get your application we will put the details into our system within 1 working day and send you an acknowledgement with a reference number. You will need this number to pay for your building regulations application.
We will email the acknowledgement if we have your email address; otherwise we will post it. We will process your application once we have the payment - the sooner you pay, the sooner we can start to look at your application.
When you have paid, we will check that you have given us all the information we need and let you know if anything is missing.
Once we have all the information, we will send you a validation letter by email or post.
Starting work - Building Notice and full plans applications
For Building Notice applications, you can start work within 48 hours of validation.
For full plans applications, you should wait until you get our decision notice and assessment so you can be sure you are not doing work that might not get approved. This will normally be within 10 working days.
We may either approve your application, approve it with conditions, or reject it.
If the decision notice says we approve the plans, you can then start work straightaway. Where we have given conditions, you can also start work straightaway but you must make sure you do what we ask for in the conditions.
If we refuse the application, we will tell you why. You cannot start work, but must make changes to your plans and reapply (no charge). Let us know that the application is a resubmission and give us the original reference number.
Inspections
We will make a commencement visit and then tell you what further inspections we need to do.
You or your builder must contact us to arrange the inspections at the relevant time.
Next steps - regularisation
For next steps with regularisation applications, see regularisation process.