The Building etc. (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

law://uk/wsi/2026/60@2026-11-12

Contents

1Title, coming into force and application#

(1)The title of these Regulations is the Building etc. (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026.

(2)These Regulations come into force on the following dates—

(a)this regulation and regulations 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8(3) on 1 July 2026;

(b)regulation 4 at 12:01 a.m. on 1 July 2026;

(c)regulations 3, 8(1), 8(2) and 8(4) on 4 March 2027.

(3)These Regulations apply in relation to Wales.

2Amendments to the Building Regulations 2010#

The Building Regulations 2010 are amended in accordance with regulations 3 and 4.

3Amendments relating to energy efficiency requirements#

(1)In regulation 2(1) (interpretation), in the definition of “fixed building services”—

(a)omit the “or” after paragraph (b);

(b)after paragraph (b), insert—“ba fixed lifts, escalators or moving walkways in new buildings that are not in an individual dwelling; or”

(2)Omit regulation 25A (consideration of high-efficiency alternative systems for new buildings) and regulation 25B (nearly zero-energy requirements for new buildings).

(3)In regulation 25D (energy efficiency rating)—

(a)for the heading substitute “Energy use intensity rating”;

(b)for “Energy efficiency ratings” substitute “Energy use intensity ratings”.

(4)In regulation 26C (minimum energy efficiency rating)—

(a)for the heading substitute “Minimum energy use intensity rating”;

(b)for “energy efficiency rating” substitute “energy use intensity rating”.

(5)In regulation 27C (energy efficiency rating calculations)—

(a)for the heading substitute “Minimum energy use intensity rating calculations”;

(b)in paragraphs (2)(a) and (3)(a)(i) and (ii), for “energy efficiency rating” substitute “energy use intensity rating”.

(6)In Schedule 1 (requirements), in Part L (conservation of fuel and power)—

(a)in entry L1—

(i)in the heading, after “power” insert “and the minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions”;

(ii)in the words before paragraph (a), after “power” insert “and the minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions”;

(iii)after paragraph (b)(i), insert—“ai minimise greenhouse gas emissions;”

(iv)after paragraph (b)(iii), insert—“c for the purposes of this Part—• “greenhouse gas” has the meaning given by section 37(1) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.”

(b)after entry L2 insert—“”

4Amendments relating to new notice requirements#

(1)In regulation 17(2) (completion certificates), after “regulation 16(4)” insert “of these Regulations or regulation 17A(1) of the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024”.

(2)In regulation 41(3)(b)(ii) (sound insulation testing), after “regulation 16(4)” insert “of these Regulations or regulation 17A(1) of the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024”.

(3)In regulation 44 (commissioning)—

(a)in paragraph (4)(b)(i), after “regulation 16(4)” insert “of these Regulations or regulation 17A(1) of the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024”;

(b)in paragraph (4)(b)(ii), for “where that regulation does not” substitute “where those regulations do not”.

(4)In regulation 44ZA (commissioning in respect of a system for on-site electricity generation)—

(a)in paragraph (3)(b)(i), after “regulation 16(4)” insert “of these Regulations or regulation 17A(1) of the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024”;

(b)in paragraph (3)(b)(ii), for “where that regulation does not” substitute “where those regulations do not”.

5Amendments to the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024#

(1)The Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024 are amended as follows.

(2)In regulation 2, after paragraph (1) insert—“1A In these Regulations “client”, “contractor”, “designer”, “domestic client”, “principal contractor”, “principal designer”, “sole contractor” and “sole or lead designer” have the meanings given in the 2010 Regulations.”

