Submitting a Commencement Notice

For works requiring additional documentation a completed copy of the commencement notice must be signed by the owner of the works and must (refer to section 9 S.I. No 9 of 2014) be accompanied by the following;

1. General Arrangement Drawings
2. A schedule of design documents as are currently prepared or to be prepared
3. An online assessment via the Building Control Management System of the proposed approach to compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations 1997 to 2014;
4. The preliminary inspection plan
5. A Certificate of Compliance (Design)
6. Notices of Assignment in respect of the Builder who will carry out the works and of the Assigned Certifier who will inspect and certify the works, and
   Certificates of Compliance signed by the Builder and the Assigned Certifier undertaking to carry-out their roles in accordance with the requirements of the Building Regulations.
7. It must be accompanied by the correct fee.  Along with the notice the accompanying documentation and appropriate fee you must submit evidence of the following, if applicable.

The Following Reference Numbers should be included.

• Final Grant of Planning Permission
• A Fire Safety Certificate (if required)  Application for Fire Safety Certificate
• A Disability Access Certificate (if required)  Disability Access Certificate form

With regard to the above, please note that:

1. The Designer and the Assigned Certifier must be a Chartered Engineer, or Registered Architect or Registered Surveyor
2. A Competent Builder must execute the work
3. Your drawings must show details of how your Building will comply with the Building Regulations - drawings submitted for planning permission purposes are not typically building control compliance drawings.
4. The commencement notice and accompanying documentation must be filed electronically via the online Building ControlManagement System.https://www.localgov.ie/en/BCMS  
   (Note: Statutory approvals relating to fire safety and disabled access continue to apply where relevant and are not affected by the above changes).

Check the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations, 2014 ( S.I. No. 9) and Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Building work , for further information.

Fee for a Commencement Notice

€30 in respect of each building if complete application submitted on-line

Maximum fee for a Commencement Notice is €3,800 (Admin charges not included in max fee).

N.B.  Further Administrative Fees for Documents submitted in paper format 

Building Control Administrative Charges 2014.

Construction Products Regulation

Under S.I. No. 225 of 2013  European Union (Construction Products) Regulations 2013 which gives effect to Regulation No. 305/2011 (Construction Products Regulation) of the European Parliament, CE marking will be mandatory for all construction products placed on the market for which harmonised standards are in place. The Construction Products Regulation aims to ensure that reliable performance-related data is made available, by means of  "Declarations of Performance", in relation to construction products being placed on the European market.  

This will affect the following people:

Manufacturers, importers and distributors
Designers, specifiers and builders

Construction Products Regulation - Further Information

Frequently Asked Questions on the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)

Construction Products Regulation

Further information can be obtained from the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government's website and from the following information note:

Construction Products Regulation – Information Paper (published by the Building Regulations Advisory Body)

Market Surveillance

Market Surveillance is the activities carried out and measures taken by the Market Surveillance Authority to ensure that construction products comply with the requirements set out in the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and do not endanger health, safety or any other aspect of public interest protection.

Market Surveillance of construction products in Ireland is led by the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office (NBC&MSO) as prescribed under S.I. No. 682 of 2020, who have a team of authorised officers dedicated to carrying out reactive and proactive market surveillance on a nationwide basis. The National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office leads and coordinates the National Market Surveillance Strategy in conjunction with the 31 Building Control / Market Surveillance Authorities (MSAs) for Market Surveillance of Construction Products, with the aim of strengthening the oversight and enforcement of the existing construction products regime and establish a systematic approach to ensure effectiveness of market surveillance and enforcement activities.

Videos containing information from the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office can be found on their YouTube Channel which is available HERE. Further information can be found at https://nmso.nbco.localgov.ie/. Also, up to date information, newsletters and presentations can be found HERE.

Brexit

Manufacturers, importers, distributors and authorised representatives need to ensure they comply with their obligations and responsibilities, as set out in the CPR.

Further information can be obtained Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government's Website.

Authorised officers

Wicklow County Council have authorised officers appointed under Regulation 11 of the European Union (Construction Products) Regulations 2013 for the purposes these regulations. 

Building Energy Rating BER

If you plan on selling or renting a property a Building Energy Rating (BER) is required.

A BER certificate indicates your building's energy performance. It is similar to the energy label for household appliances.

The certificate rates your building on a scale of A-G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and will tend to have the lowest energy bills. G-rated are the least energy efficient.

The building control authority has powers to enforce compliance with the regulations. Further information may be found at https://www.seai.ie/energy-ratings/building-energy-rating-ber/

Technical Guidance Documents

These documents are published by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and provide guidance on compliance with the building regulations. They refer to standards and codes for further guidance with respect to the design and construction of buildings. Works carried out in accordance with the technical guidance documents, prima facie, indicate compliance with the building regulations. The adoption of an alternative approach other than that outlined in the guidance documents is not precluded, provided that the relevant requirements of the regulations are complied with.

Technical guidance documents http://www.environ.ie/en/TGD/

The building regulations set out the technical requirements for the design and construction of building works. The building regulations are divided into 12 parts, and for private dwelling houses, the areas to be addressed are as follows:

In accordance with the Building Control Regulations, a commencement notice must be submitted before the commencement of works.

It is an offence to open, operate or occupy buildings unless the required Fire Safety Certificate, Disability Access Certificate or Regularisation Certificate have been granted and the Certificate of Compliance on Completion has been included on the statutory register.

Other useful information can be found by clicking the following links.

• National Building Control & Market Surveillance Office – Frequently Asked Questions FAQ – Building Control Regulations – Administration of Building Control (localgov.ie)
• Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works Microsoft Word - 2016-10-21 Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works (FINAL VERSION - FOR SUBMISSION (localgov.ie)
• Instructional BCMS videos can be found on the National Building Control Office YouTube Channel.
• Loft Conversion Guidelines (please see in Related Documents at bottom of page)

Radon Advice

Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the decay of uranium which is present in all rocks and soils. It has no colour, taste or smell and can only be measured using special detectors. Outdoors, radon is not a problem as it quickly dilutes to harmless concentrations. However, when it enters an enclosed space, such as a house or other building, it can sometimes accumulate to unacceptably high levels. 

Radon decays to form tiny radioactive particles that when inhaled, can result in a radiation dose which may damage cells in the lung and increase the risk of ung cancer. In Ireland about 350 cases of lung cancer are linked to radon each year. 

Homes in some parts of Ireland are more likely to have a radon problem. These are called high radon areas. The EPA’s updated radon risk map will tell you if your home is in a High Radon Area. High Radon Areas are shown in red.

Radon is easy to test for and it is easy to reduce the levels of radon in your home. The National reference level for radon in homes is 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3). Ideally all homes should have radon levels below this value. If radon test shows radon concentrations above this value, then remediation measures to reduce the radon levels are recommended.

By law (Article 66 of Statutory Instrument No.30 2019) employers located in high radon areas are required to test their premises for radon. The acceptable level, or Reference Level, for workplaces in Ireland is 300 Bq/m3. If following a radon measurement, radon concentrations above this value are found, remediation measures to reduce the radon levels are required and must be completed within 12 months. Check if your workplace is in a high radon area on our Radon in Workplaces map.

Learn More

Website: www.radon.ie

Freephone: 1800 300 600

Email: radon@epa.ie

https://nbco.nbco.localgov.ie/compliance-support 

All queries on building control issues and building regulations Buildingcontrol@wicklowcoco.ie