About Building Control

The Building Regulations are technical construction standards apply to the design and construction of new buildings, extensions and material alterations to, and certain changes of use of, existing buildings. Responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests at all times with the owner of the building or works, and with any builder or designer engaged by the owner.

Building Control deliver effective public oversight of compliance with Building Regulations by inspecting active construction sites and new buildings under construction. Dublin City Council’s Building Surveyors and Building Inspectors carry out a large number of these inspections every year across the city.  Sites are selected for inspection based on risk and complexity and in accordance with the national Framework for Building Control Authorities. Enforcement action, up to and including court action, is carried out where necessary. If you have a question or any concern about the quality of construction work underway in the city please contact us. 

The Building Control Regulations are a set of mandatory procedures that, if followed correctly, will support compliance with the technical Building Regulations. Commencement Notices, 7 Day Notices, Fire Safety Certificates, Disability Access Certificates and Certificates of Compliance on Completion are all part of the Building Control Regulations.

With some small exceptions, a Commencement Notice must be submitted to Building Control when a person intends to construct a new building, carry out alteration works, extend a building or make a material change of use to a building. A Disability Access Certificate shows that a new building makes adequate provision for people with disabilities by complying with Part M of the Building Regulations. Information on Fire Safety Certificates is available from our colleagues in Dublin Fire Brigade at this link.

Commencement Notices, Fire Safety Certificates, Disability Access Certificates and related applications may be submitted online and paperless using the BCMS. The BCMS is the national Building Control Management System delivered by the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office.

On these pages you will find further information on Commencement Notices, Disability Access Certificates, Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificates and the Construction Product Regulations.

Notice: From the 1st of July 2021, Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 229 of 2021) will be enacted. 

The revised Regulations state that “Where a copy of the 7 day notice statutory declaration referred to in Article 20A (2)(a)(ii)(II), has been submitted via the Building Control Management System, the applicant shall retain the original 7 day notice statutory declaration and shall produce the original 7 day notice statutory declaration for inspection where required to do so by the building control authority.”

You can see the full wording of the new Statutory Instrument here:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/si/229/made/en/pdf

Therefore it is not necessary to forward a hard copy of the statutory declaration to Building Control when lodging a 7 day notice.

Please retain the original document with your records – we shall request it if required.