Renovation
133 sources in the library on renovation, 29 on this page cited in a published note. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 1 of 4.
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Department of Finance (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland's equivalent of Approved Document L Volume 1. This edition came into effect on 30 June 2022 and gives guidance on regulations 39 to 47 of the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012, which set the requirements for conservation of fuel and power in dwellings, including the limiting U-values a replacement window or door must meet in Northern Ireland. It replaced the 2012 version, and the Department publishes an awareness briefing and FAQ setting out the differences. The full text is at https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dfp/TB%20Part%20F1%202022_On-Line%20Publication.pdf. Cite this rather than Approved Document L whenever a note gives a window U-value for a reader in Northern Ireland.
Cited in Insulation: The Complete Guide.
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Health and Safety Executive
The specific HSE information sheet behind the dust advice, with the numbers a note can quote. Names three types of construction dust: silica dust, also called respirable crystalline silica, from concrete, mortar and sandstone; wood dust from softwood, hardwood and wood-based products including MDF and plywood; and other general dust from materials with little or no silica, most commonly gypsum as in plasterboard, limestone, marble and dolomite. States that over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year, and that the main dust-related diseases are lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, most developing slowly though advanced silicosis and asthma can come on quickly. The legal framework is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and the three required steps are Assess, Control and Review. On damping down it corrects a common site habit: water needs enough supply at the right levels for the whole time the work is being done, and just wetting the material beforehand does not work. High dust levels come from high-energy tools such as cut-off saws, grinders and grit blasters.
Cited in How to Insulate a Loft (DIY), How to Tile a Wall or Floor, Interior Finishes: The Complete UK Guide (2026), Kitchen Worktops Compared: Quartz, Granite, Laminate.
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Health and Safety Executive
HSE's definition of the two asbestos survey types, which is the correction for notes that invent a third or call it an R&D survey as though that were the formal name. A survey aims to give accurate information on the location, amount and condition of asbestos-containing materials, assess damage or deterioration and whether remedial action is needed, provide the information to produce an asbestos register and an asbestos management plan, and identify hidden ACMs to be removed before refurbishment work or demolition. There are two types: a management survey, whose main aim is to let the dutyholder produce the register and management plan and manage ACMs during normal occupation and use, and a refurbishment or demolition survey, which is the one needed before invasive works. Both types are likely to require sampling.
Cited in Building Surveys: Level 1, 2 & 3 Explained & Cost, How Much Does It Cost to Renovate a House in 2026? (UK).
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HM Revenue & Customs
HMRC's main VAT notice for building work, last updated 26 August 2026. Sets out that construction of a new building and work to an existing building is normally standard rated at 20%, with exceptions: 0% for new qualifying dwellings and for housing association conversions of non-residential buildings, and 5% for a 'changed number of dwellings' conversion (section 7) and for renovation or alteration of a dwelling not lived in during the 2 years immediately before work starts (section 8, conditions at 8.1.2 and 8.3). Cites the law: VAT Act 1994 section 30 and Schedule 8 Group 5 for zero rating, section 29A and Schedule 7A Groups 6 and 7 for the reduced rate. Also explains the developer input tax block on goods that are not building materials (VAT (Input Tax) Order 1992 articles 2 and 6) and points self builders to the DIY housebuilders refund scheme.
Cited in Average Loft Conversion Cost: Real 2026 Breakdown by Type, Bedroom Extension Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Bringing an Old Building Price to Today's Money, Build Basement Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide and 8 more.
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HM Revenue & Customs
Section 2.1 sets a zero rate of VAT on the installation of energy-saving materials in residential accommodation from 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027, after which the rate reverts to the 5% reduced rate; section 2.22 extended it to buildings used solely for relevant charitable purposes from 1 February 2024. Section 2.7 lists the qualifying materials: central heating and hot water controls, draught stripping, insulation to walls, floors, ceilings, roofs, lofts and pipes, solar panels, wind turbines, water turbines, ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, micro combined heat and power units and wood-fuelled boilers, with water source heat pumps, batteries for energy storage and smart diverters added on 1 February 2024. Section 2.3 is the critical rule for a renovation note: relief applies to an installation service, or materials supplied and installed together, but materials bought without installation stay standard-rated at 20%.
Cited in Builders' Merchants: The Complete UK Guide (2026), Cost of a New Bathroom (Full Breakdown), Hot Water Options for Your Home, How Much Does a New Roof Cost in 2026? (UK) and 4 more.
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HM Revenue and Customs
The section that kills the persistent claim that work to a listed building is VAT free. With effect from 1 October 2012 the zero rate for the first grant of a major interest in a substantially reconstructed protected building was withdrawn in cases where zero rating relied on three-fifths of the work, measured by cost, being approved alterations. The transitional relief that softened the change expired on 30 September 2015, and was only ever available where a relevant consent was applied for or a written contract entered into before 21 March 2012, or where 10 per cent of the substantial reconstruction was complete before that date. Zero rating survives only where the first grant of a major interest relates to a protected building substantially reconstructed from a shell. Defines a major interest as the freehold, in Scotland the absolute interest, or a lease of over 21 years, though not less than 20 years in Scotland. Ordinary alteration work to an occupied listed home is therefore standard rated at 20 per cent.
