Jim Ingram wrote

Thanks Peter,

Well one of the joists is not inserted into the party wall (all the
other joists on this side of the property are cemented into the party
wall) and therefore must be supported by the boilerhouse wall so I
guess that means I need to contact them anyway. When visiting the BCO
what information would he be expecting to see. I could take some
digital photos to show how the layout of the joists/walls. Would he
want to see a picture of inside the roof? Any idea roughly how long
it takes to get a building notice through.

Cheers

Jim

Hello Jim

To advise you on the need for Building Regulations approval he'll need at least
the existing and proposed ground and first floor plans, showing the 1st floor
joist layout and any work you are proposing to do to them. Also a picture of
the roof trusses if it would confirm they don't need intermediate support. In
my experience, the BCO is most likely to tell you to submit a Building Notice
and a cheque first, then he will come to the house to see for himself.

A Building Notice is a simple form you submit with a site location plan and a
cheque - you do not need to submit any working drawings with the Notice. Once
it's been submitted you can start the work straight away, but it is your
responsibility to comply with the Regulations. If you do anything wrong you may
be at risk of having to expose the work or, worse, pull it down and rebuild.
Although they are usually very helpful, you can't expect the BCO to design the
work for you. That's why you need to contact a Building Surveyor or Structural
Engineer in case structural details or calculations are needed. Nobody can
advise you more than this without seeing the house.

Peter