Building warrant application process

Registration

Will ensure your form is fully completed, the correct fee paid and plans submitted. We will confirm this along with the reference number allocated to the project by email or by letter if no email address was provided.

Technical assessment

We assess and report on your application within the 20 working days (the national target). The majority of applications will require some revision before being approved so allow time for this in project planning. We publish Building Standards performance reports to assist.

Issue technical report where required

If your application fails to comply with building regulations or more information is required, we will email or write to give you the opportunity to resolve any objections. The sooner you respond, the sooner the warrant can be issued. If you fail to respond within a reasonable time you will be sent one reminder before the application is refused.

Issue warrant

We aim to issue the warrant within 10 days of receiving all outstanding information.

Issue Construction Compliance and Notification Plan (CCNP)

This specifies when you must notify us in order to allow inspection of the work to be undertaken. If we are not informed, it may impact on whether or not we accept your completion certificate at the end of the job and ultimately it is for your benefit - so it is very important that you act on this. You must give at least 3 days' notice when making an appointment for a visit.

Issue guidance

Along with the warrant approval, you will receive further important post-warrant approval information on the procedures to follow.

General guidance

It is strongly recommended that your Building Warrant and Completion Acceptance are kept in a safe place, such as with your title deeds.

Building Standards are here to help on matters of compliance and will seek to answer any questions you may have. Contact our office if you have any questions regarding your project or the general Building Standards procedures.

If your development is a new-build property, please contact Street Naming and Numbering on 01738 476511 to arrange a postal address for your property.

If you have not already done so, send a copy of your plan to The Assessors, Tayside Valuation Joint Board, Robertson House, Whitefriars Crescent, Perth, PH2 0LG.

Building warrant and stamped approved plans

The Building Warrant is valid for 3 years by which time all work should be completed.

If you have reason to deviate from the approved plans or specification, you should discuss this with us in advance as you will be required to apply for an amendment to warrant and to avoid any risk of non-compliance.

Please note that an amendment to warrant does not extend the validity of the original warrant beyond the 3 years.

If you are delayed you may apply for an extension to warrant, however, this must be applied for before the Building Warrant expires (additional fee applies).

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the necessary permissions you require before commencing work (such as Planning, Transco, Scottish Water, etc).

Start of work notification

You must notify Building Standards within 7 days of start of work, by completing and returning the form by post or email to BuildingStandards@pkc.gov.uk.

Construction Compliance and Notification Plan (CCNP)

The CCNP specifies the stages in the construction process where you must contact Building Standards to arrange for the work to be inspected.

You must give a minimum of 3 working days notice, when requesting an inspection.

The contact details of the surveyor who will be undertaking the inspection will be indicated in the plan or you can email the request to BuildingStandards@pkc.gov.uk.

If you do not notify us as detailed in the CCNP, this may compromise our decision as to whether or not to accept the Completion Certificate. It may also result in the need for a disruptive inspection to verify acceptability of work that has been covered up.

Although we will undertake inspections as outlined in your CCNP, Building Standards do not supervise work on site. As you will be required to submit a Completion Certificate once the development is completed (this is a declaration that the work is fully completed in accordance with regulations) we recommend that you employ a suitably qualified and experienced person to oversee the work on your behalf.

Using Certifiers of Construction (C of C)

Where at warrant stage you have declared that you will be using a C of C for the drainage (below and/or above ground) installation, heating installation, and/or the electrical installation, you must ensure you then use a member of such a scheme to do that work. If you do not use a C of C or cannot provide a valid certificate prior to completion you will require to repay the discount you received at the warrant stage (regardless of how small the amount) before a completion certificate can be accepted.

Completion Certificate

When work is finished you are required to submit the Completion Certificate to Building Standards - if you lose the form, it can be downloaded from our website at Building standards or by contacting the office on 01738 475300.

Failure to obtain confirmation of acceptance of your Completion Certificate could affect any future sale of the property.

When work is finished, you are also required to submit an electrical installation certificate where any electrical work is involved. We can only accept certification from Certifiers of Construction, details can be found on the Scottish Government's building standards webpage, or electricians who are members of a recognised trade body, such as NICEIC or SELECT.

To avoid abortive journeys and an immediate rejection of the Completion Certificate, please ensure you do not submit your Completion Certificate until all work is complete and any amendment of warrant has been approved.

Building Standards are required to notify you of the acceptance or rejection of your completion certificate within 14 days. You will receive formal written confirmation.

You are advised that in the case of a new build or extension it is an offence to occupy the building without your Completion Certificate having been accepted.

NOTE: If you have appointed an agent to act on your behalf, all our correspondence will be directed with that person. It is important that you liaise with them closely to find out how the application is progressing. If the agent is not employed to oversee the whole project, you must ensure that they pass on the approval documents to you, including your CCNP and our guidance.