THE FIRST INDICATIONS OF how hard the industry and its clients are being hit by 1 April's changes to Part L of the Building Regulations have just come to light.
The information is contained in a report issued this week by QS EC Harris, which says that making buildings more energy efficient to comply with Part L will add as much as 5% to costs.

The report was published as the DTLR announced proposals to add a Part P to the regulations, to cover electrical safety.

The DTLR's consultation paper Proposals for New Safety Requirements for Electrical Installation Work in Dwellings, published on Tuesday, is proposing the regulation of the design, installation and testing of electrical installations in new, extended or altered homes.

The government estimates that the proposed changes would cost the construction industry £55m over the next five years. The paper predicts an increase in costs in England and Wales over the next five years of £26.1m for one-man firms and £29m for others.

The paper suggests that electricians be able to self-certify their installations to show compliance with the new Part P. Alternatively, they would have to pay for a building control officer to check their work.

Costs will be higher for firms not able to self-certify work

DTLR spokesperson on the new Part P

A spokesperson for the DTLR warned that costs would be higher for companies that did not join a self-certification scheme.

The regulation forms part of the government's health and safety drive. At the launch of Part P, health and safety minister Alan Whitehead said: "Our aim is to protect consumers from incompetent workmanship. Voluntary controls that have served us well for many decades no longer cover the substantial proportion of installation work."

Further cost increases are expected as other Building Regulations come into effect over the course of the year. Amendments to the acoustic regulations are expected to require housebuilders to pay for tests on sound insulation, and tougher safety rules for tall buildings after 11 September are also likely to push up costs.