The Transport and Engineering Service set the charge level for Building Regulation applications within the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. The charges are set at a level to recover the cost of providing our service.

The charges we apply for Building Regulations applications are either pre-determined charges for a generic range of projects, known as standard charges, or individually determined charges, which means each charge is calculated on a case-by-case basis.

Request a quote

To help us provide the best possible price for your scheme, you can request a quote by emailing bcsfees@bcpcouncil.gov.uk and we will contact you within 24 hours. Quotes are valid for 90 days.

Alternatively, please call us on 01202 123 741 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

When requesting a quote, please supply as much information as possible about your project, ideally the information should be on plans that you can attach to an email. However, we can view planning application drawings online so if you have a current or approved planning application for your project, tell us the associated planning application reference number and we will use that information to calculate your charge.

For more complex projects, please include:

• details of type of work - for example: a new building, an extension or alterations
• a description of the work and size of the building or extension - for example floor area and numbers of storeys
• any special features or methods of construction
• any parts of the work that a competent person scheme installer will be responsible for, for example, the associated electrical installation
• the estimated cost of the building work

We welcome early involvement, particularly on larger projects, prior to the formal deposit of a Building Regulations application. This helps us to provide maximum assistance and achieve rapid approval of your scheme.

Our scheme of charges provides information on how the council sets its building regulations charges - the scheme does not contain any tables or lists of charges.

The scheme is available for viewing after 1 October 2022 by arrangement with the Building Control Manager at the BCP Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY.

Payment of charges

• Plan charge: this charge is payable at the time of submitting the application - and is for the compliance assessment of the plans
• Inspection charge: the inspection charge is payable after the first inspection made by one of our Building Control Surveyors. The applicant will be invoiced for the charge, which will cover the number of inspections considered reasonable and necessary for the work involved
• Building notice charge: this charge is payable when you submit your application
• Regularisation certificate charge: this charge is payable when you submit your application. There is no VAT attached to this charge

In certain cases, mainly involving large scale projects, we may agree to charges being paid by instalments. Please contact us for further details.

Where plans have been either approved or rejected, no further charge is payable on resubmission for substantially the same work.

Some submissions do not require a charge, these are:

• insertion of insulating material into an existing cavity wall, providing the installation is certified to an approved standard and the work is carried out by an approved installer
• installation of an approved unvented hot water system where the work is carried out by an approved operative or is part of a larger project
• work to provide access and facilities for disabled persons in existing dwellings and buildings to which the public has access. You will be asked for details of any disability registration number to accompany your application

Charges in respect of all work are subject to VAT at the standard rate; the only exception is the Regularisation charge.

These notes are for guidance only and do not substitute for Statutory Instrument 2010 No. 404 which contains the full statement of the law.