February 13, 2025
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Clients commonly believe that appointing a Building Regulations Principal Designer (BR PD) and a Building Regulations Principal Contractor (BR PC) is enough to discharge their responsibilities under the building regulations, but this is not the case.
Client Duties
The Client is the organisation or individual for whom a construction project is carried out. They are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Building Regulations are satisfied and the Client’s duties cannot be subcontracted to a third party.
The Client is responsible for making appropriate project planning, management, and monitoring arrangements, including allocating enough time and resources for compliance with the Building Regulations.
It is the Client’s responsibility to:
Ensure design work is carried out so that, if built, the building work would be compliant with the Building Regulations.
Ensure the building work is carried out in accordance with the Building Regulations.
Enable designers and contractors to cooperate to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations.
Undertake periodic reviews to identify any Higher-risk Buildings.
Provide building information to every designer and Contractor on the project.
Ensure arrangements are maintained and reviewed throughout the project
Assess the competency of the Principal Designer and Principal Contractor
Client Appointments
If there is more than one Contractor, the Client must appoint in writing:
Building Regulations Principal Designer
Building Regulations Principal Contractor
Appointments must be made before the construction phase begins or if the project involves a Higher-risk Building (HRB) before a building control application is submitted to the Building Safety Regulator. If a client does not appoint a BR Principal Designer or BR Principal Contractor, they must fulfil the duties of those roles!
Where a client has already appointed a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor under the CDM Regulations for the project, the Client may certify in writing that those parties will also be appointed as the BSA Principal Designer and Principal Contractor under the Building Safety Act.
If duty holders cannot demonstrate they are meeting duty holder or competence requirements, it will be considered an enforcement breach of dutyholders’ duties and competence requirements, which is a criminal offence – Section 35 of the Building Act 1984.
Safer Sphere’s Building Safety Act team currently support clients to discharge their duties under the Building Regulations through project monitoring and auditing.
We also undertake the Building Regulations Principal Designer role on various projects, we will support you throughout the design and construction process, reducing risk and providing compliance assurance, cost certainty and the necessary evidence that the building control authority will expect.
Our Building Safety team is made up of Building Control, Design and Construction Management professionals who provide relevant guidance to all dutyholders under the legislation.
If you have any queries or require our services, contact us at info@safersphere.co.uk.