Completion certificates

It is the responsibility of the applicant, agent or builder to ensure that a completion inspection is requested within five days of completion of the work and a subsequent completion certificate obtained.

This inspection and subsequent certificate is essential for several reasons:

1. The notification of the works being complete is a statutory requirement under the Building Regulations, and if not requested within the prescribed time it may constitute a contravention of the Building Regulations resulting in enforcement action.
2. The completion certificate is very important and is required by the owner so that it can be produced for the subsequent sale of the property. (Solicitors are requesting this during conveyancing).
3. The work to which the building regulation application relates must commence within 3-years of the approval date in the case of a full plans application, and 3 years from the date of registration in the case of a building notice. After the 3-year period, checks are made on applications for the purpose of archiving.
4. If the Building Control Section has not been informed of commencement of work within 3-years a notice under Section 32 of the Building Act 1984 closes the application, and another application will be required if it is intended to carry out the work.
5. Where Building Control has found that applications are complete and occupied, although the necessary inspections have not been requested this in itself is a contravention of the Building Regulations.
6. It is not the responsibility of Carmarthenshire County Council to carry out inspections if they have not been requested. In these circumstances we are under no obligation to issue a completion certificate
7. The issue of the completion certificate may be delayed if all the statutory notifications of the works being ready for inspection have not been made. The delay may be as a result of steps, which will have to be taken, to determine compliance with the regulations.  
8. If the works are complete and a completion inspection has not been carried out before our files are archived we are under no obligation to issue a completion certificate due to No. 1 above. If, after archiving, a certificate is required (on works which were completed before archiving) for the purposes of the sale of the property; There is a charge for this service (details available upon request), the owner may be asked to produce approved plans. The owner may also be requested to expose various aspects of work to ascertain compliance with the legislation. If we are satisfied with the site work, a completion certificate will be issued. Unless the Building Control Section is satisfied with the work, in as far as can be reasonably ascertained, a completion certificate may not be issued.