Cited in Reclamation Yards & Salvage: Buying Reclaimed Materials.
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HM Revenue and Customs
The 5 per cent conversion rate and, importantly, what it does not cover. A qualifying conversion into single household dwellings arises where the premises after conversion contain a greater or lower number, but not fewer than one, of single household dwellings, and includes a property never lived in such as an office block or a barn, a bedsit block, non-self-contained living accommodation such as staff rooms above a pub, and a dwelling previously adapted in its entirety to another use such as offices or a dental practice. It expressly does not include the creation of living accommodation that is not a single household dwelling, naming most granny annexes and additional bedrooms at a care home, nor the renovation of living accommodation used for other purposes without adaptation, such as a flat above a shop used for storage, which is directed instead to the section 8 empty homes rate. Paragraph 7.3.1 makes clear that work unrelated to changing the number of dwellings cannot be reduced rated, and works three examples through a block of sixteen flats showing that parts of a building are examined independently. Goods that are not building materials, such as carpets or fitted bedroom furniture, remain standard rated along with their installation.
Cited in Church Conversion Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Who Buys the Materials: You or the Builder?.
- very strong RN-FX7S48 cited
HM Revenue and Customs
The section that carries the 5 per cent empty home rate, which most renovation budgets miss. A contractor may charge VAT at 5 per cent instead of 20 per cent on renovating or altering an eligible dwelling that has not been lived in during the 2 years immediately before the work starts. Paragraph 8.3.2 sets out what proves the two years: Electoral Roll and Council Tax records, utilities companies, or an Empty Property Officer at the local authority, and states that a letter from an Empty Property Officer certifying two years empty is sufficient on its own with no other evidence needed. Paragraph 8.3.3 lists occupation that can be ignored: illegal occupation by squatters, occupation by guardians installed to deter squatters and vandals, and non-residential use such as business storage, but expressly not occasional use as a second home, which defeats the relief. Paragraph 8.3.4 allows the reduced rate to continue on all the work even where people move in while the work is carried out, provided the two-year test was met when work started. Goods that are not building materials, such as carpets or fitted bedroom furniture, must still be standard rated including the installation charge.
Cited in Roof Repair Costs & Common Problems (UK), Who Buys the Materials: You or the Builder?.
- very strong RN-26FMBT cited
HM Revenue and Customs
HMRC's internal manual chapter on the approved alteration zero rate, whose very title fixes the date the relief ended: the rules it explains are those prior to 1 October 2012, so a note that still tells readers to claim zero-rated VAT on approved alterations to a listed home is out of date by more than a decade. Manual published 19 March 2016 and updated 4 August 2026. The chapter contents show what the old test required and remains useful for pre-2012 work and for understanding the terms still used: VCONST08100 the basic conditions for zero-rating, VCONST08200 whether the work is to a protected building, VCONST08300 whether the work is an approved alteration, VCONST08350 whether the work is approved, VCONST08450 the distinction between alterations and repair or maintenance, VCONST08550 incidental alterations, VCONST08600 structures in the curtilage of a building, VCONST08700 certificates, VCONST08750 services excluded from zero-rating and VCONST08800 apportionment.
Cited in Reclamation Yards & Salvage: Buying Reclaimed Materials.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The second volume of Approved Document B, needed when a homeowner project crosses out of purely domestic use. Paragraph 0.1 draws the line: Volume 1 deals solely with dwellings INCLUDING blocks of flats, so a flat conversion stays in Volume 1, while Volume 2 covers every other building type. Table 0.1 sets the purpose groups: 1(a) flat, 1(b) dwellinghouse with a habitable storey at least 4.5m above ground up to 18m, 1(c) dwellinghouse with no habitable storey 4.5m above ground, then 2(a) residential institutional, 2(b) residential other (hotel, boarding house, hall of residence, hostel), 3 office, 4 shop and commercial, 5 assembly and recreation, 6 industrial, 7(a) storage and 7(b) car parks for vehicles up to 2,500kg gross. Its notes keep work within purpose group 1: surgeries, consulting rooms or offices forming part of a dwellinghouse and used by an occupant in a professional capacity stay in group 1 provided they total no more than 50m2, and a detached garage or open carport of no more than 40m2 stays in group 1(c). Paragraph 0.21 requires a separate purpose group for an ancillary use if that use is a flat, or if the building or compartment exceeds 280m2 and the ancillary use is more than one fifth of the total floor area; paragraph 0.22 requires separate purpose groups for genuinely independent uses such as shops with offices above, and the more onerous guidance applies where there is doubt. Paragraphs 0.23 and 0.24 require Volume 1 to be consulted as well for mixed use buildings that include dwellings, and paragraph 3.2 requires separate escape routes, or other effective protection of common escape routes, where a building has storeys or parts of storeys in different purpose groups.
