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

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 Note [PDF, 4.48MB]

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.

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