Do I need BSR approval to refurbish a flat in a high-rise block?

The short answer

Probably yes, if your building is a higher-risk building in England and your refurbishment involves any building work beyond exempt jobs such as most repairs or replacing a bath or basin. Moving or removing walls, joining or splitting flats, and work on fire safety measures or escape routes are the clearest triggers. You must have approval from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before you start, and starting without it is a criminal offence.

If your building is not higher-risk, BSR is not involved. Building control for those buildings is handled by your local authority or a registered building control approver (GOV.UK).

This guide is general information based on GOV.UK guidance last updated on 1 October 2026. It is not legal advice or a building control decision.

What counts as a higher-risk building?

A building is higher-risk if it is at least 18 metres high or has at least 7 storeys, and it contains at least two residential units (GOV.UK criteria). Privately owned, privately rented and social rented flats all count as residential units, and buildings used entirely as a hospital, care home, secure residential institution, hotel or military barracks are excluded. The rules in this guide apply in England.

To check your building:

• Ask your managing agent or freeholder for the building's height and number of storeys. They are counted using a set legal method, so underground storeys, rooftop plant levels and open roof gardens do not count towards the 7 storeys. Do not rely on a guess.
• Search for the building on the register of high-rise residential buildings. A higher-risk building with at least two residential units must be registered with BSR before people live there.
• If you are still unsure, ask your managing agent or contact BSR before you start work.

Flat works that are likely to need BSR approval

For an existing higher-risk building, you must get approval from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before starting any building work, unless the work is only exempt work, competent person scheme work, certain fibre optic cabling work or an emergency repair (GOV.UK, updated 1 October 2026).

GOV.UK classes building work as category A if it involves any of these, and a flat refurbishment can easily touch several:

• changing the internal layout, for example moving or removing walls
• changing the number of residential units, for example joining two flats or splitting one
• work involving passive fire safety measures, such as fire-resistant materials
• work involving active fire safety measures, such as sprinklers or alarms
• work that affects the number or width of staircases or other escape routes
• work on the building's common areas or parts, including internal or external remediation

Any other building work that is not exempt is category B, and it still needs approval. Applying under the wrong category is likely to get your application rejected.

This list is guidance on how BSR classes work, not a full list of what needs approval. If you are not sure whether your plan counts, ask a competent contractor or other building control professional, or contact BSR before you start.

Work that usually does not need BSR approval

You do not need approval if your project consists only of exempt work, competent person scheme work or certain fibre optic cabling work (GOV.UK). Exempt work includes:

• most repairs, replacements and maintenance, but not heating systems, oil tanks, fuse boxes or glazing units
• new power and lighting points, or changes to existing circuits, except around baths and showers
• replacing baths, toilets, basins and sinks
• installing insulation in roof spaces or under timber floors
• replacing gutters or downpipes
• replacing external doors where less than 50 percent of the surface is glazed
• some hot water storage systems of less than 15 litres

Work done under a competent person scheme is also covered. Ask the scheme provider whether it covers work on higher-risk buildings.

Two cautions. If exempt work is part of a wider project that needs approval, it must be included in that application. And if you are not sure whether your work is exempt, check with a competent contractor or other building control professional before you start.

How long does approval take?

BSR takes up to 8 weeks to assess an application for work to an existing higher-risk building, unless an extension is agreed. The time depends on the quality of the application and how complex the work is (GOV.UK). Allow time on top of that for preparing the application, because you should complete surveys or inspections to evidence how the work affects the existing building and explain how it will comply with building regulations.

BSR can decide:

• Approved: work can start as planned.
• Approved with requirements: work can start on the approved parts, but not on any part subject to a requirement until BSR is satisfied it has been met.
• Rejected: you must not start work. This happens if the application does not show enough detail or an effective strategy to demonstrate compliance.

If you disagree with a decision you can request a review, and if you still disagree you can appeal to a First-tier Tribunal. Approval lapses if the work has not reached the point known as "commencement" within 3 years. Fees are set out in the BSR charging scheme.

In practice, do not book contractors or set a start date until you know the approval decision.

What happens if you start work without approval?

Carrying out building work without the required building control approval is a criminal offence, and you must not start any work until the application is approved (GOV.UK). If an application is rejected, work must not start either. If you later make a major change to an approved project, work must stop on that part until BSR approves the change.

The one exception is a genuine emergency repair, meaning work to manage an urgent risk to people's health, safety or welfare. You do not need approval first, but you must tell BSR by the end of the first working day after the repair starts. Emergency repairs are not for problems caused by a lack of planning, and BSR will decide whether the work meets the criteria. If it does not, the work counts as unauthorised and BSR will decide whether to take action.

What to do next

1. Confirm your building is higher-risk using the checks above.
2. List every job in your plan and compare it with the exempt list. If any job is not exempt, you probably need approval.
3. Try the screener. The BSR screener at bsrhrb.com takes about two minutes and gives an indication based on your answers.
4. If approval is needed, plan it before you plan the build. The client must make sure approval is granted before work starts. The client can nominate someone else to apply, but the legal responsibility stays with the client. A resident can apply for work on their own home, and you can get advice from a competent contractor or other building control professional (GOV.UK). We may receive a referral fee from consultants we recommend if you instruct them. This does not change your screening result, and you are free to use any consultant you choose.
5. Check other permissions. You may also need planning permission, and your lease may require your freeholder's consent. These are separate from BSR approval.

Sources

Pages opened on 15 October 2026:

• Building control approval for higher-risk buildings, GOV.UK (Building Safety Regulator), last updated 1 October 2026
• Criteria for determining whether a building is a higher-risk building during the occupation phase, GOV.UK, last updated 28 May 2025

Linked from the first page above: register of high-rise residential buildings and the BSR charging scheme.