Cited in Carpet Tile Installation Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The official list of competent person schemes whose members can self-certify certain building work instead of getting building regulations approval, published 4 April 2013 and last updated 12 March 2018. Named schemes with contact numbers include ATTMA, APHC, Assure Certification, Blue Flame Certification, the British Board of Agrement, BESCA, Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services trading as Gas Safe Register, CIGA, Certass, Certsure LLP trading as NICEIC, the Elmhurst Airtightness Scheme, Fensa Limited, HETAS Limited, NAPIT Registration Limited, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors trading as CompetentRoofer, and OFTEC. Two footnotes matter: the Gas Safe Register is not technically a competent person scheme although in practice its installers carry the same building regulations responsibilities, and Benchmark Certification Limited ceased to operate as a competent person scheme on 10 February 2017, becoming part of NAPIT Registration Limited that day. Installers joining an electrical scheme are added to the single electrical competent person register.
Cited in Blown Window Repair Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Building Control: What It Is & When You Need It, Chimney Sweep Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Grey Coloured Upvc Windows Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide and 10 more.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The current NPPF, published 17 August 2026 (130 pages), replacing the framework first published March 2012 and revised July 2018, February 2019, July 2021, September 2023, December 2023 and December 2024, and also replacing Planning policy for traveller sites. The single most important thing about this edition for anyone citing it: the framework has been completely restructured from continuously numbered paragraphs into lettered and numbered policies, so every existing citation of an NPPF paragraph number is now stale. The chapters are Plan-making (PM1 to 17), Decision-making (DM1 to 10), Achieving sustainable development (S1 to 6), Climate change (CC1 to 3), Homes (HO1 to 13), Economy (E1 to 4), Town centres (TC1 to 4), Communications (CO1 to 2), Clean energy and water (W1 to 4), Minerals (M1 to 6), Making effective use of land (L1 to 3), Green Belt (GB1 to 8), Well-designed places (DP1 to 4), Transport (TR1 to 8), Healthy communities (HC1 to 8), Pollution (P1 to 6), Flood risk (F1 to 9), Natural environment (N1 to 6) and Historic environment (HE1 to 10). Policy GB7(1)(b) is the one homeowners meet: the reuse, extension, alteration or replacement of an existing building is not inappropriate development in the Green Belt provided the existing building is of permanent and substantial construction, is lawful in planning terms, and any extension or alteration will not result in a disproportionate increase in size compared to the original building, with footnote 40 defining the original building as the building that existed on 1 July 1948 or, if later, as it was originally built. Policy HE5(2)(c) now defines substantial harm expressly, as where a development proposal would seriously affect a key element of a heritage asset significance, and HE4(2) requires clear and convincing justification for any harm to a designated heritage asset.
Cited in Renovate or Rebuild? How to Decide.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The GOV.UK page for Approved Document C, published 3 September 2013, ISBN 978 1 85946 509 7, covering site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, with a separate FAQ document (ISBN 978-1-4098-4805-9). Since April 2023 the Building Safety Regulator has a duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep building safety and standards in England under review, including advising on Approved Document updates. The linked PDF gives the figures a damp note needs: paragraph 5.5 says a wall meets the requirement if it has a damp-proof course of bituminous material, polyethylene, engineering bricks or slates in cement mortar, or any other material that prevents the passage of moisture, continuous with any damp-proof membrane in the floors; for an external wall the damp-proof course should be at least 150mm above the level of the adjoining ground; and for an external cavity wall the cavity should be taken down at least 225mm below the lowest damp-proof course, or a damp-proof tray provided, with weep holes every 900mm and stop ends plus at least two weep holes where the tray does not run the full length. Paragraph 5.6 accepts the alternative of BS 8215 clauses 4 and 5 for damp-proof course design and installation, and BS 8102 for protection against water from the ground.
Cited in Cladding and Render: The Complete UK Guide (2026), EPS vs XPS Insulation: Which & Where, Roof Felt (Underlay) Replacement: Cost & Signs It's Failing.
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Scottish Government (gov.scot)
SCOTLAND, with no England equivalent: a seller in Scotland must commission a Home Report before marketing, where an England seller commissions nothing and the buyer pays for their own survey. Introduced in 2008 to give buyers and sellers better information on property condition before offers are placed, to stop duplicate surveys and valuations, and to stop artificially low asking prices. The Home Report comprises three documents: an Energy Report, a Property Questionnaire and a Single Survey, and only surveyors registered with or authorised to practise by RICS may produce the Single Survey. It was developed with the Home Report Implementation Group, whose members included RICS, the Law Society of Scotland, the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the National Association of Estate Agents and Citizens Advice Scotland. A five-year review followed a December 2013 consultation and a January 2015 research report.
