We are in a central location
Our office is in central Guildford; no more than 12 miles away from any site in the borough.

We have a duty surveyor
We also have a duty surveyor available in the office to answer general questions relating to construction within the borough, over the phone or at our Planning Helpdesk.

We offer a same day inspection service
If you phone us before 9.30am to request a site visit, we can usually attend that day.

We have experienced staff
We have a qualified and experienced team of building control surveyors who have many years' experience between them.  We are committed to continual professional development for our surveyors and give them opportunities to extend and broaden their existing knowledge.

We offer a customer focused service
Our main objective is to help you meet the requirements of the building regulations in order to achieve a successful build.  We offer free pre-application advice to help you submit your building regulation application.

We offer an online submission service and fee calculator
We have an online submission service and an online fee calculator for building regulation applications.

We have sound local knowledge
Being locally based, we have a detailed knowledge of the local area.  You may find that our knowledge of ground conditions and site history might prove invaluable to the success of a project.

We have developed good strong working partnerships
We have a very good relationship with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (this page opens in a new window) who we consult in relation to means of escape in case of fire, and access and facilities for the Fire Service.   We use local consultant engineering firms to provide us with advice on a range of structural matters.  We are supported by national, regional and local support networks including the LABC  Local Authority Building Control (this page opens in a new window) and the Surrey Building Control Association.  These networks help to ensure partnership working, sharing best practice and consistency in building regulation interpretation.  We are also a member of the LABC Partnership Scheme.

We continually monitor our performance
We constantly aim to improve our services for our customers and a first stage in this process is monitoring our performance.  We monitor our own office systems as well as measuring our performance against other local authorities.  We also carry out periodic customer satisfaction surveys.  We have achieved an industry recognised standard for Quality Assurance, ISO 9001:2008.

We offer clear, practical information
We are making every effort to make sure that our application forms and information leaflets are clear and easy to follow.  We are currently reviewing our forms and leaflets alongside the other Surrey authorities in order to provide consistency across the county.  We have a selection of information leaflets and guides available at our Planning Helpdesk.

We deal with dangerous structures in the borough
Our team is responsible for dealing with any dangerous structures in the borough on a 24 hour, seven days a week basis.  We aim to respond to a call at any time within two hours of being contacted.

We also deal with demolitions
Our team also deals with the administration of demolition notices within the borough.

Building Control
Planning Services
Guildford Borough Council
Millmead House
Millmead
Guildford
GU2 4BB

Tel: 01483 444545
Email: buildingcontrol@guildford.gov.uk