Handover & Completion · Mandatory · Completion

Building Regulations Completion Certificate

A certificate confirming that the completed works comply with the Building Regulations 2010.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. Building Regs 2010 remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	Building Regulations 2010
Status	Mandatory
Issued by	BCB (local authority or approved inspector)
HRB note	For Higher-Risk Buildings: BSR issues Completion Certificate instead (see K3)

1. Building Regulations Completion Certificate — The Statutory Completion Document

The Building Regulations Completion Certificate is the fundamental statutory quality mark for any building work that is subject to the Building Regulations 2010. It is the formal confirmation, issued by the Building Control Body (BCB), that the completed work complies with the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations. Without this certificate, the building work is not formally certified as compliant, and the building cannot legally be occupied for its intended purpose.

The completion certificate is issued by the BCB that has been responsible for checking compliance during construction. This will be either the local authority building control service or an approved inspector (also known as a registered building control approver). The BCB carries out inspections at key stages during construction and, when satisfied that the completed work complies with the Building Regulations, issues the completion certificate.

A new building occupied without a Building Regulations Completion Certificate is in breach of statutory requirements. The local authority has enforcement powers under Section 35 of the Building Act 1984, which can include requiring the removal or alteration of non-compliant work. Mortgage lenders, conveyancers, and insurers all require evidence of a completion certificate when a property is sold or remortgaged. The absence of a completion certificate can delay or prevent property transactions.

Do not allow occupation without it

A new building occupied without a Building Regulations Completion Certificate is in breach of statutory requirements — do not allow occupation without it. Occupation before the completion certificate has been issued creates legal, insurance, and mortgage difficulties that are far more costly and time-consuming to resolve retrospectively than ensuring the certificate is in place before handover.

2. What the Certificate Contains

The Building Regulations Completion Certificate confirms the key details of the building work and the BCB's assessment of compliance. Each section of the certificate should be checked carefully before the property is handed over or occupied.

Field	What to check
Property details	The full postal address and description of the property to which the certificate relates. Confirm that the address and description match the property being completed and handed over.
Applicant	The name of the person or organisation who submitted the building regulations application. This is typically the developer, builder, or property owner. Confirm that this matches the contractual applicant.
BCB reference	The unique reference number assigned by the Building Control Body to the building regulations application. This reference is required for any future enquiries, enforcement matters, or property transactions relating to the building work.
Description of works	A description of the building work covered by the certificate. This should accurately describe the scope of the work that has been inspected and certified as compliant. Check that the description covers all of the work that was carried out under the building regulations application.
Building Regs application	The type of building regulations application (Full Plans or Building Notice) and the date it was submitted. A Full Plans application involves the BCB checking detailed drawings before work starts; a Building Notice is a notification that work is about to start, with compliance checked during construction.
Final inspection	The date on which the BCB carried out the final inspection of the completed work. The final inspection is the last check before the completion certificate is issued and must be requested by the applicant when all work is complete.
Compliance statement	The BCB's formal statement that the completed work complies with the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations. This is the core content of the certificate — it is the statutory confirmation of compliance.
Qualified limitations	Any qualifications or limitations on the compliance statement. In some cases, the BCB may issue the certificate with qualifications noting specific areas where compliance has been achieved by alternative means or where minor items remain outstanding. Check any qualifications carefully.
BCB details	The name and contact details of the Building Control Body that issued the certificate. For local authority building control, this will be the council's building control service. For approved inspectors, this will be the approved inspector company. The BCB details are needed for future enquiries.
Distribution	The completion certificate is issued to the applicant and a copy is sent to the local authority (if the BCB is an approved inspector). The local authority maintains a register of completion certificates for all building work in its area. The applicant should retain the original certificate with the property records.

