In Northern Ireland, structural alterations are building work under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. You deposit full plans or, for work to an existing single dwelling, can give a building notice to your council's building control before work starts. Councils set their own fees and issue a completion certificate.
Does removing a wall need approval in Northern Ireland?
Yes. "Building work" includes the structural alteration of a building (regulation 2). Part D requires loads to be sustained and transmitted to the ground safely without impairing another building, and the engineer's calculations show how the beam does that.
Can I use a building notice?
For work to an existing single dwelling, yes. A building notice cannot be used for erecting a dwelling, a material change of use, a new storey or increasing floor area by more than 10 m². Otherwise you deposit full plans. A building notice lapses unless work starts within three years. Regularisation certificates are available for past unauthorised work.
What are the fire rules for steel?
Part E requires the structure's stability to be retained for a reasonable period in a fire. Technical Booklet E gives the guidance; building control confirms the protection your beam needs.
How much does building control cost?
Each council sets its own fees. Belfast City Council, for example, charges other domestic work such as removing an internal wall or chimney breast on the estimated cost of the work.
What about shared walls?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 does not apply in Northern Ireland, so there is no statutory notice. Your title deeds and the general law decide what you can do to a shared wall. Take legal advice if the beam bears into a neighbour's wall, and agree the work in writing first.
Last checked 1 November 2026.