What a tender set adds
A building regulations set shows that the work can be built to the rules. A tender set shows exactly what to build: materials, finishes, fixings and the standard of workmanship, in a specification that sits beside the drawings. Our fee is £945.
Without it, builders price different things and the most basic quote may simply be the thinnest one.
How it fits the approvals
Building control approves the structure and safety, not the finish. GOV.UK describes full plans as the most thorough route, with a decision within 5 weeks, or 2 months with your consent. The tender set should follow the approved drawings so the price and the approval describe the same building.
Who is responsible on site
Where more than one contractor will work on a project, the client must appoint a principal designer and a principal contractor in writing. If the client fails to appoint a principal designer, the client must fulfil the principal designer duties. We explain your position when the package is issued, as general information rather than legal advice.
By the numbers
5 weeks
Decision time for a full plans building control application, or 2 months with your consent.
Source: Building regulations approval: how to apply (GOV.UK)
8 weeks
Usual time to a completion certificate where the work complies.
Source: Building regulations approval: how to apply (GOV.UK)
Written
The CDM Regulations require the principal designer and principal contractor to be appointed in writing.
Source: The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
Client duty
If the client does not appoint a principal designer, the client takes on the duties.
Source: The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
2 days
How soon after a building notice work may start, with no formal approval.
Source: Building regulations approval: how to apply (GOV.UK)
Tender packages: common questions
Do I need a tender set for a small extension?
Not always. A builder you trust can price from the building regulations set. A tender set pays for itself when you want several quotes.
Does it include the structural calculations?
No. Those are a separate fixed-fee service.
Can the tender set be used for the building control application?
The approval set and tender set overlap. We tell you which sheets go where.
Source: Building regulations approval: how to apply (GOV.UK)
Sources
- Building regulations approval: how to apply (GOV.UK)
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
About the author. Ben Shaukat is Managing Director of Property Architecture Ltd, which trades as Planning Drawings.
Published by Planning Drawings. Checked against the sources above on . Planning rules change; check your council before you build.