BSR's power to charge comes from section 28 of the Building Safety Act 2022 and section 105B of the Building Act 1984. The Building Safety (Regulator's Charges) Regulations 2023 define the chargeable functions; the charging scheme sets the amounts, triggers and payers, and is refreshed annually (current edition: 2026 to 2027).
Two design principles matter to applicants:
From the 2026/27 scheme (figures are the published fixed components; each also attracts £156/hour of BSR staff time and any third-party costs):
| Chargeable function | Fixed charge | Time charge | Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building control approval application (Gateway 2) | £195 | £156/hour | Submission of the application |
| Dispensation/relaxation of a requirement | £116 | £156/hour | Application under section 8(3A) Building Act 1984 |
| Notifiable change | £116 | £156/hour | Notification of the change |
| Change control (major change) application | £195 | £156/hour | Submission of the application |
| Completion / partial completion certificate | £234 | £156/hour | Submission of the application |
| Construction-phase inspections | — | £156/hour | Commencement notice / start of construction phase |
| Post-completion and other inspections | — | £156/hour | Complaints, intelligence, incidents, certificate applications |
The scheme also preserves the exemption for building work solely required to facilitate or improve a building's use by disabled persons.
Across the design and construction phase the charges are payable by the client (with some occupation-phase functions falling to the principal accountable person where a certificate has been issued). The scheme's annexes set out how payments and repayments are processed and how queries and disputes are handled.
The fixed fees are trivial against development finance — but the £156/hour time charge creates a quiet alignment between applicant and regulator interests:
Set against the financing costs of delay — worked through in our cost analysis — assessment charges and financing costs should be budgeted separately. The point of understanding the scheme is behavioural: it prices the regulator's time, which is exactly what poor submissions consume.
£195 payable on submission, plus £156 per hour of BSR staff assessment time and any third-party costs — so the total depends on how much work the assessment takes, including project complexity and any further information needed.
The client, for design and construction phase charges. Some occupation-phase functions are charged to the principal accountable person.
BSR will not issue the completion certificate while charges related to the building control approval application are overdue — which can delay registration and first occupation of a new residential HRB.
Yes: £116 per notifiable change notification and £195 per change control (major change) application, each plus hourly assessment time.
The charging scheme is refreshed annually (currently 2026/27, updated 8 April 2026); the underlying chargeable functions sit in the 2023 Regulations, which are remade as necessary.
Ask about a document readiness review against an agreed scope. Customer intake opens after service qualification and an accepted engagement. Gate Zero does not provide BSR approval or design certification. Please do not attach submission documents to your enquiry.
Discuss a readiness review →This article is general guidance and not legal or building-control advice. Regulatory references reflect the position at 13 September 2026.