Building standards

We create the building standards regulations and technical guidance, to ensure buildings are safe, efficient and sustainabile.

Scotland's building standards system is administered and enforced by local authorities.  To obtain a building warrant, please seek assistance from the relevant local authority.  Local authorities administer the Building Standards system and are responsible for granting permission for work to be done (Building Warrant) and for a completed building to be occupied (Completion Certificate).

Actions

We protect the public interest by:

• monitoring and improving building regulations by publishing legislation, domestic and non-domestic technical handbooks and supporting guidance
• overseeing the building approval process including the certification handbook and the certification register
• ensuring compliance with energy performance regulations
• implementing European requirements for building standards
• monitoring the performance of verifiers
• improving the building stock

We created the building and fire safety working group following the Grenfell Tower fire. This will review building and fire safety regulatory frameworks to help ensure that people are safe in Scotland's buildings.

We have created the Customer Journey which explains the building standards system to anyone making home improvements or starting building work. It sets out the role of the building warrant and the completion certificate.

We have provided the eBuildingStandards.scot web portal for online submission of applications and other related forms to local authorities.

Key links

• Domestic technical handbook 2017
• Non-domestic technical handbook 2017
• list of Building Standards guidance
• Building Standards model forms
• Certification register
• Certification handbook
• Scottish EPC register
• Sustainability label generator
• eBuildingStandards.scot web portal
• list of Scottish Building Standards legislation

Background

The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force in 2005. The Act focuses on the health and safety of buildings, the conservation of fuel and power within buildings and sustainable development.

Bills and legislation

The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 is the primary legislation under which Scotland's building standards system operates.

One of its functions is to give ministers power to make secondary legislation to support the Act. You can find this on the UK legislation website.

We ensure Scotland's building standards comply with EU legislation. These include the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Article 8 of the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive (BCRD) and the Construction Products Regulation.

We create legislation for dangerous and defective buildings, and for the energy performance of non-domestic buildings to improve the existing building stock, under section 63 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

We have provided a list of Scottish building standards legislation. 

Contact

Email: buildingstandards@gov.scot

Telephone: 0300 244 4000

Post:
Scottish Government
Building Standards Division
Almondvale Business Park
Denholm House
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 6GA