Building control and load bearing walls

keithdc

Hi,

A house we are considering buying has created a new doorway in an internal wall. The wall is probably (almost certainly) load bearing.

Assuming it is load bearing, would this require building control or is it only complete wall removal that requires building control sign off?

Doozergirl

How wide is the doorway?

keithdc

Thank you for reading and replying.

Sorry- I don't have precise measurements. It is approximately standard door width (perhaps slightly wider).

If needed, I could find out but may take a while as would need to go via solicitors.

Are there specific rules on this?

Doozergirl

If it's a normal-ish sized door then no, a concrete lintel is sufficient.

sevenhills

keithdc wrote: »

Hi,

A house we are considering buying has created a new doorway in an internal wall. The wall is probably (almost certainly) load bearing.

Assuming it is load bearing, would this require building control or is it only complete wall removal that requires building control sign off?

I recall a friend needing building regs for a new window.

Doozergirl

sevenhills wrote: »

I recall a friend needing building regs for a new window.

That's because windows need building regs.

We're not talking about windows. We're talking about a door in an internal wall.

phill99

Doozergirl wrote: »

That's because windows need building regs.

We're not talking about windows. We're talking about a door in an internal wall.

But if an internal wall is load bearing it will still need building regs and an engineers calcs.

Yazmina

I'm planning to remove part of an internal wall in my house and the builder tells me I'll need to get building control approval first.

keithdc

Thank you everyone for your contributions.

My assumption was that there must be a point where building control would be required (e.g. drilling a hole would not require building control, removing a wall would require it), but I was unclear where the dividing line was. Is this officially recorded anywhere?

sevenhills

What building regulations apply to internal walls?


If you wish to build a new internal wall, remove an internal wall, or form an opening in an internal wall, building regulations will normally apply.


https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/33/internal_walls/2

Doozergirl

phill99 wrote: »

But if an internal wall is load bearing it will still need building regs and an engineers calcs.

A regular doorway in an internal wall doesn't need calculations. It may need building regulations (the guidance says they *normally* apply) but I really don't think it does.

We must have knocked hundreds of doors into different rooms during renovations and had building inspectors out for every job, given the scale of what we do. They've certainly known about doorways being created but they've never even inspected one, let alone started a conversation about needing calculations for forming a regular doorway.

Of course one needs to carry out the job properly, but I've never seen a BCO remotely interested.