Will I Need Building Regulations Approval To Fit A Solid Roof?

Solid roof sales are soaring at Visual as householders look to make their conservatories thermally efficient again in time for showpiece occasions like the Christmas dinner and New Year’s celebrations.

Utilising lightweight tiles / slates, a solid roof is a replacement roof system for old conservatories, though it can also be ready incorporated into brand new conservatory designs.

When replacing an old translucent conservatory roof for a solid roof, there are things that need to be found out before you go ahead with the project, such as whether building regulations approval is required first. Failure to do this homework can lead to all sorts of problems!

Visual is here to outline the basics…

Switching from a transparent conservatory roof to a solid version will necessitate the obtaining of building regulations approval as the structure will be reclassified as being permanent rather than temporary. This “change of use” will also require you to obtain planning permission too. We can definitely say this is likely to be the case if you had to obtain planning approval before the conservatory was originally constructed.

You can buy solid roofs that have been granted building regulation approval, but a Building Control Officer may still order you to make other changes to the structure to ensure it complies with the rules. This could involve things like adding roof vents, and/or trickle vents to the windows.

It should also be checked if any prior Permitted Development Rights have been withdrawn by your local authority since the initial installation as this will likely mean planning permission must be obtained before the solid roof is fitted.

There must also be certainty that the existing vertical frames are capable of withstanding the weight of a replacement roof system. There have been plenty of examples of solid roofs collapsing and causing chaos.

“What does all this mean?”

In simple terms, there is a decent possibility of building regulations approval being needed, as well as planning permission. No solid roof installation should commence until this has been clarified, and if necessary, resolved.

Book an appointment with Visual so we can assess the solid roof situation for you.