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Scottish Government (gov.scot)
SCOTLAND. Clause 4.3.2 Table 4.3 sets private stair geometry at minimum rise 100 mm, maximum rise 220 mm, minimum going 225 mm, tread not less than the going and maximum pitch 42 degrees, so Scotland's minimum going is 225 mm against England's 220 mm in Approved Document K. Any other stair, including within the common area of a building containing flats, is limited to 170 mm rise, 250 mm going and 34 degrees. The aggregate of the going plus twice the rise must be between 550 mm and 700 mm, and note 6 warns the maximum rise and minimum going must not be used together. The going at the narrow end of a tapered tread must be at least 50 mm. Clause 4.3.16 requires clear headroom of at least 2.0 metres over the whole effective width, with reduction permitted only outside the area needed to maintain effective width, so Scotland does not carry England's 1.9 metre centre and 1.8 metre edge loft conversion concession. Text verified identical in the April 2026 PDF handbook.
Cited in Spiral Staircases: Sizes, Building Regs & Cost, Staircase Types & Costs: Straight, Winder & Spiral.
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The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
Regulation 3(1) makes it unlawful for any person to carry out work in relation to a gas fitting or gas storage vessel unless he is competent to do so, and 3(2) places the duty to ensure that on the employer, on every other employer or self-employed person with any control over the work, and on anyone who required the work to be done at a place of work under their control. Regulation 3(3) goes further: no employer may let an employee, and no self-employed person may themselves, carry out work on a gas fitting or service pipework unless that employer or self-employed person is a member of a class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive, which in practice is registration with the Gas Safe Register. Regulation 3(4) exempts only replacing a hose or regulator on a portable or mobile space heater and replacing the hose connecting a re-fillable cylinder to installation pipework. Regulation 3(7) makes it an offence to falsely pretend to be a member of an approved class. This is the legal basis for saying a boiler must be fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Cited in Combi vs System vs Regular Boilers, How to Bleed & Balance Radiators, Kitchen Worktops Compared: Quartz, Granite, Laminate, LPG Conversion Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide and 3 more.
- very strong RN-37ODVX cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
Regulation 12(1) applies to anyone intending to carry out building work, replace or renovate a thermal element, change a building's energy status or make a material change of use. Regulation 12(2) requires that person to give the relevant authority either a building notice under regulation 13 or an application for building control approval with full plans under regulation 14. Full plans are compulsory where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies (12(3)), where the building fronts onto a private street (12(4)) and where paragraph H4 of Schedule 1 applies (12(5)). Regulation 12(6) exempts work done by a competent person listed in Schedule 3, work listed in Schedule 4, and work inspected by a Schedule 3A third party certifier appointed before work starts. Regulation 12(6A) still requires notification for Part P electrical work consisting of a new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, or any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location such as the zone around a bath or shower. Regulation 12(8) allows a building notice after the event for emergency repairs. Text is up to date to 7 September 2026.
Cited in Building Notice vs Full Plans Application, Building Regulations Explained for Homeowners, Removing a Load-Bearing Wall: Cost, Steel Beams, Process.
- very strong RN-1MN06H cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), Northern Ireland Statutory Rules
NORTHERN IRELAND, and the part letters mean different things from England, so quoting an England part letter into an NI note is a straight error. The parts are A interpretation and general, B materials and workmanship, C site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, D structure, E fire safety, F conservation of fuel and power, G resistance to the passage of sound, H stairs, ramps, guarding and protection from impact, J solid waste, K ventilation, L combustion appliances and fuel storage systems, N drainage, P sanitary appliances, unvented hot water storage systems and reducing the risk of scalding, R access to and use of buildings, and V glazing. So NI Part D is England's Part A, NI Part E is England's Part B, NI Part F is England's Part L, NI Part K is England's Part F, NI Part L is England's Part J, NI Part N is England's Part H, NI Part P is England's Part G and emphatically NOT electrical safety, NI Part R is England's Part M, and NI Part V is glazing. There is NO part covering electrical safety anywhere in these regulations, so domestic electrical work in Northern Ireland is not notifiable building work as it is under England's and Wales's Part P. Regulation 41 imposes consequential improvements, regulation 42 change of energy status and regulation 43 renovation of thermal elements.
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The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), Scottish Statutory Instruments
SCOTLAND, latest revised version with no outstanding effects, and several of these contradict England. Type 20 makes a door, window or rooflight warrant-exempt EVEN WHERE THE FRAME IS REPLACED, so a Scottish window replacement needs no building warrant and no FENSA or Certass notification, unlike England where replacing a window is notifiable building work; it must still meet the regulations, including the 1.4 W/m2K or WER Band B standard. Type 19 exempts open raised external decking unless it is at a height of more than 1.2 metres. Type 21 exempts a paved area or hardstanding unless it exceeds 200 SQUARE METRES or forms part of a required access, a far more generous threshold than England's 5 square metre front garden rule. Type 22 exempts extra-low voltage electrical installations not exceeding 50 volts AC or 120 volts DC. Type 24 exempts like-for-like replacement of fittings including sanitary facilities, rainwater gutters and downpipes, solid fuel appliances, electrical fixtures, ventilation fans and kitchen fitments, but expressly NOT doors, windows or rooflights, nor oil or gas fired boilers. Type 25 exempts like-for-like replacement of flooring, lining, cladding, covering or rendering internally or externally. All are conditional on the work meeting the relevant requirements of the regulations.
