Wirral Council Building Control Services

South Annexe
Brighton Street STANDARD BUILDING CONTROL CHARGES 
Wallasey, CH44 8ED With effect 1st APRIL 2017 
tel: 0151 691 8454 CHARGES AND GUIDANCE NOTES 
email: buildingcontrol@wirral.gov.uk The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 
web: www.wirral.gov.uk/planning-and-building/building-control

Home Owners - Why use Wirral Council’s Local Authority Building Control Service?

The law says home owners carrying out works that require a building regulation application, must tell their local council, have the work authorised and correct
documents filed for future reference. People often delegate this task to their agent or builder, but it is in fact the owner’s responsibility to ensure that this has
been done. before any works commences. As it is very likely that you will be the one paying for this service, you are totally within your consumer and moral
rights to insist to your agent or builder that you want to use our services, in lieu of a private Approved Inspector (AI), if that is your wish?

Local authority building control is impartial, transparent, run on a not for profit basis, publicly accountable and is always nearby, If anything goes wrong we can
deal with you in person. We issue completion certificates and can provide copies to solicitors, mortgage companies and insurers whenever you request or if
you are selling your home. Our charges are competitive and you can be confident that our surveyors, having no vested interests to shareholders etc, we will
just provide independent, expert professional advice and a high level of service. You can trust us and you know we will always be available and won’t go out
of business. All our surveyors are based on the Wirral and are able to respond to your enquiries and site inspection requests, usually the same working day
given the requisite notice.

Our charges and application submission process.

The following guidance notes and schedules are designed to help you complete your Building Control submission with Wirral Council. There are three different
methods of applying for Building Regulations approval as follows;

1. Full Plans application: – Detailed plans of the proposed building works needs to be submitted together with a completed copy of our application form
and the payment of the Plan Charge (+ VAT). A Full Plans application is not legally deposited until this payment has been received. We will then
appraise your plans and provide you or your Agent with advice on any amendments that may be necessary to comply with Building Regulations. Once
the works have started on site you will need to notify us to inspect the works at the various stages that we have requested. The Applicant, unless
advised otherwise, will be invoiced for the full Inspection Charge (+ VAT) after the first inspection has been carried out.

2. Building Notices: – This method enables work to be carried out without the need to provide detailed plans. A Building Notice charge (+ VAT) is
payable when a Building Notice is submitted. A building notice is not considered valid until payment, in full, has been made.
 3. Regularisation: - If works have already been carried out on or after the 11th November 1985, without the necessary approval, a Regularisation
application will need to be made. The charge for this is equivalent to the Building Notice charge (excl VAT) plus 40% (Regularisation Surcharge) and it
should be noted that this fee is not refundable once we have undertaken our first site inspection and you then should decide not to proceed further with
your application.

Note: - Further detailed information and application forms can be found on our website or by contacting ourselves via one of the methods shown
above. Alternatively you may wish to use our popular telephone application service by calling us on 0151-691-8454. One of the Technical Support
team will go through the application process with you and take the details of your application and payment over the phone.

Individually determined charges (IDC): If the works you are carrying out are not listed in these schedules as a standard charge, the charge will be
individually determined. If your building work is defined as requiring an individual assessment you should e-mail Building Control at: buildingcontrol@wirral.gov.uk
preferably with ‘Request for Building Regulation Charge’ in the title of the e-mail and provide a plan and/or description of the intended work. We will contact you by the
end of the following working day or alternatively telephone our helpline – 0151 691 8454.

Additional fee notes:

