Local Authority Building Control and Approved Inspectors

Everyone knows that it is important to choose the right builder to carry out work on your property. It is equally important that you are careful in your choice of Building Control Service provider.

Building Control services are now available from two sources:

There are some differences between the level of service you will receive.

So why choose Local Authority Building Control?

We are determined to provide you with the very best service in Building Control. Whether you are a large developer undertaking a multi-million pound project or a homeowner carrying out alterations to your home, we are totally committed to assisting you in any way we can.

We recognise that all our customers have different needs and it will not be possible to satisfy all of these via a visit to this site. However, to make your Building Control experience as simple and easy as possible we will continually update and improve these pages to assist you.

Pre-Application Service

• Extensive pre-application advice at any stage to suit your needs.
• Most useful in agreement of issues such as Fire Safety design, Means of Escape in case of Fire and Access issues.
• Facilitation of meetings between you, other departments and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

Application Process

• Full technical assessment of your scheme within 15 days from validation
• Highly competitive fees
• Receipt of electronic applications/plans
• Formal Decision Notice issued
• Full formal Consultation process with external bodies - Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Southern Water Ltd, etc

Site Inspection Service

• Inspection requests made by 10am will be carried out on the same day. If you require a timed visit then you are advised to speak to the surveyor directly.
• Inspection Notification Framework available for each individual project.
• Qualified Building Control Surveyors who will constantly be looking for cost effective solutions to regulatory challenges  and who act with complete impartiality and flexibility. 
• Extensive and unrivalled experience on every conceivable type of project.
• Issue of formal Completion Certificate when your project satisfies Building Regulation standards.

Building Control Performance Standards

• Ashford Borough Council Building Control complies with this Government initiative to regulate standard within the Building Control profession.

Quality Assured Service

Our Building Control Team is registered under ISO 9001 2002 which means that we are constantly audited to ensure that we meet the Service Standards which are set out in our Customer Charter.

• All our Building Control Surveyors are either professionally qualified and/or possess extensive experience. They regularly attend training seminars to ensure that they are up to date with modern methods of construction and ever-changing legislation.
• We have a progressive approach to new materials and methods of construction and therefore can help you obtain the best possible value for money.
• We make maximum use of modern technology.
• We keep extensive records on every property/site in the borough - so that future owners can confidently plan further work. This helps prospective purchasers ensure that work carried out in the past has been approved and inspected. This information can be analysed to give early warning of any potential problems particulary in relation to ground conditions.
• We liaise closely with Building Control sections in other Local Authorities to share knowledge, experience and maintain consistency.
• We can guarantee that we will be at your service for many years to come.
• We welcome and encourage customer feedback.