The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

[^key-8c0a11c91f3128fab86e8ac2529ccff9]: Words in reg. 25(3) substituted (1.4.2022) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022 (S.R. 2022/71), regs. 1, 7 (with reg. 3)

[^key-8f5bdd06cd40adc137f4c0885116f9d3]: Pt. M inserted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), reg. 1, Sch. 2 (with reg. 3)

[^key-9e247d1732469cbbdfdca4e730d3dbd4]: Reg. 11(1)(h) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 5(6)(c) (with reg. 3)

[^key-a0346c62c15e253b318f47e754fc65bf]: Word in reg. 40(1) substituted (25.2.2014) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (S.R. 2014/44), regs. 1, 6(2) (with reg. 3)

[^key-a1a32983480e29a5abdbe1fb9c530bb4]: Words in reg. 4(5)(b) substituted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 5(2)(b) (with reg. 3)

[^key-abf4a3bfededf19046fcf13df0d16e14]: Words in reg. 2(7) Table inserted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 5(1)(b) (with reg. 3)

[^key-b645bd1c449e305b2b3d97cd35ce0bc4]: Reg. 38 substituted (25.2.2014) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (S.R. 2014/44), regs. 1, 6(1) (with reg. 3)

[^key-c4606fb14029efae173a10567ef2059b]: Word in reg. 2(1)(a) deleted (25.2.2014) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (S.R. 2014/44), regs. 1, 5(1)(a) (with reg. 3)

[^key-c5dbb90d4aa7ce5ccbcf7a58a66cab92]: Sch. 2 Class 1(a) substituted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 8 (with reg. 3)

[^key-d4dedaccedea65ededae5d1aa2114b59]: Reg. 4(7) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 5(2)(d) (with reg. 3)

[^key-d7c56cb9f947d9324deb43c7d2aa03be]: Regs. 37A, 37B inserted (6.5.2025) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (S.R. 2024/191), regs. 1, 6(2) (with reg. 3)

[^key-e177d768e2ecda146fdd35181c6074c5]: Words in reg. 5 substituted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 5(3) (with reg. 3)

[^key-e7158abf803e8d81f8690bee53e59587]: Reg. 4(6) inserted (25.2.2014) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (S.R. 2014/44), regs. 1, 5(2)(b) (with reg. 3)

[^key-f7bd40ad57cd3e5f0794d06c84cd2fbb]: Words in reg. 43B(2)(a) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 6(2) (with reg. 3)

[^M_F_5530e791-d20c-461a-ecf1-74e5976b43d7]: Word in Sch. 3 Pt. A Rule B(5)(h) substituted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 9(1)(b) (with reg. 3)

[^M_F_666a4a6c-b582-434e-9200-01a8145e8173]: Sch. 3 Pt. A Rule B(5)(j) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 9(1)(c) (with reg. 3)

[^M_F_6a324091-93e2-49af-aa7c-ca48508a646c]: Word in Sch. 3 Pt. A Rule B(5)(g) deleted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 9(1)(a) (with reg. 3)

[^M_F_7cc71174-ccfe-4278-dd97-4822dca77892]: Word in Sch. 3 Pt. C para. 2(d)(ix) substituted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 9(2)(b) (with reg. 3)

[^M_F_822f08e6-af58-4620-cd18-e2ffd195b5a3]: Sch. 3 Pt. C para. 2(d)(x) inserted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 9(2)(c) (with reg. 3)

[^M_F_83719413-b288-4b72-a84a-76c135daea0d]: Word in Sch. 3 Pt. C para. 2(d)(viii) deleted (28.11.2016) by The Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/412), regs. 1, 9(2)(a) (with reg. 3)

Consideration of high-efficiency alternative systems

43A

• (1) Where a building is to be erected, the person carrying out the work shall, before construction begins, undertake an analysis of and give consideration to the use of available high-efficiency alternative systems in the work. Such systems include—

• (a) decentralised energy supply systems based on energy from renewable sources;

• (b) cogeneration;

• (c) district or block heating or cooling, particularly where it is based entirely or partially on energy from renewable sources; and

• (d) heat pumps.