1). These charges have been set by the authority on the basis that the building work does not consist of, or include, innovative or high risk construction
techniques (details available from the authority) and/or the duration of the building work from commencement to completion does not exceed 12 months.
The charges have also been set on the basis that the design and building work is undertaken by a person or company that is competent to carry out the
relevant design and building work. If they are not, the work may incur supplementary charges. Whilst we always attempt to limit the need for any
supplementary charges, it is difficult to predict these additional cost, such fees will be based on our hourly rate at the time.
2). Multiple work reductions – Where the proposed works consist of more than one element being built at the same time, then the appropriate charge is
calculated by paying the full amount for the most expensive element and only 50% for the other applicable elements.
3). Estimated Cost – an estimate that is accepted by the Authority of such reasonable amount as would be charged by a person in business to carry out
such building work.
4). Exemption in relation to building work solely for disabled people – where an existing dwelling that is, or is to be, occupied by a disabled person as a
permanent residence is to be altered, and where the whole of the building work is solely for the benefit of a disabled person – charges may not apply.
However due to the complexity of the regulations giving exemption please contact Building Control directly to seek further clarification.
5). Floor Area – the total floor area of any building or extension is the total of the floor area of all the storeys which comprise that building or extension.
6). Electrical Work - If controllable electrical work is not to be certified as compliant with the Building Regulations by a person or body competent and
registered to do so under Part P of the Building Regulations, the additional charge as shown in Schedule 2B below will be incurred by the applicant to cover
the costs of the Council’s appointed consultant carrying out the relevant inspections for completion and testing of the electrical installation.

Methods of payment:

 Payment can be made over the phone or in person by credit or debit card following receipt of your application.
 Cheques should be made payable to Wirral Council.
Inspection service - Starting work.

All building work must be inspected by one of our building control surveyors at key stages. This is not only to ensure that the work meets the current building
regulations, but it also provides an opportunity for us to offer timely advice or for owners/contractors to raise any queries they may have.
Once we receive your completed application you will often be assigned a dedicated surveyor for your project whom will provide continuity of service for both
you and your builder.

Completion of work

It is very important that you contact your building control surveyor to arrange for a final inspection when all the work is complete. Once we are satisfied that the
work is complete a completion certificate can be issued to you for safekeeping. This is an important document should you decide to sell or re-mortgage your
property in the future. (We would also recommend that you obtain your completion certificate before making final payment to your builder.)

Data Protection Act.

Wirral Council is a data controller under the Data Protection Act. We hold information in electronic and manual files for the purposes of building regulations.
We will only hold your information for as long as necessary for these purposes and will not pass it on to any other parties, except where required to carry out
our statutory duties and functions as a Local Authority.
Wirral Council conforms to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. The information required herewith is requested under the provisions of the
Building Regulations 2010 and The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010.

If you have any enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact ourselves via one of the methods shown at the top of
this document.

Please remember, it is the responsibility of the owner of the property to obtain planning permission, if required, for
the work that is being proposed to be carried out.

                           
   
 Schedule 1 – New dwelling houses up to 300m² - standard charge
Full Plans Building Notice Charge
Plan Charge Inspection Charge
1 Net £243.33 1 Net £358.33 1 Net £631.67
Vat £48.67 Vat £71.67 Vat £126.33
Total £292.00 Total £430.00 Total £758.00

Total no of dwelling units

Total no of dwelling units
Number of unit types

2 Net £309.17 2 Net £547.50 2 Net £830.00

Vat £61.83 Vat £109.50 Vat £166.00
Total £371.00 Total £657.00 Total £996.00
3 Net £380.00 3 Net £720.00 3 Net £1011.67
Vat £76.00 Vat £144.00 Vat £202.33
Total £456.00 Total £864.00 Total £1214.00
4 Net £460.00 4 Net £870.83 4 Net £1170.00
Vat £92.00 Vat £174.17 Vat £234.00
Total £552.00 Total £1045.00 Total £1404.00
5 Net £517.50 5 Net £1008.33 5 Net £1314.17
Vat £103.50 Vat £201.67 Vat £262.83
Total £621.00 Total £1210.00 Total £1577.00
Schedule 1a – New flats up to 300m² – standard charge
Full Plans Building Notice Charge
Plan Charge Inspection Charge
1 Net £220.83
Vat £44.17
Total £265.00
Number of unit types

2 Net £274.17 2 Net £460.00 2 Net £715.00

Total number of units

Total number of units

Vat £54.83 Vat £92.00 Vat £143.00
Total £329.00 Total £552.00 Total £858.00
3 Net £326.67 3 Net £543.33 3 Net £802.50
Vat £65.33 Vat £108.67 Vat £160.50
Total £392.00 Total £652.00 Total £963.00
4 Net £380.00 4 Net £623.33 4 Net £886.67
Vat £76.00 Vat £124.67 Vat £177.33
Total £456.00 Total £748.00 Total £1064.00
5 Net £432.50 5 Net £689.17 5 Net £955.83
Vat £86.50 Vat £137.83 Vat £191.17
Total £519.00 Total £827.00 Total £1147.00

