A building warrant is the legal permission to start building work, or to convert or demolish a building. If you carry out work that requires building warrant without first getting a warrant, you are committing an offence. Verifiers are responsible for issuing building warrants. In assessing your application for a warrant, they must apply the standards set by the building regulations at the date of your application.
The Building Regulations set down the minimum requirements that must be observed by anyone intending to carry out any of the following building works:
- erect a new building
- alter or extend an existing building
- convert a building
- demolish a building
If you propose to carry out such works within North Ayrshire, you need permission in the form of a building warrant from North Ayrshire Council Building Standards.
Building work or home improvements
The Building Standards Customer Journey guide covers the:
- main stages of the building warrant process
- role of approved certifiers of design
- role of approved certifiers of construction
- role of local authority verifiers
Apply for a building warrant
Submit online applications using the button below for:
- Building Warrants
- Amendments
- Completion Certificate submissions
- Start of Works notice
- Other related forms
Apply for a building warrant
For any help or user guidance on using the website, please refer to the eBuilding Standards user guide.
Alternatively, please complete and return an application form (see foot of page) with the correct fee.
It is recommended that you engage the services of a suitably qualified person to deal with all aspects of the application and building works.
Ensure your application complies with the Scottish Building Regulations using the Building Standards domestic or non-domestic technical handbooks. You may need to notify the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) of certain construction or refurbishment works.
Check the status of your building warrant
Check the status of your building warrant on our Building Standards Register. Search by property address or your Building Warrant (BW) reference number.
Fees
Building Warrant Fee Increases 2024
Following Scottish Government Public Consultation fees have been increased, please see new Building (Fees)(Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024.
More information on fee changes.
Building Warrant lodging fees are dependent on the estimated value of the work you propose to carry out. In certain circumstances, discounts may be available on the warrant fee.
Pay for services online
To pay by telephone please call: 01294 324348
Important Building Warrant Fee Information/Guidance
Effective from 1 July 2023.
The Building (Scotland) Fees Regulations 2004 lay the fees required by North Ayrshire Council as verifier for their Local Authority area.
The fee payable for building warrant submissions includes those for:
- 'late' building warrant submissions
- completions submitted where no building warrant was obtained
The fee is a registration fee only, therefore is not subject to a refund once the application has been assessed and a first report issued. Should the need arise for an application to be withdrawn then a fee refund, minus £100 costs, may be arranged provided any assessment works have not begun.
Discounts on the fee payable are available at the application stage if:
- the applicant elects to submit a Certificate of Design from an approved Certifier of Design, or
- when notice is given on the application of the intention to provide a certificate from an approved Certifier of Construction that will accompany the completion certificate submission
The council refers to the established indices of building costs - The Building Cost Information Surveys of Quarterly Review of Building Prices (BCIS guide published by the RICS) to ensure normal market costs are used rather than any discounted costs which the applicant might be able to achieve. This provides the average cost in £/m2 for works of different character.
Where the fee submitted is incorrect the applicant will be advised to either adjust the fee or provide a breakdown of the proposed costs, provided by a certified chartered surveyor, for checking. An application may remain invalid and not processed until costs are agreed.
Some examples of building prices from the BCIS Guide are listed below, to be used when determining a fair estimated cost of work. Multiplying the floor area of the proposed building by the relevant £/m2 factor will provide an accurate construction cost. As follows:
- ‘one-off’ housing – detached houses (ground and upper floors) = £2500/m2
- extensions to dwellings = £2000
- flats – generally, 2 to 5 storey construction = £1600/m2
- estate housing - generally, 2 storey construction = £1400/m2
- industrial – factories/offices/garages – mixed facilities = £1400/m2
- offices – generally, non air-conditioned = £2000/m2
- shops – generally = £1500/m2
- supermarkets = £1500/m2
- conversion of non-dom building to domestic use, for example forming flats 1-2 storey = £2000/m², or to form a single domestic unit = £2500/m2
- conversion of attic/garage in a domestic building for increased domestic use = £1200/m²
- 'one off’ domestic garages = £900/m² to £1500/m², for example garages with WCs, stairs, floored
What happens next?
We record applications on the Building Standards Register.
Your application will be assessed against the requirements of the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
We aim to respond to all applications within 20 days of submission. This is dependant on complexity of the project and quality of submission.
If your application does not comply with the regulations, or if more information is needed, we'll write to you.
Adjusted, or amended, plans will be re-assessed.
If plans comply with regulations, the warrant will be granted.
Once the warrant has been granted, you may start work. You must inform us when you are starting the work and at the stages identified in the construction compliance and notification plan which accompanies the granted building warrant.
How long is a warrant valid?
A building warrant is valid for 3 years from the date of granting. It is expected that all works covered by the warrant will be completed within this time. This can be extended, in certain circumstances, by submitting an 'extension to building warrant' application (see below).
On completion of the work
Certificate of Completion
A Certificate of Completion to confirm all works included in the building warrant have been completed should be submitted to us before the expiry date. We need confirmation that a building has been constructed, altered or converted in accordance with the building warrant and the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
We will accept or reject a completion certificate within 14 days of submission.
Please note: it is illegal to occupy a new building which has not had a Completion Certificate accepted.
Fire Safety Design Summaries (FSDS)
FSDS must be provided with completion certificates relating to the construction of, or conversion to, new non-domestic buildings, including extensions to existing buildings. More information can be found on the Scottish Government website.
Forms
Your warrant will have been assessed under one of the following building Acts:
- the Building (Scotland) Act 1959 - applications for building warrants submitted before 1 May 2005 are assessed under this Act - applications for building warrants submitted
- the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 - applications for building warrants submitted after 1 May 2005 are assessed under this Act - applications for building warrants submitted 1 May 2005.
The necessary forms to complete your application can be found on the Scottish Government Building Standards model forms webpage.
Types of applications
- Building Warrant Application Form
- Finalisation of Structural Details (Form Q)
- Completion submission where no Building Warrant obtained
Under the 2003 Act, an Electrical Compliance Certificate is provided by the electrician carrying out the electrical works. Please note: we can only accept certificates from SELECT or NICEIC approved electricians.
Changes to applications
Use the following forms found on the Scottish Government Building Standards model forms webpage to make changes to a building warrant submitted after 1 May 2005 and granted under the 2003 Act:
- Building warrant amendment application form
- Temporary occupation application form
- Building warrant extension application form
If your Building Warrant was approved under the 1959 Act and no completion certificate was issued, then a Clearance Certificate may be required to regularise matters. Once an application for a Clearance Certificate has been submitted along with the appropriate fee we will contact you for more information, or to arrange an inspection.
Copies of forms
The following forms found on the Scottish Government Building Standards model forms webpage are copies of the forms sent out with your original building warrant for you to download:
- Completion certificate submission form
- Notice of intention to use approved certifier of construction (Form L)
- Notice regarding start of work (Form J)
Request a copy of Building Warrant documentation
In order to obtain a copy of Building Warrant documentation, please complete the search request form.
We will action your request once we receive the form and associated fee. Our fees are detailed within the form.
Before you apply for copy documents, please note that:
- we can only provide copy documents to an 'interested party' defined as the current owner, prospective owner, occupier or tenant
- we aim to provide copy documents within 5 working days, however, timescales may vary - in some instances providing copies may take longer
- we may be unable to provide information on work more than 25 years old
- once retrieved, we can only hold records from our archives for a limited time before they are returned
- if we carry out a search and can't provide copies, the fee paid is not refundable
- the initial fee allows us to search on specific reference and/or address - additional charges may apply for larger search requests
More guidance
The Scottish Government provides guidance to support applicants and agents when submitting a building warrant application.