Building warrants, forms and regulations

You need a building warrant before you can carry out most types of building or demolition work. You need them to: 

• construct a new building
• alter and extend an existing building
• demolish
• change the use of a building (from a house to a hotel for example)

A building warrant is a legal procedure that must be followed. This is to make sure that any proposed building work meets current building regulations. It's also to make sure that when the work is finished it meets these standards. Watch our video on Conversions and extensions for more information.

How to apply

We encourage you to submit your building standards related application online using eBuildingStandards Scotland - this lets you pay online too. The advantages are:

• you will save time, money and paper
• there is step-by-step guidance and information on how to submit your application
• you can save your work and break away at any time. When you return to the application your previous entries will be waiting for you
• you can upload one set of electronic drawings and supporting documents - there is no need to provide multiple paper copies to us
• no printing or postage involved
• you can buy a location plan online
• you can use the 'Fee calculator' to work out the fee for your application
• you can pay online or if you are submitting the application on behalf of someone else, you can ‘share’ the application with them and allow them to pay the fee online
• as the application comes directly to us, we receive it faster and begin to check it earlier
• applications are quicker and easier to validate because it ensures that all the information needed for the application is complete, is in the correct format and meets our application requirements
• it reduces your carbon footprint

Forms you can submit online via eBuildingStandards Scotland are:

• Application for a building warrant
• Application for amendment of building warrant
• Notice of intention to use an approved certifier of construction
• Completion certificate
• Application for temporary occupation or use
• Application to extend period of validity of building warrant
• Completion certificate where no building warrant obtained submission

Other building standards forms not available via eBuildingStandards Scotland:

The following building standards forms are not available via eBuildingStandards Scotland and can be completed using our online forms.

Please note if the application has a fee, this must be paid when applying.  Ensure you have calculated the correct fee and your payment details are ready.

• Erection of raised structure - CG1 - estimated cost up to £1,000 is £21.84, over £1,000 up to £5,000 is £43.67; cost above £5,000 – refer to Building Standards scale of fees.
• Letter of comfort requests where there has been unauthorised building work, a building warrant has expired or you require confirmation that a building warrant is not required
• Request for consideration of alternative means of compliance form – no fee required
• Notice of finalisation of structural details must be downloaded, completed and sent to Planning and Building Standards office
• Request for confirmation that proposed works do not require building warrant approval - LC3
• Request for inspection in respect of building works without statutory consent - LC1
• Request for inspection of work where warrant has expired and no certificate of completion issued - LC2

Along with your application, you must submit:

• plans of your proposal
• payment can be made online
• or by cheque to Planning and Building Standards office. Cheques should be made payable to 'South Lanarkshire Council'.

How much will it cost?

• There is a fee calculator on eBuildingStandards Scotland
• Building Standards scale of fees
• Payments can be made via our online payment service

Legal information

Building warrants and planning permission are entirely separate legal requirements. They apply to different aspects of building development work. It's important that you check to see if you need either or both of them.

Getting back to you

For more information on how quickly we process applications, see our Building standards customer charter. It has details of all our service standards.

Weekly lists of applications and decisions

See the current building warrant applications and decisions.

Building Standards system in Scotland

For details of the Building Standards system in Scotland, including guidance for homeowners and professionals, see the building standards section of the Scottish Government's website.