The detailed requirements of the Building Regulations in England and Wales are scheduled within 18 separate headings, each designated by a letter (Part A to Part S), and covering aspects such as workmanship, adequate materials, structure, waterproofing and weatherisation, fire safety and means of escape, sound isolation, ventilation, safe (potable) water, protection from falling, drainage, sanitary facilities, accessibility and facilities for the disabled, measures to limit overheating in new dwellings, electrical safety, security of a building, high-speed broadband infrastructure connections, and the installation of a minimum number of facilities for the charging of electric vehicles in all new buildings (commercial and domestic).

For each Part, detailed specifications are available free online (in the English and Welsh governments' "approved documents") describing the matters to be taken into account.

Shortly after the Grenfell Tower fire of 14 June 2017, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) established the Building Safety Programme.

[4][5] A number of regulations were amended or created to introduce a restriction on the use of combustible materials within external elevations and specific attachments in certain types of buildings with storeys over 18m - this applied in England only.

The part of the amendment relating to elements provided to reduce heat gain was subsequently overturned by the UK High Court in November 2019 because "the consultation had been inadequate".

The approved documents usually take the form of firstly stating the legislation and then providing a number of methods or ways which are deemed to satisfy the regulations.

In reality, innovative solutions may be hard to validate, and for much building work the tendency is to follow the guidance of the approved documents literally.

However, it is a civil matter between adjoining land owners and "party wall legislation" is not enforced by the Building Control bodies.

It may be necessary to exceed the recommendations of the guidance[11] supporting Part B of Schedule 1 to Building Regulations, in order to achieve a suitable and sufficient level of fire safety required under the FSO2005.

Inappropriate combustible material combinations have been found on a broad range of tall local authority, private, NHS, educational and housing association buildings.

There are concerns that fire tests may not accurately reflect real life when a building, cladding and insulation are subject to wear and tear.

Precautions must be taken to stop gases and dangerous substances from previous land use from entering the building and endangering the health and safety of occupants.

Complaints arose in the Bristol area after Storm Emma in February 2018 that the attics of more than 50 newly built homes had filled up with snow.

The vents are installed in order to comply with building regulations and as such the homes affected by the snow were not defective in any way.”[15] The legal requirement is Some insulating materials inserted into (existing) cavity walls can give off toxic fumes.

Separating floors and walls between domestic dwellings are required to meet a minimum sound insulation performance standard.

Pre-completion sound tests have been required since July 2003 to ensure compliance with Approved Document E, unless the Robust Details approach is adopted, see Part L below.

The Building Regulations consider three ventilation types: The performance rates for each of the "system" approaches set out in Part F are the minimum requirements needed to ensure that adequate air quality is provided for people indoors.

The regulations make provision for this via internal door undercuts to maintain a minimum gap of 10mm above the finished floor surface.

An adequate system must be in place to carry waste water used for cooking, washing, toilet (flushing), bath or shower to a foul sewer, cesspool or settlement tank.

Part K sets minimum standards for the safety of stairways, ramps and ladders, together with requirements for balustrading, windows, and vehicle barriers to prevent falling from floor edges, roofs, or balconies, etc.

As of 6 April 2006 (2010) (2014) split into four sections: Part L controls the insulation values of building elements, the allowable area of windows, doors and other openings, air permeability of the structure, the heating efficiency of boilers and the insulation and controls for heating appliances and systems together with hot water storage and lighting efficiency.

Please note that all plots require a building control approval submission, and EPC regardless of how many identical properties are to be built in the same development.

Lighting, ventilation, solar heat gain and possible overheating will all impact on the potential to hit the 25% reduction target but until now have not really troubled the industry.

Buildings should have reasonable provision: The Equality Act 2010 imposed duties on service providers, schools and public bodies in relation to access for people with disabilities.

Sufficient information shall be provided so that persons wishing to operate, maintain or alter an electrical installation can do so with reasonable safety.

Installers who are members of an approved "Competent Persons Scheme" may carry out such electrical work without the need to submit many such formal building regulations applications, instead notification is performed via their trade body.

(3) Cable routes for electric vehicle charge points must be installed in any associated parking spaces which do not, in accordance with paragraph (2), have an electric vehicle charge point where— (a) a new residential building has more than 10 associated parking spaces; and (a) at least one associated parking space for the use of each new dwelling must have access to an electric vehicle charge point; All new buildings, unless in one of the following exempt classes, must meet the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations.

It is good practice to have exemption confirmed by the relevant local authority prior to starting construction works or alterations.

[citation needed] The latest statutory instrument gives the full conditions of exemptions (and any newly controlled buildings).

The new DCLG web pages (now found within the gov.uk website) still gives the professional user detailed information on the scope and extent of the building regulations system, in England.