Revised versions of the standards, rules and codes for the building control profession published (WGC 008/2026)

Circular number: WGC 008/2026

Date issued: 02/10/2026

Status: For information

Title: Revised versions of the standards, rules and codes for the building control profession published

Issued by: Tim Spencer, Building Regulations Policy Manager

Addressed to:

Local Authority Chief Executives
Building Safety Competence Foundation
Chartered Association of Building Engineers
Total Training Provisions

Please forward to:

Local Authority Building Control Officers
Members of the Senedd

Summary:

Updated versions of the codes, standards and rules for the building control profession have been published on the Welsh Government’s website. This Circular details the substantive changes made.

For further information contact:

Building Regulations Team
2nd Floor
Welsh Government 
Cathays Park 
Cardiff 
CF10 3NQ 

Direct line: 0300 060 4400
E-mail: enquiries.brconstruction@gov.wales
Website: building and planning

Notice of approval: revised codes, standards and rules for the building control profession

1. I am directed by the Welsh Ministers to inform you of the publication of revised versions of the standards, codes and rules for the building control profession. These are the:

• Building Inspector Competence Framework (Wales) 
• Code of Conduct for registered building inspectors (Wales)
• Professional Conduct Rules for registered building control approvers (Wales) 
• Operational Standards Rules (Wales) 
• Operational Standards Rules (OSR): Monitoring Arrangements (Wales)

2. This Circular letter applies to the building control profession in Wales. 

3. Revised versions of the standards, codes and rules documents for Wales can be found in the Building and planning section of the Welsh Government website here: www.gov.wales/building-control-profession-standards-codes-and-rules

4. Any future revisions will be published to the same website and notification will be issued.

5. The majority of updates made to the draft versions are minor changes to wording for the sake of clarity and consistency. Substantive changes are detailed below and documents with all changes tracked in English and Welsh are available on request.

6. For the Building Inspector Competence Framework (Wales) the changes are:

• Addition of references to new dutyholder roles to a number of paragraphs, including to accountabilities and competence descriptions, to align existing text with building regulations that came into force on 1 July 2026. Amendments made to paragraphs 2.7, 2.27, 2.36, 2.41, 5.45, 5.46, 5.49, 5.57, 5.58, 5.70, 5.88 and 5.91.
   
• Replacement of references to sections 11 and 30 of the Building Act 1984 in paragraph 2.43. The previous point has been replaced with “management of processes and procedures for type relaxation applications, appeals and disputes”.
   
• Inserted definition of higher-risk buildings (HRBs) in paragraph 2.34.
   
• Addition to Level D competence criteria for safety management in paragraph 5.83 of understanding of how building safety management supports securing of compliance with the building regulations for all building types.

7. For the Code of Conduct for registered building inspectors (Wales) version changes are:

• There are only minor grammatical and formatting changes made in this amendment.

8. For the Professional Conduct Rules for registered building control approvers (Wales) the changes are:

• Rule 4.5 has been amended to clarify intent regarding inappropriate influence.
   
• A number of minor grammatical and formatting changes have been made to improve clarity and consistency.

9. For the Operational Standards Rules (Wales) (OSRs) the changes are:

• The definition of dutyholder has been amended to align with building regulations that came into force on 1 July 2026.
   
• A number of minor grammatical and formatting changes have been made to improve clarity and consistency.

10. For the Operational Standards Rules Monitoring Arrangements (Wales) the changes are:

• Additional guidance notes have been added to many KPIs.
   
• Some references to legislation have been updated to align with current regulations. 

Any enquiries on this Circular Letter should be addressed to:

Building Regulations, 2^nd Floor, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ

E mail: enquiries.brconstruction@gov.wales

Yours Faithfully,

Mark Tambini

Head of Building Regulations Policy