Building Regulations are developed by the Government and approved by Parliament. They are set out to establish “minimum standards” for the design, construction and alteration of any building in the UK.

The regulations cover all aspects of building design, construction, and alteration. This includes everything in “building” from foundations, stability and damp-proofing all the way through to fire protection and means of escape.

The regulations also ensure minimum standards in the service and materials used, such as in health and safety, welfare and energy efficiency, through to convenience, sustainability and preventing the abuse, misuse or contamination of water supplies. It’s a comprehensive and in-depth review of the building work, ultimately ensuring that it is conducted safely, efficiently and to the benefit of everyone.

There are, however, some buildings and constructions which do not require building regulations in the UK. So where do orangeries stand?

Orangery Regulations

There is often a comparison between orangeries and conservatories. Many people believe they’re similar and there’s often a discussion between which you should opt for in your home improvement.

However, conservatories are much less of a construction undertaking. They are usually separated from the main building by an external wall, usually less than 30m² and built at ground level. All of these characteristics combined mean that a conservatory does not require building regulations. 

An orangery on the other hand, is a much more integrated project. The additional building is connected to the main building by removing an exterior wall. This alone, requires building regulations to ensure the continued integrity of the building. An orangery can be viewed as a premium extension to the home, rather than an addition. We can say with absolute certainty, that a Rococo orangery, will require building regulations.

What does this mean?

With a Rococo orangery, there’s nothing for you to worry about. Both the building owner and the builder are responsible for ensuring building regulation approval. So that means we handle it for you. Once designs are drawn up, we’ll handle a “full plans” application to get the go-ahead on the building works.

Once the work is complete, we’ll schedule the inspection of the build for a completion certificate and since we’re certified on the “competent person’s register’, we don’t need building regulations for our glazing installations, speeding the build process up.

If you’re not with Rococo, you’ll need to submit a full plan application to a local authority BCB (Building Control Body), or to a private BCB. This application process can take up to 8 weeks to complete if you receive consent. If you do not receive consent, you may have to alter plans until you do, or appeal the decision. There may also be communications and steps required at other stages in the build process, which you can read about here through Planning Portal.

Learning about all the intricacies and legislation around an orangery build can be time consuming. Why not speak to Rococo about how we can take on that task for you.

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