What's in the application
- Drawings. Detailed floor plans, elevations, sections and construction details at 1:50 and 1:20.
- Structural design. Calculations or a Certificate of Design from a structural engineer, covering foundations, beams, lintels and the roof.
- Energy calculations. Showing compliance with Section 6 and the New Build Heat Standard.
- Specification. The materials, products and construction methods.
- Services. Drainage layout, ventilation and heating.
Applications are submitted online through eBuilding Standards.
Eight steps from submission to completion
- Registration. The council registers the application and allocates a surveyor.
- First report. The surveyor checks the design against the Technical Handbooks. Almost every application receives a first report asking for more information, which is entirely normal.
- Responses. Your designer answers the queries. Two or three rounds are common for a new house.
- Warrant approved. You receive the warrant, the stamped drawings and a Construction Compliance and Notification Plan listing the stages at which Building Standards must be notified.
- Work starts. Once the warrant is approved and site insurance is in place.
- Notifications during the build. You tell Building Standards when each stage in the plan is reached, so it can inspect if it wants to.
- Completion Certificate submitted through eBuilding Standards once the work is finished.
- Completion Certificate accepted after the final inspection.
- 01Registration
- 02First reportQueries are normal
- 03Responses2–3 rounds
- 04Warrant approved
- 05Work starts
- 06Stage notifications
- 07Completion submitted
- 08Completion accepted
How long it takes
Allow three to four months from submitting a warrant for a new house to receiving approval. Much of that depends on how quickly and completely the queries are answered.
Certifier discounts worth claiming
Where part of the work is certified by an approved certifier, the warrant fee is reduced. For Certificates of Construction, the discount only applies if the application names the approved certifiers who will be used, so agree how your electrician and plumber will certify their work before the warrant is submitted.
| Certificate | Typical scheme | Discount |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Design: structure | Structural Engineers Registration (SER) | 10% |
| Certificate of Design: energy | An approved Section 6 energy scheme | 10% |
| Certificate of Construction: electrical | SELECT or NICEIC | 3% |
| Certificate of Construction: plumbing and drainage | SNIPEF | 3% |
Sources: Scottish Government: Building Standards Procedural Handbook; The Building (Fees) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026. Last reviewed October 2026.
Questions
How long does a Building Warrant take in Scotland?
For a new house, allow three to four months from submission to approval, including two or three rounds of queries.
Who submits the Building Warrant application?
Usually your designer, as your agent, through the eBuilding Standards portal. ED Design prepares and manages the application for our clients.
General guidance for Scotland, not legal, tax, financial or planning advice for your project. Rules change, so check current official guidance and take advice specific to your site before acting.