Cited in Replacing Misted Double Glazing Units Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide.
- very strong RN-NUL2UK cited
Welsh Government (gov.wales)
WALES. The Welsh Government publishes its own Approved Documents, and this collection page, last updated 19 June 2025, lists them with their current dates so the right edition can be cited: A structure 3 April 2017, B fire safety 19 June 2025, C site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture 3 April 2017, D toxic substances 3 April 2017, E resistance to the passage of sound 13 April 2022, F ventilation 7 April 2026, G sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency 10 May 2023, H drainage and waste disposal 3 April 2017, J combustion appliances 6 January 2025, K protection from falling 19 March 2025, L conservation of fuel and power 7 April 2026, M access 20 March 2025, N glazing 5 April 2017, O overheating, P electrical safety, Q security and R volumes 1 and 2. Wales still has a live Approved Document N on glazing safety, opening and cleaning, which England withdrew in 2013 when its content moved into Part K, so an England-based note that says Part N no longer exists is wrong for Wales.
- very strong RN-CY8PF5 cited
Welsh Government (gov.wales)
WALES. Loft insulation must meet the minimum energy efficiency values in the Welsh Approved Documents, and where that upgrade is not technically or functionally feasible the element must instead be upgraded to the best standard achievable within a simple payback of no greater than 15 years. Installing loft insulation as part of a roof renovation where MORE THAN 25 PER CENT OF THE ROOF is being renewed triggers the full Approved Document standard, the Welsh version of the renovation of a thermal element trigger. The guidance warns against blocking ventilation at the eaves. Read alongside Table 4.1 of the Welsh Approved Document L Volume 1, which sets 0.13 W/m2K for roofs in both new and existing dwellings.
Cited in Insulation: The Complete Guide.
- strong RN-JJCK5N cited
BSI
STATUS: CURRENT. BS 6576:2005+A1:2012, published 16 November 2005 with the A1 amendment in 2012, is the code of practice for diagnosing rising damp in walls of existing buildings and for installing chemical damp-proof courses. It covers chemical treatment of rising damp in solid walls, cavity walls (unfilled or filled) and random rubble-filled walls, and sets out the essential precautions and procedures for installing a chemical DPC. It excludes walls where treatment is inappropriate, such as stud walls, and walls below ground or under hydrostatic pressure, which go to BS 8102. This is the standard to cite for an injected DPC: BS 8215:1991, the code usually quoted, expressly does not cover the installation of chemical DPCs and points here instead.
Cited in Efflorescence & White Staining on Brick.
- strong RN-IKHYR0 cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
The residential fire safety code of practice that professionals use as the alternative to the Approved Document B route, described by BSI as the UK most widely used fire safety standard. Paywalled, so only the catalogue page is public; it confirms the current edition is BS 9991:2024, page-dated 24 September 2025, status Current, and that it superseded BS 9991:2015, which was withdrawn on 21 November 2024, which in turn superseded BS 9991:2011, withdrawn 31 October 2015. Scope for the 2024 edition covers dwellings (single-family houses, self-contained flats or maisonettes), blocks of flats, residential accommodation blocks with individual bedrooms and kitchen or sanitary facilities, specialized housing and care homes. Care homes are new to the 2024 scope: the 2011 edition expressly excluded residential care and nursing homes. The earlier editions confirm the standard applies not only to new buildings but to material alterations, extensions and material changes of use of an existing building, which is why it is cited on loft conversions and flat conversions, and that it complements BS 9999, the equivalent code for non-residential buildings. The 2015 edition renamed sheltered and extra care housing as specialized housing and added expanded recommendations for escape from basements, lifts, power supplies, cluster accommodation and management of additional needs and disabilities.
Cited in PIR vs Mineral Wool Insulation Compared.
- strong RN-25YUC4 cited
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The RICS professional statement that defines the three survey levels a homebuyer is offered, and the standard a note should cite instead of describing surveys loosely. Page updated 17 June 2026. The 1st edition was published in 2019 and became effective in 2021; it sets mandatory requirements for RICS members and regulated firms in the UK delivering residential property surveys, and it replaced and harmonised the earlier RICS residential survey publications. It defines four report products, RICS Home Survey Level 1, Level 2 (survey only), Level 2 (survey and valuation) and Level 3, and a member needs a Home Surveys Licence to produce any of them. The old report formats were permitted only during a transition period from 1 March to 31 August 2021, and the new reports have been mandatory since 1 September 2021. The standard is currently under review: a public consultation on a 2nd edition ran from 19 August to 14 October 2025, informed by a survey of 325 members and a UK consumer survey of over 1,400 homeowners, with proposed changes covering AI and drone or camera-pole technology, greater clarity on survey levels, optional valuation at all levels, guidance for additional risk dwellings, and retrofit assessments. RICS states members should continue to use the 1st edition until the 2nd edition takes full effect, so any note dating the change should say the 2nd edition is not yet in force.
