Renovating outside loo - do I really need building control approval? Really?

toja

Sorry I am a complete novice in a building control…

My Victorian house has formerly outside loo attached to its back wall. Next to it is our conservatory, so effectively the door to the loo is from conservatory.
We have the house floorplan made in 2000 (before we bought it) which shows a toilet in the loo, but we bought it with the hole blocked and concreted over.

So, it has blocked up toilet hole, cold water pipe and electrics, We want to renovate it to the usable loo level, i.e. install a toilet, a sink, replace an old window, some sort of heating (small radiator or electric underfloor heating), insulating the roof thinly (not much space there), replaster, tile, paint. Have not decided whether to add hot water pipe or not. It will still be a bit like outside toilet, as it has half-brick walls, only that it is surrounded by conservatory and the neighbor’s downstairs bathrooms, only the back half-brick wall and the roof is exposed to outside.

I had an architect before suggesting call the council for safety sake, but he didn’t think it needed building control. I just called our council (Greater London). I was surprised when they said we will email you the Building Control Notice application and the fees. The fees depend on the cost of work. So if I choose expensive tiles over the cheap ones, I am paying more to the Building Control? I am not sure whether I am inclined to argue whether this really needs Building Control, or do it cheaply so I pay the lowest fee for the application. Or just do it withouth Building control and pretend that the toilet was always there?

The application also asks about a contractor and I was inclided to hire plumber, a handyman and a gas engineer (if needed) separately, does it make things more complicated?

Any advice will be very much appreciated.

Furts

You are responsible for the Building Regulations, you are the applicant, so it is perfectly acceptable if you wish to appoint different tradesmen. Even if you gave a contractors name, if there was a problem with the work, the council would be coming back to you because you are the applicant. The council would not be chasing after the builder.

Your toilet drain may be concreted over - but you have to be sure none of this concrete has gone down the drain and impeded the flow. I suspect this pipe is ruined, but only you know this. Also, you do not know if the drain is still connected, safe and flowing. There is then the issue of inspection, and access for cleaning and removing blockages.

Your toilet room should be insulated and built to current standards if the work is being done now.

New electrics are covered by the Building Regulations, or a self certifying electrician.

Should you wish to sell your house any of the points I raise, and more, could be an issue.

I suggest you apply for Building Regulations.

southcoastrgi

if it already shows a wc there then i would save your money & not bother telling the council, it would be classed as a re-furb not a new toilet & therefore you don't need planning or BR, tbh if you do apply & they class it as a new toilet you may find that you get involved in making it big enough for disabled use another reason for not telling them,

however the points that Furts made with regard to the drain & electrics & insulation are very valid

ValHaller

toja wrote: »

So if I choose expensive tiles over the cheap ones, I am paying more to the Building Control?

Get the work quoted without tiles and have it done separately?

toja

Thank you guys for taking your time to respond. The loo is effectively outside - the only connecting point is unheated conservatory. So I am quite surprised if it has to meet all "inside the house" regulations. It is similar as asking to install heating into portable loo (?)

The only proof about the toilet is the house floorplan from 2000 made by estate agency, given to me by the previous owner. And the concreted over hole.

I am sure that the drains can be done properly. I will be hiring certified plumbers to check the pipes, drains and plumbing (with thermal imaging, cameras etc).

I won't be able to insulate it to the proper level as there is no space, but again it is partially outside and the purpose is to use during parties, BBQs, gardening etc. Empty a child's potty (sorry for the detail). Perhaps not in deep winter.

I am not keen on installing radiator and hot water pipe from inside the house - I think it would make things more complicated from building control point of view and moreover, not really necessary. I believe electrics can be done to the certified level.

The council was very unhelpful. They want me to send the form and pay the fee. I explained and they didn't asked any further questions. By the sound of it was like "send the application, pay the fee, then we will decide whether it needs building control approval". It just doesn't make sense to me but perhaps I am living in my own world.