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Permits and budget · Find out what is allowed · legal-2

Find out which building code applies and how inspections work

Building codes set minimum standards for structure, fire safety, energy, plumbing and electrics. Planning (land use) permission and building code approval are usually separate processes, so you may need both.

How

  1. Ask the building department or building control body which code and which edition applies to your parcel, and whether there are local amendments or a separate energy code.
  2. US example: the International Residential Code (IRC) is a model code for one- and two-family homes that must be adopted by each state or local jurisdiction, often with amendments. Do not assume the newest edition is in force.
  3. England example: planning permission covers land use and appearance, while building regulations approval covers how the building is built (safety, health, energy). Many projects need both.
  4. Ask which plans and documents a building permit application needs (site plan, structural drawings, energy calculations) and whether an engineer's or architect's stamp is required.
  5. Ask for the inspection sequence: which stages must be inspected before they are covered (footings, framing, plumbing, electrical, insulation, final) and how to book each one.
  6. Merge the inspection list into the master build sequence and its hold points (design-20), including special inspections such as safe room anchors (secure-4).
  7. Ask what certificate is issued at the end (for example a certificate of occupancy or a completion certificate) and what happens if you occupy without it.
  8. Ask whether alternative materials or methods (straw bale, earth, composting toilets) can be approved and what evidence the authority needs.

Do these first

Sources

  1. Difference between building regulations and planning permission. Planning Portal (England), accessed 2026-11
  2. When you need approval (building regulations). Planning Portal (England), accessed 2026-11
  3. The International Residential Code. International Code Council, accessed 2026-11
  4. Deciphering local building codes. Fine Homebuilding, accessed 2026-11

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