- strong RN-K45EY4 cited
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The rulebook behind every professional cost per square metre figure, and free to download as a PDF from RICS, which makes it directly citable rather than paraphrased. NRM 1 is issued by the RICS Quantity Surveying and Construction Professional Group as one of a suite of three (NRM 1 order of cost estimating and cost planning, NRM 2 detailed measurement for building works, NRM 3 order of cost estimating and elemental cost planning for building maintenance works), all reissued in October 2022 as practice information having been published in October 2021 as guidance notes, with no material change to content. NRM 1 covers quantification of building works for cost estimates and cost plans, and also how to quantify the items that are not measurable building work: preliminaries, overheads and profit, project team and design team fees, risk allowances, inflation, and other development and project costs. It sets out the floor area method for order of cost estimates and defines the terms a note should use precisely: cost per m2 of gross internal floor area (cost/m2 of GIFA) is the unit rate which, when multiplied by the gross internal floor area, gives the total building works estimate, and gross internal floor area (GIFA, also gross internal area or GIA) is defined in Appendix A with reference to the latest edition of the RICS Code of Measuring Practice. It also distinguishes GEA (gross external area) and NIA (net internal area). This is the source to cite for why a cost per m2 figure is meaningless without stating which area basis it uses.
Cited in Quantity Surveyors for Homeowners: Do You Need One, Quote vs Estimate: What's the Difference.
- strong RN-3UXQIL cited
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The RICS scope table for a Level 1 survey, useful for a note explaining why the cheapest survey misses things. A Level 1 is a visual inspection less extensive than Level 2 or 3, with no tests of building fabric or services, no detailed advice on repairs, and RICS states it is better suited to conventionally built, modern dwellings in satisfactory condition. Concretely: windows are opened at a minimum of one on each elevation; in the roof space the member will NOT remove secured access panels or lift insulation, stored goods or other contents, and inspects only what can be seen from the access hatch; floors are inspected at the surface only with no lifting of carpets, floor coverings or floorboards, no moving of furniture and no hatch lifting or inverted head and shoulders inspection, although a heel-drop deflection test is still done; and inspection chamber covers to drains and septic tanks are NOT lifted. RICS advises the client to consider upgrading to Level 2 or 3 before the service is undertaken if more detailed advice is needed.
- strong RN-BNGAID cited
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
The live UKAS register of accredited bodies currently under sanction. It records the British Board of Agrement under imposed suspension from 26 February 2026 across all four of its accreditations: ISO/IEC 17065 product certification and ISO/IEC 17021 management systems under reference 0113, ISO/IEC 17020 inspection under 4345, and ISO/IEC 17025 testing under 0357. This is the page to check before repeating any advice that treats a BBA certificate as accredited third party assurance.
Cited in Breathable Membranes for Roofs & Walls, Brick Slips & Brick Cladding Systems, Cavity Wall Insulation Materials Compared, Damp Proof Membranes (DPM) & DPC: Types & Installation and 7 more.
- good RN-EB3RPE cited
Property Care Association
Names the qualification a homeowner should ask a damp or waterproofing surveyor for, and expands the abbreviation that notes usually leave unexplained. CSSW is the Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing, described as a nationally recognised professional qualification for individuals diagnosing defects connected to water entering structures below ground level, and the industry benchmark for structural waterproofing professionals. Successful candidates receive the ABBE/PCA Level 3 Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing, awarded through ABBE, the Awarding Body for the Built Environment. The companion damp and timber qualification is CSTDB, Certificated Surveyor of Timber and Dampness in Buildings, which supersedes the older CSRT; the PCA pages for that one moved and returned 404 on 9 September 2026, so CSRT versus CSTDB still needs checking by hand.
Cited in Basement Conversion Cost & Feasibility (UK), Efflorescence & White Staining on Brick.
- good RN-777J8G cited
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)
SPAB's technical advice on lime, the binder used for mortars, plasters, renders and washes in nearly all old British buildings before the mid-19th century. Explains the lime cycle: quicklime is produced by heating limestone in a kiln, slaked lime is made by combining it with water to give a putty stored in tubs, a bagged hydrate powder, or a dry-slaked mix where the reaction takes place in sand, and lime-based products then harden by absorbing carbon dioxide and reverting to calcium carbonate, a process called carbonation. Sets out the two types used in conservation work: non-hydraulic lime from relatively pure limestone, classified CL under European standards, which hardens only by carbonation and is described as 'fat' when purest and 'lean' when less pure; and natural hydraulic lime from limestone containing reactive silica and aluminium impurities, which sets harder because calcium silicates and aluminates form in the presence of water. Notes that lime lets structures breathe and move gently, that building with lime is slow and demands skill, and that Portland cement, gypsum plaster and plastic paints can seriously harm historic fabric.
