Compliance declarations and completion statements requirements

The Building Regulations have recently been amended, introducing important compliance changes for contractors, designers, and clients. These include revised notice requirements for completing building works, stricter reporting when clients cannot provide statements from contractors or designers, and clearer procedures for handling contraventions. The Building Regulations also prescribe cases where the Building Safety Regulator must provide copies of serious contravention orders to local authorities.

Building Regulations Amendment 2025: Overview of key changes

As of October 2025, changes stemming from the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022 and related Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2025 mean that notifying the local authority (or the Building Safety Regulator for Higher-Risk Buildings) on completion of a project requires the submission of specific compliance declarations and, for relevant projects, a comprehensive completion statement as part of the application for a completion certificate.

Key changes effective around this time include:

Mandatory compliance declarations: Clients must ensure that both the Principal Contractor and Principal Designer provide signed statements to the building control authority (either the local authority or the Building Safety Regulator) at the completion stage. These declarations confirm that they have fulfilled their duties under the Building Regulations and that, to the best of their knowledge, the completed work complies with all relevant regulations.
Detailed information required: The completion notification must include detailed contact information for all duty holders (client, principal designer, and principal contractor) and a clear statement that the building work is complete and compliant.
Stricter reporting for non-compliance: The 2025 amendment regulations include stricter reporting for cases where clients are unable to provide the required statements from contractors or designers, increasing accountability.
Gateway 3 for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs): For HRBs (at least 18 metres or seven storeys high with two or more residential units), a stringent "Gateway 3" final assessment is required before the building can be occupied. The Building Safety Regulator must issue a completion certificate, which will not be granted until all compliance checks are complete and the "golden thread" of safety information has been provided.
Building Safety Levy (future change): While related, the new Building Safety Levy, a tax on new residential buildings, is expected to come into force from 1 October 2026, not Oct 2025. The completion certificate cannot be issued until this levy has been paid.
Mandatory competence: Companies working under the BSA are required to meet updated competence standards, such as the mandatory Building Safety section of the Common Assessment Standard, by 1 October 2025, which indirectly supports the ability to provide a valid completion statement.

The "golden thread" of building safety information

These changes aim to enhance building safety, increase accountability across the industry, and ensure comprehensive documentation is available throughout a building's lifecycle, forming part of the "golden thread" of information.