Before applying, check whether the work is out of scope. No building control approval is needed for work consisting only of:
BSR says to submit one application per building, including resident applications. Its guidance also gives connected higher-risk buildings sharing a podium or common part as an example for one application; confirm the building boundary and application scope for the scheme.
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Category A | Work involving at least one of: changing the external height or width; changing the number of storeys; changing the internal layout; changing the number of residential units; passive fire safety measures (e.g. fire-resistant materials); active fire safety measures (e.g. sprinklers or alarms); affecting the number or width of staircases or other escape routes; or work on common areas or parts — including internal or external remediation work. |
| Category B | Work that meets none of the Category A criteria. |
BSR's guidance is direct about the stakes: if you apply under the wrong category, BSR is likely to reject your application. Classification is the first substantive decision on any existing-HRB project — and it determines the evidence the application must carry.
The April 2026 guidance sets out what applicants should do before applying:
The application itself must then explain how the effect of the work was assessed, the results and the evidence justifying the decisions, and how the work will comply.
Applications should avoid assumptions. Where they are unavoidable — typically because building information is missing — the application must provide survey and inspection evidence explaining them and describe how they will be tested during construction. BSR assesses evidence about assumptions case by case.
Unless an extension is agreed, BSR assesses existing-HRB applications within 8 weeks — shorter than the 12-week headline for new builds. The official data, however, shows the lived reality for internal refurbishment has been much slower: a 77% approval rate and a 32-week median in May–July 2026, with 257 invalid-or-withdrawn applications against 166 decisions in the same window. The same dataset shows the lever: internal refurbishment applications submitted in 2026 have run to a 16-week median. Evidence-rich applications move; thin ones queue. The full series is tracked in our data monitor.
An emergency repair — building work to manage an urgent risk to the health, safety or welfare of people that cannot be avoided by temporary measures, was not reasonably detectable during planned work, or results from equipment breakdown — can proceed without prior approval. But the duties are strict:
Emergency repairs must not be used to fix problems caused by a lack of foresight or planning.
Work through BSR's Category A list — height, storeys, internal layout, unit numbers, passive or active fire safety measures, escape routes, common-parts work including remediation. Anything touching those is Category A; everything else is Category B. Wrong classification risks rejection of the application.
The headline assessment period is 8 weeks unless an extension is agreed. The published medians for internal refurbishment have been far higher (32 weeks in May–July 2026 overall, 16 weeks for applications submitted in 2026), so plan against the data, not the headline.
If the building is an HRB and the work is not exempt or competent-person-scheme work, yes — one application per building, including resident applications for work to their own homes.
Avoid assumptions where possible; where unavoidable, evidence them with surveys and inspections and describe how they'll be tested during construction. BSR assesses that evidence case by case.
Notify BSR by the end of the first working day after the repair starts, send the information to the Responsible Person as soon as work starts, keep the records, and apply for a regularisation certificate as soon as possible. The PAP must update the safety case report.
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.