(3)After regulation 17 (local authority powers in relation to partly completed work) insert—“17A 1 A person carrying out building work in circumstances where regulation 17(1) applies must, not more than 5 days after that work has been completed, give the building control authority a notice which complies with paragraph (2).2 The notice under paragraph (1) must include—a the name, address, telephone number and (if available) email address of the client;b the name, address, telephone number and (if available) email address of the principal contractor (or sole contractor) and principal designer (or sole or lead designer);c a statement that the building work is complete;d a statement, signed by the client, confirming that to the best of the client’s knowledge the work complies with all applicable requirements of the building regulations;e subject to paragraph (3), a statement, given by each principal contractor (or sole contractor) for the work and each principal designer (or sole designer) for the work, signed by the person to which the declaration relates which includes—i the name, address, telephone number and (if available) email address of that person,ii the dates of their appointment, andiii confirmation—aa in the case of a principal contractor (or sole contractor), that they fulfilled their duties as principal contractor under Part 2A (dutyholders and competence) of the 2010 Regulations;bb in the case of a principal designer (or sole designer), that they fulfilled their duties as principal designer under Part 2A (dutyholders and competence) of the 2010 Regulations.3 If for any reason the person carrying out building work is unable to include a statement for a person mentioned under paragraph (2)(e), the person carrying out the building work must include a statement giving the reasons why that person’s statement has not been included.”

(4)In Schedule 1 (forms), Form 10(W) is amended as follows—

(a)after paragraph 4 insert—“5 [(4) confirms [it has/they have] received notice in accordance with regulation 16 of the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024 and the contravention has not been remedied within the time period. The contravention is] (6)”

(b)in the section headed “NOTES”, after paragraph (5) insert—“(6): Delete this statement if it does not apply. If it applies, specify the provision(s) of the building regulations (including the specific requirement) which is contravened.”

(5)In Schedule 2 (grounds for rejecting an initial notice, an amendment notice or a plans certificate combined with an initial notice)—

(a)at the beginning of paragraph 12(2)(a), insert “subject to sub-paragraph 3,”;

(b)after paragraph 12(2) insert—“3 Sub-paragraph (2)(a) does not apply if—a the earlier notice has been cancelled by the client or the approver,b the client has received a notice of contravention in accordance with regulation 16(1), andc the client has failed to remedy the contravention in the time specified in regulation 16(3).”

6Amendments to the Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024#

(1)The Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024 are amended as follows.

(2)In regulation 3(1)(a), after “the 2010 Regulations” insert “or the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025”.

7Amendments to the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025#

(1)The Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025 are amended as follows.

(2)For regulation 20 substitute—“20 1 The amendments made to the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024 by these Regulations do not apply to building work in relation to which an initial notice has been given to a local authority before 1 July 2026 unless, on or after 1 July 2026, the initial notice is rejected by the local authority or otherwise ceases to be in force.2 The amendments made by these Regulations do not apply to any form submitted in relation to which an initial notice has been given to a local authority before 1 July 2026 that complies with the requirements at the time the initial notice was given.”

8Transitional provisions#

(1)The amendments made by regulation 3 do not apply where—

(a)building work on an individual building is to be regarded as commenced before 4 March 2027 in accordance with any relevant notification provision, or

(b)a relevant notification provision has been complied with in relation to proposed building work on an individual building before 4 March 2027 and the building work is to be regarded as commenced before the period ending on 3 March 2028.

(2)For the purposes of paragraph (1), regulation 46B (lapse of building control approval: commencement of work: Wales) of the Building Regulations 2010 applies to determine whether work is to be regarded as commenced.

(3)The amendments made by regulation 5 do not apply in any case where the initial notice has been cancelled before 1 July 2026.

(4)In this regulation—• “building work” (“gwaith adeiladu”) has the meaning given by regulation 2(1) of the Building Regulations 2010;• “relevant notification provision” (“darpariaeth hysbysu berthnasol”) means regulation 12(2) of the Building Regulations 2010 and sections 47(1), 51A(2) and 54 of the Building Act 1984.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The Building etc. (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

The Building etc. (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

1Title, coming into force and application#

2Amendments to the Building Regulations 2010#

3Amendments relating to energy efficiency requirements#

4Amendments relating to new notice requirements#

5Amendments to the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024#

6Amendments to the Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024#

7Amendments to the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025#

8Transitional provisions#

Defined terms · 3

Connections

History · 1 version

Key facts

1Title, coming into force and application#

2Amendments to the Building Regulations 2010#

3Amendments relating to energy efficiency requirements#

4Amendments relating to new notice requirements#

5Amendments to the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024#

6Amendments to the Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024#

7Amendments to the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025#

8Transitional provisions#