General structural advice

Can I get general structural advice from you ?

If you have something that you want to find out about, then 
you can visit our discussion board.  We are happy to provide 
general advice on the forum and others may well offer their 
help also. 

How do I know whether my excavations will undermine 
nearby foundations?

As a general rule, if you draw a line up at 45 degrees from 
the bottom of your excavation, any adjacent foundations 
which extend below this line will not be affected by your 
excavations.  If there are foundations above this line then 
special precautions should be taken.

When do I have to make a Building Regulation application ?

Any structural alterations to a property need Building 
Regulation approval.  For example if you want to knock out 
an internal loadbearing wall, you should get approval before 
you start the work.  Extensions and new builds also need 
Building Regulation approval.  This is a separate approval 
from planning permission.  If you are not sure whether you 
need approval for what you want to do, speak to your local 
Council Building Control department.  they are normally more 
than happy to help.

Do I have to use the local authority to approve my plans ?

No.  There are a number of private firms that are able to 
approve your proposals, in the same way as the local 
Council.  For an individual there is probably not much to be 
gained from using one of these firms, if it is likely to be your 
one and only project.  For developers who work in different 
parts of the country, there is much to be said for a constant 
and predictable checking authority.