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Building Control

Waterford City & County Council, as the building control authority for Waterford, is responsible for the enforcement of the Building Control Acts 1990 and 2007 and regulations made under those Acts.

The building control system applies to the design and construction of new buildings, extensions and material alterations to, and certain changes of use of, existing buildings. The Building Control section promotes good practice in the design and construction of buildings and we do this by visiting and inspecting building sites.

As far as possible, we try to resolve problems by discussing them with the builder to find an agreed solution. Occasionally, however, we serve enforcement notices where contraventions of the Regulations occur and, in certain cases, we can and do prosecute. As well as inspecting buildings during construction, we have the authority to examine documents, drawings and other materials relevant to the work.

Primary responsibility for compliance with the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and building owners. The power of inspection granted to the Building Control Authority under the legislation is discretionary and does not impose an obligation on the Building Control Authority to inspect all buildings during their construction.

European Union (Construction Products) Regulations (S.I. 225 of 2013)


  • CE marking of construction products covered by harmonised European Standards has been mandatory since the 1st July 2013. The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) aims to ensure that reliable performance-related data is made available, by means of Declarations of Performance, in relation to construction products being placed on the European market.
  • Manufacturers, importers and distributors have new obligations and responsibilities when placing a construction product on the market.
  • Designers, specifiers and builders must be aware of and understand the new requirements on construction products.

For more information, the following information leaflet sets out the general objectives, requirements and implications of the Construction Products Regulation.

Building Control Legislation


The legislative framework for the Building Control system is contained in the following:

More on the legislation affecting Building Control can be viewed on the Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government’s website.