Building standards technical handbook 2019: domestic

The building standards technical handbooks provide guidance on achieving the standards set in the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004. This handbook applies to a building warrant submitted on or after 1 October 2019 and to building work which does not require a warrant commenced from that date.


0.12 Building standards applicable to conversions

Regulation 12

Conversions shall be carried out so that the building as converted complies with the applicable requirements of schedule 6.

0.12.1 Explanation

Certain changes of use or occupation were defined as conversions in schedule 2 and are therefore subject to the building regulations. Regulation 12 requires that in these cases the building shall meet the requirements of schedule 6. However it is recognised that this is not reasonably practicable in many existing buildings. Therefore the schedule also lists those standards where a lower level of provision may well be sufficient. It is essential to establish with the verifier where meeting the standards in full is not reasonably practicable, and early discussion will be necessary. The individual sections of the Handbooks give further details.

For historic buildings, the classification of the building should influence the extent to which improvement is required, depending on whether the classification is for the outside, the inside, all parts, etc.

0.12.2 Schedule 6

Every conversion, to which these regulations apply, shall meet the requirements of the following standards in schedule 5:

  1. Standards 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15 in Section 2, Fire

  2. Standards 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.17, 3.18, 3.20, 3.21, 3.22, 3.23, 3.24, 3.25, 3.26, 3.27 in Section 3, Environment

  3. Standards 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.9, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13 in Section 4, Safety

  4. Standards 5.1 and 5.2 in Section 5, Noise, and

  5. Standards 6.7, 6.8, 6.10 in Section 6, Energy.

Every conversion, to which these regulations apply, shall meet the requirements of the following standards in schedule 5 in so far as is reasonably practicable, and in no case be worse than before the conversion:

  1. the standards in Section 1, Structure

  2. Standards 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.12 in Section 2, Fire

  3. Standards 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.10, 3.15, 3.16, 3.19 in Section 3, Environment

  4. Standards 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.8, 4.10 in Section 4, Safety, and

  5. Standards 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6 in Section 6, Energy.

Note: Standard 7.1 (Sustainability) does not apply to conversions.

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