3. Common Mistakes

Not requesting the final inspection in time

The completion certificate cannot be issued until the BCB has carried out a final inspection and is satisfied that the work complies with the Building Regulations. If the applicant does not request the final inspection with sufficient lead time before the intended completion or occupation date, the certificate will not be ready. BCBs have inspection workloads and may not be able to attend at short notice. Request the final inspection well in advance of the target completion date to avoid delays.

Allowing occupation before the certificate is issued

Allowing a building to be occupied before the Building Regulations Completion Certificate has been issued is a breach of statutory requirements. It also creates practical problems: the occupier may make changes that affect compliance, the BCB may not be able to complete the final inspection in an occupied property, and any issues identified at final inspection are more difficult and expensive to remedy in an occupied building. Do not allow occupation until the completion certificate is in hand.

Not retaining the certificate in property records

The completion certificate is a permanent property record. It will be required whenever the property is sold, remortgaged, or altered. If the certificate is lost, a replacement can sometimes be obtained from the local authority or the approved inspector, but this involves delay and may incur a fee. The original certificate should be retained securely with the property deeds and other permanent records.

Confusing the completion certificate with the EPC

The Building Regulations Completion Certificate and the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) are separate documents with different purposes. The completion certificate confirms compliance with all applicable Parts of the Building Regulations. The EPC rates the energy efficiency of the building on a scale from A to G. Both are required at completion, but they are issued by different parties (the BCB issues the completion certificate; an accredited energy assessor issues the EPC) and serve different purposes.

Not following up on the approved inspector final certificate

When an approved inspector is the BCB, the approved inspector issues a final certificate to the local authority confirming that the work complies with the Building Regulations. The local authority then has a defined period to accept or reject the final certificate. The applicant should confirm that the final certificate has been accepted by the local authority. If the local authority rejects the final certificate, the approved inspector must resolve the issues or the work remains uncertified.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a completion certificate and a final certificate?▾

A completion certificate is issued by a local authority building control service when it is satisfied that the completed work complies with the Building Regulations. A final certificate is issued by an approved inspector to the local authority confirming the same thing. The terminology differs depending on whether the BCB is the local authority or an approved inspector, but the effect is the same: both confirm that the completed work complies with the Building Regulations. In both cases, the applicant receives formal confirmation that the work has been certified as compliant.

Can I sell a property without a completion certificate?▾

It is possible to sell a property without a completion certificate, but it creates significant difficulties. Buyers and their conveyancers will identify the absence of a completion certificate during the conveyancing process. Mortgage lenders may refuse to lend on the property without evidence of building regulations compliance. The seller may be required to obtain retrospective regularisation from the local authority, which involves the local authority inspecting the work and issuing a regularisation certificate. This process takes time and costs money. In some cases, indemnity insurance may be accepted as an alternative, but this does not resolve the underlying compliance issue.

What happens if the building does not comply at the final inspection?▾

If the BCB identifies non-compliance at the final inspection, the completion certificate will not be issued until the non-compliant work has been remedied. The BCB will advise the applicant of the specific items of non-compliance and the applicant must carry out the necessary remedial work. The BCB will then re-inspect to confirm compliance. Only when the BCB is satisfied that all work complies with the Building Regulations will the completion certificate be issued. Non-compliance at final inspection is a common cause of completion delays and should be avoided by maintaining regular communication with the BCB throughout the construction process.

Does the completion certificate cover all Parts of the Building Regulations?▾

Yes. The completion certificate confirms that the completed work complies with all applicable requirements of the Building Regulations. This includes Part A (Structure), Part B (Fire safety), Part C (Resistance to contaminants and moisture), Part E (Sound), Part F (Ventilation), Part G (Sanitation), Part H (Drainage), Part K (Protection from falling), Part L (Conservation of fuel and power), Part M (Access), Part O (Overheating), Part P (Electrical safety), Part Q (Security), Part R (High-speed broadband), Part S (Infrastructure for EV charging), and Regulation 7 (Materials and workmanship). The BCB assesses compliance with each applicable Part during the inspection process.

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