Building Control fees and charges

Domestic buildings 

1.  Building Regulation Approval

1.1 Building Regulations Application. Before carrying out building work to which the Building Regulations apply, you or your agent must either deposit a Full Plans application or a Building Notice, together with the appropriate charge. 

1.2 The charge payable is dependent upon the type of work to be carried out and can be calculated by reference to the following notes and charge tables. Payments made by cheque should be made payable to The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, over the phone on 01628 796915 or via the website. 

If you have any difficulties, or the works being carried out are not detailed within the tables, please contact the Building Control service who will provide advice and/or an individually determined charge for your proposals. 

1.3 The proposed works may also require Planning Permission, guidance for which can be obtained separately from the Council’s Planning Services by emailing Planning@RBWM.gov.uk or Planning and building control.

2. Charges are payable as follows: 

2.1 Full Plans Application - Should you submit a Full Plans application, you will pay a Plan Charge at the time of submission of the application to cover assessment and decisions of deposited plans, with an Inspection Charge payable at the commencement of works/after we have made our first inspection. If applicable, you will be sent an invoice for this charge. 

2.2 Building Notice Application - Should you submit a Building Notice; the appropriate charge is payable at the time of submission. The fee payable covers all necessary plan examination and site inspections, in relation to the work described in the notice. 

2.3 Regularisation- Application/Unauthorised works - As the owner of unauthorised building work, should you apply for a Regularisation Certificate in respect of unauthorised building work, which was commenced on or after 11 November 1985; a regularisation charge is applicable. This charge is payable at the time of submission of the application, and covers the cost of assessing your application, and all site inspections.

Applications should include one copy of all available details. Please note the fee is non-refundable unless the work is found to be exempt from the Building Regulations.

2.4 VAT – Is chargeable to all Building Regulation Applications at the current rate applicable at the time of submitting the application, with the exception of Regularisation applications. 

2.5     For further information on making an application please see Building Control webpages. Please note that the withdrawal or substantial amendment to an existing application may be subject to an administration charge. 

3. Charges tables 

3.1 Table A Charges for the erection of dwelling houses and flats –details the charges payable for new dwelling houses and flats, where the total internal floor area of each dwelling, excluding any garage or carport, does not exceed 300m2. 

The building must also have not more than three storeys, including basement storeys. Dwellings exceeding 300m2, or sites exceeding five dwellings, please contact the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead who will provide an Individually Determined Charge Quote for Building Control Services.

3.2 Table B Charges for Domestic Extensions – details the charges payable where works comprise of one or more domestic extensions. Floor area is the total internal floor areas of all storeys added together. 

Two or more extension floor areas may be added together to determine the relevant charge, providing the works are carried out simultaneously. The council reserve the right to make additional charges should this subsequently not be the case. 

3.3 Table C Domestic Alterations – details the charges payable where works consist of domestic alterations. Estimated cost means, an estimate of all reasonable costs including both materials and labour that would be charged by a person in business, to carry out the work, excluding VAT. 

Professional fees paid to an architect, engineer or surveyor etc. and land acquisition costs, are to be excluded from the estimated costs. 

3.4 Electrical works which are not carried out by a Competent Person registered under the Part P Scheme, attract additional charges please also note clause 4.1 below. 

3.4 Reductions are discounts provided where both table B and table C works is carried out simultaneously, the relevant reduction will relate to a 25% reduction on the table C works. 

3.5 Individually Determined Charges – Where your proposed building work does not fall within the Tables A to C please contact, the Building Control team who will be pleased to provide an individual determined quotation for the building control charge for your project. 

Please use the Quote for Building Control Services or email Building.Control@RBWM.gov.uk or contact us on 01628 796915 details of your proposal. 

4. Supplementary Additional Charges/Reductions 

4.1 Competent Designer and Contractor. The Standard Charges have been set on the basis that the design and building work is undertaken by a person or company that is experienced and competent to carry out the work. If not, the work may incur supplementary additional charges. 

4.2 Innovative or High-Risk Construction Techniques. The charges have also been set on the basis that the building work does not consist of, or include, innovative or high-risk construction techniques. If so, the work may incur supplementary additional charges. 

4.3 Construction Time Period If the duration of the building work from commencement to completion exceeds 12 months, the council reserves the right to make supplementary additional charges. 

4.4 Chargeable Advice Discount. If chargeable advice has been given in respect of any of the work detailed in these tables and this is likely to result in less time being taken by the authority, a reduction to the standard charge will be made. 

4.5 If we are not called in for an inspection for over three years we will charge a fee to reopen a file and continue with the building control function.

5. Exemptions 

5.1 Where plans have been either Conditionally Approved or Rejected, no further charge is payable on resubmission for substantially the same work. 

5.2 Works to provide access and/or facilities for disabled people to existing dwellings are exempt from charges. In these Regulations disabled person is defined as a person to whom Section 29(1) of the National Assistance Act 1948 applies. 

6. Other 

6.1 The Regularisation Charge is equivalent to the sum of the relevant net Building Notice charge paid plus 50%. N.B. VAT is not payable for Regularisation applications. 

6.2 Thermal element means a wall, floor or roof which separates a heated part of the building from the external environment (including the ground) or from an unheated part of the building. 

‘Renovation’ in relation to a thermal element means the provision of a new layer in the thermal element or the replacement of an existing layer, but excludes decorative finishes

Note: Charges inclusive of VAT at 20%.