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SAP 10 is cited in Approved Document L Volume 1: Dwellings (2012 edition) for England and is the recognised calculation methodology for assessing compliance of new dwellings with Requirement L1 of the Building Regulations. What is it all about and what are the recent changes to SAP?

What is SAP?

The Standard Assessment Procedure for the Energy Rating of Dwellings (SAP) is the UK Government’s National Calculation Methodology for assessing the energy performance of dwellings. SAP was developed by BRE and first published in 1993. 

Whilst correct design, specification and detailing of cavity wall ties is important; correct and quality installation is just as critical to ensure performance of a wall throughout the life of a building.

This is particularly important as the need to construct masonry walls with wide cavities is now often needed to accommodate the required thickness of insulation to meet the guidance in the 2021 editions of Approved Document L Volume 1 and 2. 

Designing and constructing wide enough foundations is crucial to ensure that the building loads are safely transferred to the ground. This is particularly important as the construction of masonry walls with wider cavities is now commonplace to accommodate the required thickness of insulation to meet the guidance in the 2021 editions of Approved Document L. 

This guide is intended to help people involved with replacing windows in existing dwellings to understand the 2021 changes to ventilation requirements of the Building Regulations in England. The article provides details on the key changes, along with examples of how compliance can be achieved. 

This is only a general guide, and you should always check with the Local Authority Building Control Team that your design complies with all the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations.

Thinking about installing one of those modern instantaneous hot water heaters into your kitchen – some which can supply cold, hot, or boiling, or even sparkling drinking water? 

Then you should be aware that the building regulations impose strict safety requirements that have been put in place to protect residents in homes and employees in workplaces, from scalding and potential explosion because of a system malfunction.

One of the less well known roles of building control is supporting the emergency services in incidents involving dangerous structures. In November 2022, Dorset council's building control team assisted the fire brigade and other first responders after a driver accidently drove their car into an end of terrace house in Swanage.

Fortunately, the driver was uninjured and no-one was inside the house at the time, but the accident caused extensive damage to the property, requiring local public service building control to take emergency action to make the site safe.

LABC’s learning and development team have seen increasing numbers of members taking part in its award winning non-degree vocational qualifications with 786 people taking a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification over the last three years. 

Both numbers and pass rates are increasing year on year reflecting public service building control’s commitment to learning, competence and standards.

Local Authority Building Control (LABC) has recently launched a fully funded trainee scheme for Trainee Building Control Surveyors in England. 

The capacity building programme will see more than 100 people recruited into the building control profession with a three-year fully funded learning and development plan. 

Local Authority Building Control (LABC), the membership organisation for 3,500 public service building surveyors in England and Wales, has launched a fully funded trainee scheme to attract new recruits into the profession.

Richard Scott, LABC’s Head of Member Support, and friends from Mansfield Road Cycling Club took on an epic cycle ride on 6 July. The route from Mansfield to Bridlington and back was more than 200 miles and involved over 5000 feet of hill climbs. The charity ride took place in a single day with the riders grabbing fish and chips at café in Bridlington before heading back home to Mansfield.