Building control: charges, notices and certificates, Public Sector article

Building control: charges, notices and certificates

Applies to England

Summary

We are seeking views on reforms to charges for local authority building control services.

This consultation closes at
11:59pm on 25 January 2026

Consultation description

This consultation seeks views on reforming local authority building control services. The reforms would allow local authorities to charge users for more activities on a fuller cost-recovery basis.

The expected outcomes of these reforms include:

making services more financially sustainable
more recruitment and development of Registered Building Inspectors
better compliance with the building regulations

There is limited data available about local authority charges and building control services. We are seeking to understand the current costs and charges better.

The consultation also covers:

ways of improving the use of data standards
amending the notices and certificates framework supplied to local authorities
amending the Building Safety Regulator’s charging regulations
suggestions for reforms that could be implemented over a longer time frame in future