Building regulations

Building regs do not cover the installation of fitted furniture, such as a screened bed, platform or similar. ‘However, there will be cases where such an installation might be regarded as building work by virtue of its size, design or construction,’ says a Communities and Local Government spokesman. Unless the work involves a listed building or has some effect on the external appearance of a property, planning permission is unlikely to be required.

In principle, where there is good visibility between a new mezzanine or gallery and the room it overlooks, it can often be regarded as being part of that room. It would therefore not require the usual stipulations that apply to separate enclosures – a boon for those looking to do a cost-effective attic conversion. Building regulations allow a certain amount of licence to innovative architectural techniques, but one important consideration is the provision of adequate guarding to meet requirement K (protection from falling) for mezzanines. If your project requires alterations to the fabric of the building, such as the addition of load-bearing structures, building regulations will have to be considered.