A full renovation has no single approval covering everything. The practical sequence is to investigate the property, coordinate the proposed work, establish the separate consent and building control routes, and arrange safe construction before starting. Which approvals are needed depends on the actual alterations, not the label “renovation”. [1] [2] [3]
1. Establish the existing condition and constraints
Gather the available information about the building and share it with the people designing and carrying out the work. Building regulations guidance requires clients to provide relevant building information; the project team needs to understand the existing structure and the proposed scope. [2]
Identify hazards before intrusive work. HSE's construction-planning guidance includes asbestos, existing services, access and structural risks among the matters to address in pre-construction information. Investigations should be arranged early enough to inform the work, rather than becoming an unexpected task during strip-out. [3]
2. Coordinate the layout, structure and building services
Agree who leads the design and who coordinates the construction work. Building regulations principal designer and principal contractor roles concern compliance; CDM roles concern construction health and safety. The same organisation may perform both sets of roles where competent and appropriately appointed, but the responsibilities are not interchangeable. [2]
An owner renovating their own home is not in the same position as someone commissioning work as part of a business. The domestic-client arrangements should not be assumed for a landlord or developer. Under CDM, domestic client duties normally pass to the contractor on a single-contractor project or the principal contractor where there is more than one. [4]
3. Resolve the consent routes
Ordinary internal alterations may need no planning application, while exterior changes must be assessed separately. Listed building consent is required where alterations affect a listed building's special character, including relevant internal work. Obtain any required consent before that work begins. [5] [6]
Check whether the structural proposals also trigger the Party Wall Act. It operates separately from planning permission and building regulations; approval under one system does not complete the procedures under another. [7]
4. Arrange building control and specialist certification
For an ordinary project, establish whether building control will be handled by the council or a registered building control approver. With a council application, full plans provide a design-checking route; a building notice does not provide formal approval of plans. Do not assume every project follows the same application procedure. [1] [8]
Identify eligible self-certified work, such as relevant window or heating installations, and check the installer's scheme registration. Those certificates cover the work within the scheme, not unrelated structural alterations elsewhere in the renovation. [9]
5. Plan construction, inspections and handover
A construction phase plan must be in place before construction starts. The contractor or principal contractor should plan the work and manage the hazards, including how people in and around the property are protected. Provide relevant survey information before work is priced and programmed. [3]
Agree inspection and completion arrangements with building control. Keep the drawings, structural information and applicable installation certificates with the final building control documentation, rather than treating the finishing of decoration as the same thing as regulatory completion. [1] [9]
Projects crossing the 2027 changes
The published 2026 energy and ventilation requirements take effect on 24 March 2027 for non-higher-risk work and 24 September 2027 for higher-risk building work. Transitional arrangements depend on the relevant application or notice and commencement conditions, not simply the date planning permission was granted. Check the route before choosing the technical specification. [10]