And, How We Support Clients Through Approved Inspector Administrations
The construction industry has faced a wave of uncertainty in recent times, with several Approved Inspectors and Building Control companies entering administration or ceasing trading. For clients, this can be deeply unsettling, especially when it happens mid-project.
Questions arise immediately:
– Can work on site continue?
– Will there be additional costs?
– Who is responsible for sign-off?
– What happens to the inspection records?
At Stratus9 Consulting, we’ve been working closely with clients to manage precisely these situations. This short article explores what happens when an Approved Inspector ceases trading and how we help clients maintain compliance, minimise disruption, and move forward with confidence.
Understanding Building Control Approval
Every construction project in England must comply with the Building Regulations, which set the standards for design, safety, and performance. To demonstrate compliance, each project must be overseen by a building control body; either a Local Authority Building Control (LABC) team or a privately operated Approved Inspector.
Approved Inspectors were introduced to offer choice, flexibility, and often a faster or more commercially responsive service compared with traditional Local Authority oversight. For many clients this has worked well for years however, both types of body carry the same statutory responsibility to ensure that works meet the required building standards.
What Has Changed
The building control landscape has changed significantly following the Building Safety Act 2022. This legislation created the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and introduced a new framework for oversight, registration, and accountability across the sector.
For Approved Inspectors, now known as Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs), this has meant new regulatory hurdles, tighter operational standards, and increased professional and insurance requirements. While these changes rightly aim to raise standards, they have also created considerable financial and administrative pressure.
Some Approved Inspectors have struggled to adapt, particularly in meeting insurance and compliance obligations leading to several entering administration or withdrawing from the market. This has left many clients unsure how to proceed or who now holds responsibility for their building control oversight.
The Immediate Impact on Clients
When an Approved Inspector ceases trading, clients are suddenly faced with the loss of their appointed regulatory partner. For projects in mid-construction, this can stall progress as work cannot legally continue without an authorised Building Control body in place.
For schools and other public bodies, the impact can be even greater. Many are already balancing limited budgets, restricted programme windows, and the need to maintain safe, compliant environments. The sudden loss of an Approved Inspector can therefore create serious uncertainty at a critical stage of delivery.
In these circumstances the priority is to restore continuity, ensuring that oversight resumes quickly, records are preserved, and works progress safely under compliant supervision.
Understanding the Cost Implications
For most clients, the financial impact is the first concern. Building control fees are often paid early in a project, and when a company collapses, these are rarely recoverable. Clients then face the additional cost of appointing a new Registered Building Control Approver or Local Authority, often paying a second set of fees for inspections and certification even for works already checked once.
For publicly funded clients or schools operating under tight budgets, this can represent a significant and unexpected financial burden. Indirect costs may also arise through delays, duplicated documentation, or additional professional input needed to retrieve and verify records. While these are unavoidable in some cases, early action and coordinated management can reduce the impact.
At Stratus9 Consulting, we help clients quantify and control the financial exposure, identifying what genuinely requires reassessment and ensuring that new appointments build on, rather than repeat, the work already completed.
The Consultant’s Role in Managing the Transition
From a consultant’s perspective, these situations call for calm leadership and clear communication. When an Approved Inspector ceases trading, clients face complex and often time-sensitive challenges.
Our role is to provide reassurance and direction, helping clients understand their options, maintain compliance, and keep projects moving with confidence. We work collaboratively with all parties to restore clarity, manage risk, and minimise both delay and additional cost.
While every case is different, our aim is always the same. We act as a trusted partner, ensuring that regulatory requirements are met and that clients have the information and support they need to make informed decisions.
Maintaining Compliance and Confidence
Losing an Approved Inspector can feel daunting, particularly when deadlines are tight and budgets already committed. However, with clear communication and professional oversight, compliance can be restored quickly and safely.
Our focus is on continuity, we help preserve essential records, coordinate new appointments, and maintain programme momentum so that compliance remains uninterrupted. We also review the wider project position checking for potential effects on warranties, funding, and contractual obligations, to prevent secondary delays or disputes.
Is Returning to the Local Authority a Step Backwards?
Some clients worry that reverting to Local Authority Building Control might slow progress or add bureaucracy. In practice, this isn’t necessarily the case. Local Authorities remain a reliable statutory route for building control approval and, in the current climate, can offer stability when private providers face financial or regulatory pressures.
Each project is unique, and the right choice depends on timing, complexity, and contractual position. What matters most is that oversight continues smoothly and that compliance is maintained without delay. Our role is to help clients make that decision confidently by weighing cost, risk, and programme priorities in each case.
Looking Ahead
The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator and the move towards Registered Building Control Approvers mark one of the most significant reforms in recent decades. While the changes strengthen accountability and raise standards, they have also created a period of uncertainty.
Clients now rely more than ever on clear, professional advice to navigate this evolving environment. At Stratus9 Consulting, we view this as an opportunity to help clients build resilience, not just responding to challenges but anticipating them.
We remain committed to guiding our clients through these transitions, ensuring that records are secured, costs are managed, and works can continue with confidence.
If your project has been affected by the closure of an Approved Inspector or Building Control company, and you need support in navigating the next steps, we are here to help.