- very strong RN-LNQ9GJ
Revenue Scotland
The Scottish replacement for Stamp Duty Land Tax, which every England-written renovation note gets wrong for Scottish readers. LBTT replaced UK Stamp Duty Land Tax in Scotland from 1 April 2015 and is collected by Revenue Scotland, not HMRC. Its structure is progressive in the same way as SDLT: the percentage rate for each band applies only to the part of the price above the relevant threshold and up to the next, and nothing is payable below the first threshold. Separate rate and band tables exist for residential properties, residential property with the Additional Dwelling Supplement, non-residential properties and commercial leases. The Additional Dwelling Supplement is the Scottish equivalent of the higher rates for additional properties. Revenue Scotland also administers the Scottish Landfill Tax, the Scottish Aggregates Tax and the Scottish Building Safety Levy, and publishes a tax calculator and legislation guidance.
- very strong RN-1H8UHK
UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
Gives a floor-type and concentration decision table for remediation. For a solid floor under 500 Bq per cubic metre the recommended solutions, best first, are a radon sump or positive ventilation; for a solid floor over 500 the answer is a radon sump. For a suspended floor under 500 it is natural under-floor ventilation or positive ventilation; over 500, mechanical under-floor ventilation or natural under-floor ventilation. Warns explicitly that simple actions such as sealing around loft hatches, sealing large openings in floors and extra ventilation do not reduce radon levels on their own, and that completely sealing floors is difficult and can cause rot in wooden floors. Names an active radon sump fitted with a fan as the most effective method, working best under solid floors and under suspended floors where the ground is covered with concrete or a membrane. Advises contacting UKHSA for levels above 1000 Bq per cubic metre, and the local council Environmental Health Department for advice.
- very strong RN-6PQK9U
UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
UKHSA recommends that radon levels be reduced in homes where the average exceeds 200 becquerels per cubic metre, the Action Level, and states that this recommendation is endorsed by Government. The Action Level refers to the annual average concentration, so a valid measurement uses two detectors, one in a bedroom and one in a living room, left in place for three months to average out short-term fluctuations. Separately defines a Target Level of 100 Bq per cubic metre as the ideal outcome of remediation in existing buildings and of protective measures in new buildings, and advises that where a result falls between the Target and Action Levels action to reduce the level should still be considered, especially where a smoker or ex-smoker lives in the home. Radon is described as a colourless, odourless radioactive gas formed by decay of naturally occurring uranium in rocks and soils.
- very strong RN-JHFWQB
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
Published 15 October 2009, ISBN 9789289041737, the health-based benchmark for night-time noise that a soundproofing or acoustic glazing note can cite for what level of quiet is worth achieving. Using Lnight,outside as defined in the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC, it sets an Lnight,outside of 40 dB as the target of the night noise guideline to protect the public including the most vulnerable groups, named as children, the chronically ill and the elderly. It recommends an Lnight,outside of 55 dB as an interim target for countries that cannot achieve the guideline in the short term and adopt a stepwise approach. The guidelines were agreed by a working group of experts with industry, government and non-governmental stakeholders in December 2006, and extend and update the WHO Guidelines for community noise of 1999.
- very strong RN-BPHKK9
Cadw, Welsh Government
WALES, and it imposes a documentary requirement England does not. A heritage impact statement MUST be submitted with every Welsh listed building consent application alongside detailed plans. Consent is administered by local planning authorities and may be needed for relatively minor work such as replacing an external door, painting or repainting the exterior or interior, or even cleaning. Replacement of traditional windows with UPVC will not normally be acceptable. Routine or like-for-like repairs do not normally need consent, but the criteria are exacting, and demolition always needs consent. Where the authority is minded to grant consent Cadw is normally notified and assesses whether the authority had proper regard to preservation, rather than the merits. The framework is Managing Change to Listed Buildings in Wales, which supplements Planning Policy Wales and Technical Advice Note 24: The Historic Environment, alongside Cadw's Conservation Principles.
- very strong RN-XHXJR2
Cadw, Welsh Government
WALES. It is a criminal offence to demolish, alter or extend a listed building in any way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest without listed building consent. Like-for-like repairs such as replacing roof slates with the same size and type of slate do not normally need consent, but cleaning stonework or replacing windows is likely to. A certificate of immunity from listing can be applied for from Cadw and prevents listing for FIVE YEARS from issue, during which a local planning authority may not serve a building preservation notice. A building preservation notice protects an unlisted building as if listed for up to six months while Cadw assesses it, with compensation potentially payable for loss caused by interim protection if it is not listed. Delisting proposals are consulted on with the owner, occupier, local planning authority and other interested parties, allowing 28 days for written responses. Authorities can carry out urgent works to preserve a listed building and recover the cost from the owner, issue a repairs notice, and ultimately pursue compulsory purchase.
