Please contact us to book your building regulation site inspections. Unfortunately due to the current situation and our Building Control Surveyors mostly working from home, we are not able to offer same-day site inspections and you need to contact us and book your site inspection request by 5pm on the day before the site visit is required.
In line with the Government’s guidance for construction, our Building Control Surveyors are under strict instructions to comply with social distancing rules and use of PPE and we would expect you to fully cooperate with the Surveyor carrying out the site visit to ensure that these are fully adhered to and the site inspection is undertaken safely.
To book a site inspection visit you can do this by one of the following methods, this needs to be carried out before 5pm on the previous day, and we will then ensure that the visit is booked for the following working day (this does not include Completion Inspections, where these are requested a member of the Building Control Team will make contact to arrange these for a specific day):
1. You can call us on 01865 252807.
2. You can send an e-mail to siteinspections@oxford.gov.uk, in order for an inspection to be booked you must include the following information:
- Building Control Application Reference Number.
- Site Address including Postcode.
- Type of inspection requested (please note Completion Inspections are unable to be booked for a specific day and a member of the Building Control Team will be in touch to arrange this with you following your request).
- Builder's name, address and telephone (first inspection only).
- Contact name and telephone number (for subsequent inspections).
- Date work will be ready for inspection.
If you are submitting an application, please note that we require 48 hours' notice, once payment has been received, before calling to arrange an inspection.
You may also wish to talk directly with the local Building Control Surveyor who can be contacted via their mobile phone. Please, note that we are not able to accept text notifications, as these may not be seen or read when a surveyor is away from the office.
Download our Building Control Application Fees document.
Stages of inspection
The following are the stages at which notification should be given to us for most building projects. However, as all jobs are individual we may request that other stages are inspected once work has commenced on site.
- Commencement - Notification is required 2 working days before commencement of the works.
- Foundations excavated - This is required before the concrete is poured.
- Damp-proof course and Ground floor oversite - This is required when the ground floor oversite is prepared before concreting. (Note that other types of floor construction are required to be inspected before they are covered up).
- Structural timbers, steelwork, or concrete beams - This is required before they are covered up.
- Drains for foul and surface water - This is required before backfilling.
- Drains testing
- Roof structure -This is required before tiling or plaster boarding.
- Occupied before completion (where relevant) - An inspection can be carried out if the building is to be occupied before it can be considered complete for Building Regulations.
- Work completed - This inspection is carried out once all the work is completed.
When the work is found to be satisfactory and all other relevant inspections have been made, a Completion Certificate for the work can be issued. Most house sales require a Completion Certificate for any works undertaken to which Building Regulations Approval apply.