Example:- A full plans application consists of a total of five dwellings with two differing unit types (handed plots are classed as one type)

Plan Charge for 2 unit types = £371.00 (inc VAT) Inspection Charge for 5 dwellings = £1210.00 (inc VAT)

   
Schedule 2A: Domestic extensions to a single building – standard charge
Full Plans
Building Notice Charge
Type of work Plan Charge Inspection Charge
Net VAT Total Net VAT Total Net VAT Total
Extension floor area not exceeding 10m² £132.50 £26.50 £159.00 £194.17 £38.83 £233.00 £343.33 £68.67 £412.00
Extension floor area exceeding 10m² but not exceeding 60m² £150.00 £30.00 £180.00 £305.00 £61.00 £366.00 £477.50 £95.50 £573.00
Extension floor area exceeding 60m² bit not exceeding 100m² £176.67 £35.33 £212.00 £393.33 £78.67 £472.00 £598.33 £119.67 £718.00
Erection/extension of a non-exempt garage, carport or covered way up £119.17 £23.83 £143.00 £167.50 £33.50 £201.00 £300.83 £60.17 £361.00
to 60m²
Detached non-habitable domestic building with total floor area less than £128.33 £25.67 £154.00 £239.17 £47.83 £287.00 £385.83 £77.17 £463.00
60m²
Extension/alteration to create room(s) in roof space, floor area less than £176.67 £35.33 £212.00 £208.33 £41.67 £250.00 £485.00
£404.17 £80.83
60m².

Schedule 2B: Domestic alterations and other minor works to a single building – standard charge

Full Plans
Building Notice Charge
Type of work Plan Charge Inspection Charge
Net VAT Total Net VAT Total Net VAT Total
Conversion of garage into a habitable room(s) £265.00 £53.00 £318.00
Renovation of a thermal element (roof, wall or floor) with a commercial
£136.67 £27.33 £164.00
value up to £5000(see note 2)
Alterations to convert residential property back to a single dwelling (no
£127.50 £25.50 £153.00
structural alts)
Replacement windows - Installation up to 10 units (see note 2) £86.67 £17.33 £104.00
Replacement windows - Installation 11 to 50 units (see note 2) £130.00 £26.00 £156.00
Electrical installation - up to 3 bedroomed property(< or = to 100m²) £240.00 £48.00 £288.00
Electrical installation - 4 or more bedroomed property(>100m²) IDC
Electrical work - Installer is a qualified/experienced registered
£60.00 £12.00 £72.00
electrician able to issue BS7671 design, installation test certificate.
Installation of a wood/multi fuel burner for domestic use. £175.00 £35.00 £210.00
Structural and internal alterations with a commercial value up to
£95.83 £19.17 £115.00
£1000(see note 2)
Structural and internal alterations with a commercial value up to £5000
£129.17 £25.83 £155.00
(see note 2)
Structural and internal alterations with a commercial value up to £15000
£216.67 £43.33 £260.00
(see note 2)
Schedule 3A - Commercial, Industrial and other Non-Domestic Work - standard charge

Full Plans
Building Notice Charge
Type of work Plan Charge Inspection Charge
Net VAT Total Net VAT Total Net VAT Total
Replacement windows - Per installation up to 10 units £86.67 £17.33 £104.00 £86.67 £17.33 £104.00
Replacement windows - Per installation 11 to 50 units £130.00 £26.00 £156.00 £130.00 £26.00 £156.00
Replacement windows - Per installation 51 to 100 units £180.00 £36.00 £216.00 £180.00 £36.00 £216.00
Renovation of a roof, wall or floor with a commercial value up to £5000 £136.67 £27.33 £164.00 Included in Plan Charge £136.67 £27.33 £164.00
Structural and internal alterations with a commercial value up to £5000 £154.17 £30.83 £185.00
Same as Plan Charge (if
Structural and internal alterations with a commercial value up to £10000 £220.83 £44.17 £265.00 permitted without Fire
Structural and internal alterations with a commercial value up to £20000 £265.00 £53.00 £318.00 Service consultation)