Inspections of building work

Starting building work

Work can start once your building warrant has been approved. If you start without a building warrant, you are committing an offence.

Other permissions

Other permissions may be needed to undertake the work. A building warrant does not exempt you from obtaining these other permissions and approvals.

Start of work notice

You are required by law to notify Midlothian Building Standards within 7 days of the date on which work starts on site. This allows us to arrange necessary site inspections of on-going works during construction. Contact details for the case surveyor are in your building warrant pack.

Health and Safety

Before doing or having building work carried out, you will have health and safety responsibilities to consider.

Supervision of work on site

Although we may inspect the work while it is in progress, these inspections are solely to check, where reasonably practicable, that the work is in accordance with the approved plans and specification, and the Building Regulations.

It is important that you understand that:

  • Midlothian Building Standards is not responsible for checking the quality of work or supervising the builders.
  • Supervision of the work is your responsibility, or of the suitably qualified person or group you appoint to oversee the work.
  • You should always use the approved plans and specification to check that the work is progressing correctly.

If you feel unable to manage site supervision, or that standards of work do not meet your requirements, you should seek the help of a building professional, who can act as your clerk of works.