Scottish Ministers are responsible for Building Standards in Scotland with the key purpose of protecting the public interest, creating Building Regulations and preparing technical guidance to ensure buildings are safe, efficient and sustainable for all.
The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 came into force on 1 October 2010. This has resulted in changes to mandatory standards and associated guidance, and the publication of new documents. Please visit the Scottish Building Standards external link for further information.
The purpose of the building standards system is to protect the public interest. The system sets out the essential standards to be met when building work or a conversion takes place, and only to the extent necessary to meet the building regulations.
The system is pre-emptive, designed to check that the proposed building work meets the standards. Inspections during construction and on completion are limited to the minimum necessary to discourage avoidance of the legislation.
The inspections do not provide a system to control work on site; that is a matter for the contracts and arrangements put in place between the client and builder.