Do you need Sheffield building control for plumbing work?

Building control is the part of the council that checks building work meets the Building Regulations. Sheffield City Council’s building control explained page says its surveyors assess plans and inspect work to check it meets the rules on structure, fire safety, energy efficiency, accessibility and drainage. For plumbing and heating, some jobs need it and many do not. Knowing which saves time and protects you when you come to sell.

The short answer

Job	Building control needed?	How it is usually handled
Repairing a leak, tap, toilet or pipe	No	Just do the repair
Like for like swap of a basin, toilet or bath	No	Just do the work
New gas boiler, or moving one	Yes	Gas Safe registered installer self certifies
New oil boiler	Yes	OFTEC registered installer self certifies
New unvented hot water cylinder	Yes	Competent person scheme installer self certifies, or notify building control
New drainage, or new connection to the drain	Usually yes	Building control application
New bathroom electrical circuit, or electric shower circuit	Yes	Registered electrician self certifies
New bathroom with extractor fan	Ventilation rules apply	Usually done by the installer to Part F
Removing a wall or cutting joists for pipes	Possibly	Building control may need to see it
Cellar conversion to a bathroom	Usually yes	Building control application

Self certification

Many trades can sign off their own work through a competent person scheme. The installer is registered with a scheme, does the work to the regulations, and notifies it. You then get a certificate in the post.

• Gas boilers: a Gas Safe registered installer notifies the work, and you receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate.
• Unvented cylinders: fall under Part G of the Building Regulations. The installer must be competent to fit unvented systems and either self certify through a scheme or notify building control. Our post on the unvented cylinder service explains the safety devices involved.
• Bathroom electrics: new circuits fall under Part P. A registered electrician can self certify.

If your installer is not in a scheme for that type of work, you need to apply to building control yourself before work starts.

When you apply to Sheffield City Council

Sheffield City Council offers two main routes, described on its building control pages:

• Full plans: you submit drawings first, they are checked, then the work is inspected. Best for bigger or complicated jobs.
• Building notice: the council says this is mostly used for minor works to homes, by people who understand the regulations. Work can start sooner, but you take the risk if it does not comply. See the building notice page.

You can also use a registered private building control approver instead of the council.

If you live outside the city, the council changes: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for Rotherham, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council for Penistone, and the Derbyshire side for Dronfield. The regulations are the same across England.

Drainage

Part H of the Building Regulations covers drainage. Any new drain, or a new connection to an existing drain, usually needs building control. That includes:

• A new toilet or bathroom that connects into the drain in a new place.
• A cellar bathroom with a pumped waste system. Our post on a toilet in a cellar explains that one.
• Moving a soil stack.
• Building over or near a public sewer, which also needs Yorkshire Water’s agreement.

Since 2011, many shared drains and lateral drains are owned by Yorkshire Water. Building close to or over one needs its permission as well as building control.

Bathrooms in Ecclesall and similar homes

In S11, many Victorian terraces and Edwardian semis around Ecclesall Road, Banner Cross and Greystones have had loft conversions and rear extensions. A loft bathroom often needs new drainage to reach the soil stack, may need joist work, and usually needs a new circuit for lighting or a shower. That is more than a simple refit, so building control is likely to be involved. Our Ecclesall area page covers the other jobs in those homes.

What happens if work is not signed off

Work done without the right approval can cause problems when you sell. Buyers’ solicitors ask for certificates for boilers, electrics and structural changes. If they are missing, you may need to apply for regularisation, which means building control inspects work already done, sometimes by opening it up. It is cheaper to get it right first time.

Keep your paperwork

Keep every certificate in one folder:

• Gas boiler compliance certificate.
• Unvented cylinder commissioning record and notification.
• Electrical installation certificate.
• Building control completion certificate.
• Warranties and service records.

Our bathroom installation page explains how we plan bathrooms, including whether building control will be needed. If you are not sure whether your project needs it, tell us what you plan to change and we will tell you which rules apply.