Commencement Notice and 7 Day Notice

What is this licence?

A commencement notice must be submitted before construction starts on a new building, or extension / alteration of a building.

A 7-day notice is similar to a commencement notice. It's used for works requiring a Fire Safety Certificate, when the works need to start before the certificate is granted. It must be accompanied by a valid Fire Safety Certificate application and a Statutory Declaration.

When do I need it?

7-day notices

7-day notices are mandatory if you do not yet have a Fire Safety Certificate.

Commencement notices

A commencement notice is required for:

Erecting a building
Material alteration, extension or material change of use of a building
Works in connection with the material alteration of a shop, office or industrial building (excluding minor works)

A notice may also be needed in certain circumstances where planning permission is not required. For example, an extension with a floor area not exceeding 25sqm or certain material alterations. Contact your local Building Control Officer for more details.

A commencement notice is not required for:

Works or a change of use which are exempted development under the Planning Acts, and for which a Fire Safety Certificate is not required
Works where a 7-day notice has been submitted

How to apply

You can submit a notice via the online Building Control Management System (BCMS) on localgov.ie.

The steps for this are:

The building owner must first register on the BCMS
The BCMS will allow building owners to nominate an assigned certifier, designer and builder for the development works
Each party must register with the BCMS to accept their roles or sign their respective statutory forms

Notices can also be submitted at the offices of your local Building Control Authority. This may incur an extra admin fee. The online assessment must still be carried out via the BCMS.

Fees

7-day notice

The fee for a 7-day notice is €250 or €5.80 per square metre of applicable floor area (whichever is the greater).