• (2) The analysis referred to in paragraph (1)—

• (a) shall be documented and take into account the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of using high-efficiency alternative systems;

• (b) may be carried out for individual buildings or for groups of similar buildings or for common typologies of buildings in the same area; and

• (c) in so far as it relates to collective heating and cooling systems, may be carried out for all buildings connected to the system in the same area.

Nearly zero-energy requirements for new buildings

43B

• (1) Where a building is erected, it must be a nearly zero-energy building.

• (2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)—

• (a) in respect of new buildings occupied and owned by public authorities, this regulation shall apply from 1st January 2019; and

• (b) in respect of all new buildings, this regulation shall apply from 31st December 2020.

Notice of air pressure test

Notice of commissioning

Notice of emission rate

Provision of information

PART M — Physical infrastructure for high-speed electronic communications networks

Application and interpretation

77A

• (1) Regulation 77B applies only to building work that consists of—

• (a) the erection of a building; or

• (b) major renovation works.

• (2) Regulation 77B shall not apply to—

• (a) a building for which compliance with regulation 77B would unacceptably alter its character or appearance and which is—

• (i) a protected building; or

• (ii) a building being any monument for the time being subject to Part II of the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

• (b) a building situated in an isolated area where the prospect of high-speed connection is considered too remote to justify equipping the building with high-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure or an access point; and

• (c) a building subject to major renovation works in which the cost of compliance with regulation 77B would be disproportionate to the benefit gained.

• (3) In this Part—

• “Access point” means a physical point, located inside or outside the building, accessible to undertakings providing or authorised to provide public communications networks, where connection to the high-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure is made available;

• “High-speed electronic communications network” means an electronic communication network which is capable of delivering broadband access services at speeds of at least 30 Mbps;

• “High-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure” means in-building physical infrastructure intended to host elements or enable delivery of high-speed electronic communications networks;

• “In-building physical infrastructure” means physical infrastructure or installations at the end-user’s location, including elements under joint ownership, intended to host wired and/or wireless access networks, where such access networks are capable of delivering electronic communications services and connecting the building access point with the network termination point;

• “Major renovation works” means works at the end-user’s location encompassing structural modifications of the entire in-building physical infrastructure or of a significant part of it;

• “Network termination point” means the physical point at which a subscriber is provided with access to a public communications network; in the case of networks involving switching or routing, the network termination point is identified by means of a specific network address, which may be linked to a subscriber number or name;

• “Protected building” has the meaning assigned to it by regulation 38 in Part F; and

• “Public communications network” means an electronic communications network used wholly or mainly for the provision of electronic communications services available to the public which support the transfer of information between network termination points.

In-building physical infrastructure

77B

• (1) Building work shall be carried out so as to ensure that a building is adequately equipped with a high-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure up to the network termination points.

• (2) Where the building work concerns a multi-dwelling building, the building work shall be carried out so as to ensure that the building is adequately equipped with a common access point.

Fire safety information

37A

Where a building is a relevant premises or contains one or more flats, the person carrying out the work shall—

• (a) provide adequate fire safety information to the person with fire safety duties in a building not later than the date of completion of the work, or the date of occupation of the building or extension, whichever is the earlier; and

• (b) not later than 5 days after the date provided for in subparagraph (a), give a notice in writing to the district council stating that the requirements of subparagraph (a) have been met.

Automatic fire suppression systems

37B

• (1) A building shall be designed and constructed with a suitable automatic fire suppression system.

• (2) This regulation applies only to —

• (a) a building, containing one or more flats, with a storey more than 11m above ground level;

• (b) a building, containing purpose built student accommodation, with a storey more than 11m above ground level; and

• (c) a residential care premises.