- very strong RN-C20YEY
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
A closed scheme that still binds new owners, which is a trap for anyone buying a property to renovate. The Green Deal is closed to new applicants, but where a property carries a Green Deal loan the liability travels with the property: whoever moves in is responsible for repaying it, through a charge added to the electricity bill, and can change electricity supplier only to one participating in the scheme. A seller or landlord is legally required to tell a buyer or tenant that a Green Deal loan exists, that they will be responsible for it, and to show them the Energy Performance Certificate before they move in; the EPC states what improvements were made and how much remains to be repaid. Early repayment is possible but may attract extra costs, notified by the company managing the loan. Complaints go to the Green Deal provider first, whose details are on the EPC, or to the DESNZ Green Deal team if the provider has ceased trading; if unresolved within 8 weeks the complaint goes to the Financial Ombudsman Service for mis-selling and other financial issues, or to the Energy Ombudsman for poor installation work or non-disclosure by a seller or landlord.
- very strong RN-8XFMI0
Department of Finance (Northern Ireland)
The Northern Ireland index of technical booklets, which take the place of England's Approved Documents under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. Current editions: B materials and workmanship (July 2013), C site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture (October 2012), D structure (October 2012), E fire safety (October 2012), F1 conservation of fuel and power in dwellings and F2 in other buildings (both June 2022), G resistance to the passage of sound (October 2012), H stairs, ramps, guarding and protection from impact (October 2012), J solid waste (October 2012), K ventilation (October 2012), L combustion appliances and fuel storage (October 2012), M physical infrastructure for high-speed communications networks (January 2017), N drainage (October 2012), P sanitary appliances, unvented hot water storage and reducing the risk of scalding (October 2012), R access to and use of buildings (October 2012) and V glazing (October 2012). Note for any electrical note: there is no Northern Ireland technical booklet covering electrical safety, so there is no Part P equivalent and no electrical competent person self-certification regime there. Ventilation is Booklet K, drainage Booklet N and glazing Booklet V, not F, H and K as in England.
- very strong RN-2PCYXZ
Drinking Water Inspectorate
The regulator's account of lead pipework, useful for any period-property or plumbing note. States that before 1970 lead pipework was commonly used to connect properties to the mains, that its use has since been banned, and that a home built before 1970 may have lead pipes while one built after 1970 is unlikely to. Gives a homeowner identification test at the internal stop tap: unpainted lead appears dull grey, often with a swollen joint next to the tap, and is soft enough that a gentle scrape with a coin shows shiny silver metal beneath, with disposable gloves worn and dust not inhaled; contrasts copper as bright, hard and dull brown, iron as dark, very hard and possibly rusty, and plastic as typically blue, or grey or black if older. Explains that lead dissolves while water stands in the pipe, with concentration depending on standing time, pipe condition, temperature (more dissolves in summer and autumn) and water hardness, since harder water forms a protective scale. Notes that water companies dose with orthophosphate where a risk exists, and that a less common cause is the illegal use of lead-based solder on copper pipe, lead solder remaining permitted only in closed central heating systems. Warns lead accumulates in the body, with infants including unborn babies and children most at risk of effects on mental development, and adults at risk of kidney, heart and circulatory harm.
- very strong RN-33L9HJ
GOV.UK
The council grant for adapting a home, and what work it can pay for. Eligibility covers physical disability, learning disability, age-related needs, autism, cognitive impairment such as dementia, a progressive condition such as motor neurone disease, terminal illness and mental health conditions. The listed works are wide enough to cover substantial building work: widening doors and installing ramps or grab rails, improving access to rooms and facilities with a stairlift or level access shower, improving access to the garden, building an extension such as a downstairs bedroom, providing a heating system suitable for the applicant's needs, and adapting heating or lighting controls. Confirms a Disabled Facilities Grant does not affect any other benefits the applicant receives.
- very strong RN-JPYSJ1
GOV.UK
Carries the maximum grant by nation, which differs across the UK and is the figure most articles quote wrongly. England up to 30,000 pounds, Wales up to 36,000 pounds, Northern Ireland up to 25,000 pounds, and in Scotland Disabled Facilities Grants are not available at all, with support instead provided through equipment and adaptations schemes. Some councils may give more. The award is means tested on household income and household savings over 6,000 pounds, but disabled children under 18 can get a grant without their parents' income being taken into account, and landlords can get one without their income and savings being assessed, though the council may require the property to be let to another disabled person if the tenant moves within 5 years. Warns that starting work before the council approves the application may mean no grant at all. Payment is either in instalments as work progresses or in full on completion, paid to the contractor directly or through the applicant, and where the applicant or a relative does the work the council will normally only accept invoices for materials or services bought.