Booking Site Inspections
Starting work
You may start work any time after you have made an application, providing in accordance with ‘A11’ of the Building Regulations you give us at least 48 hours notice. In the calculation of a period of notice, DAY means any period of 24 hours commencing at midnight on the day on which the notice is given and excludes any Saturday, Sunday or public holiday.
Anyone executing work, you or your builder, if you have one, should contact us when you reach the following stages:
- at the start of the works
- excavating foundations
- foundation concrete
- damp-proof course
- site hard-core
- site concrete
- drainage
- completion
This list may not apply to all types of works, so please contact us before starting any work for more information.
We need to carry out statutory inspections of the work as it progresses so that we can give you the best possible service. Derry City Council Building Control Officers may need to call at other stages of the work not listed above (for example, when the roof timbers are in place) and we'd like your help to do this.
When should you contact us?
Building regulations give the minimum times when you need to contact us:
Derry City Council Building Control Department
Building work stages; minimum notice to give |
| Stage of work |
Minimum notice |
| Commencement of works |
2 days |
| Excavation of Foundation inspection |
2 days |
| Pouring of Foundation concrete |
2 days |
| Damp proof courses and membranes |
2 days |
| Before backfilling of drains and sewers |
2 days |
| After backfilling of drains and sewers |
5 days |
| After completion |
5 days |
| Before completion of works |
5 days |
To help you, we'll try to call out to your property on the same day, provided you contact us before 10am.
What if you don't tell us at the statutory different stages?
This might mean that our Building Control Officers don't get the chance to inspect important work. When this happens, we have the power to have the works opened up so that we can see that compliance has been achieved, this may result in delaying the progress and a additional financial cost to the project .
Completion of work
When we're happy that the works are complete in compliance with the Building Regulations, a Completion Certificate is issued.
The certificate is issued free of charge (first copy only), to the agent or owner. Extra copies are available for a fee of £20.
When you're selling your property, your solicitor has to carry out certain checks during conveyancing to ensure that everything is in order before advising that the property can be sold.
Completion certificates show that Building Control is satisfied with the work carried out. It is in accordance with the approved plans and the Building Regulations. This can reduce the length of time it takes to sell your property.
If you tell us about the works at the right time and let us see the work as it goes along, we can help you by giving you your completion certificate as soon as the work is finished.
Otherwise, there may be a delay in giving you the certificate and any sale may be delayed.
Arranging inspections
Inspections take place during normal office hours, 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and up to 4.30pm on Fridays.
In very special circumstances inspections may be carried out outside these hours. A request for inspections carried out on special circumstances must be made in writing explaining the circumstances so a decision can be made by the Chief Building Officer.
Please get in touch before 10am if you need the inspection carried out on the same day.
Book a site inspection
You should forward the statutory pink inspection cards to the Building Control Office and/or phone the office at 02871 376521.
Please note: if you book an inspection before 10.00am one of our Building Control Officers will carry it out that day, between 10.30am and 5pm. If the inspection is booked after 10.00am it will be carried out the next day.
You, or your builder, must inform us when the work starts and when you reach various stages of the work so we can inspect it to satisfy it meets the Building Regulations.
When the work is finished, and we're satisfied with it, we'll send you a completion certificate, confirming the work is in line with the Building Regulations.
You should keep this certificate in a safe place as you'll need it if you sell the property in the future. If you need a copy of a certificate we've already issued, we'll give you one free of charge.