Is building regulations approval needed for repairing damaged floors?

If you’re contracted to do a job where timber or concrete ground floors are to be replaced, or are a homeowner faced with a damaged floor (for example after flooding) you'll need to check to see whether a building regulations application is needed.

An application to your local authority before you start the job is a simple way to ensure the work complies with the regulations and has the right certification.

The regulations require that where floors (or certain features of floors) are replaced, they must meet the requirements for 'renovation of a thermal element' - meaning that if you’re affecting more than 50% of the floor, it should be entirely renovated including insulation to improve the thermal efficiency.

Replacement of timber floorboards, concrete ground floors or screeds triggers this requirement. In each case if the existing floor doesn’t achieve a U-value of 0.7w/m2k, additional insulation is required. Since most of the heat lost through ground floors is at the edges, sometimes additional insulation won’t be needed at all – your Principal Designer or Principal Contractor should be able to give you for more advice and guidance.

If you suspect damage to a building’s foundations, get a suitably qualified person to investigate this. There’s particular risk on sloping sites.

If underpinning or foundation repairs are necessary, a building regulations application will be required for the work.

To be on the safe side, ensure all notifiable work is approved under the building regulations.

Contact your local LABC team by using our free post code search tool to find your local team.

Disclaimer:  

Every care has been taken to ensure that the above content is correct at the time of publication.  Any reliance on the content should be verified by the dutyholder(s) and their professional advisers.  It is the responsibility of the dutyholder(s) and/or person carrying out the work to ensure compliance with the relevant building regulations and associated legislation.

This content is given in good faith by LABC.  It is not definitive, and compliance will be a matter for the relevant building control authority to decide as the enforcing body for the building regulations, and ultimately for the appropriate tribunal or court to determine.