What Does the Building Regulations Principal Designer Mean for Your Self Build?

If you’re planning a self build, you might have heard about the need to involve a Building Regulations Principal Designer (BRPD) in your project. This is a legal role introduced in England under the Building Safety Act 2022, designed to ensure new homes meet Building Regulations standards. The BRPD is appointed by the client (ie you) and is usually the person responsible for coordinating the design. On a self build, that’s often your architect or lead designer.

What does the Building Regulations Principal Designer (BRPD) do?

The BRPD’s main job is to plan, manage and monitor the design work so that it complies with Building Regs – with their responsibilities running from concept through to completion.

Your BRPD will coordinate the design team (including structural engineers, waterproofing specialists etc), ensure the right information flows to your contractors, and advise you on compliance and meeting your legal duties as the client throughout the project. This includes things like reviewing and confirming changes to materials during construction.

It’s important not to confuse this role with the CDM Principal Designer (CDM PD). The BRPD focuses on Building Regs compliance, whereas the CDM PD deals with health and safety – designing out and properly controlling construction risks before the project goes on site. In practice, however, many self builders will appoint the same person in both roles.

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Who can take on the role of BRPD?

If you’ve appointed an architect, technologist or architectural designer for your self build, they will often take on the BRPD role. Membership of a professional body, such as RIBA or CIAT, gives you confidence they hold the appropriate competencies.

A design and build contractor may also act as BRPD if they control and coordinate the design. This might apply if you’re purchasing your home on a turnkey package basis. If you’re managing multiple trades yourself, and don’t appoint someone in the role, you’ll automatically become the BRPD by default. This can be risky if you don’t have design experience, hence why most self builders choose to appoint a professional.

A contractor can act as BRPD, but only if they genuinely control the design phase, coordinate the design team, and have the right experience to ensure compliance. They cannot take the role if separate designers control the design or if they lack the necessary skills. Whoever is engaged as the BRPD, you must formally confirm their appointment in writing.

What are the limits of the BRPD role?

It’s important to understand the scope of what the BRPD does. They coordinate the design and check that what’s actually constructed on site aligns with Building Regulations – signing a declaration of compliance when the project is complete.

What they’re categorically not is quality inspectors. So, they can’t be expected to check every single detail of the work and their declaration is not a guarantee that everything will be perfect. Their role is limited to regulatory compliance and does not cover health and safety on site, aesthetics or the long-term durability of the build, which will remain your responsibility to organise or delegate.

Appointing a BRPD is therefore a vital part of staying on the right side of the law. But it should always be part of a wider approach to risk mitigation that encompasses good project management, reliable contractors and – importantly – appropriate site insurance and a structural warranty with technical audit inspections for extra reassurance. Think of the BRPD as a regulatory safety net: an important layer of protection, but not a sweeping guarantee.

Photo: iStock.com/Wichayada Suwanachun

It’s important to note that if you later sell or rent your property and defects emerge – such as structural issues, damp or fire safety failures – a future owner or tenant could bring a claim against you under the Defective Premises Act 1972. These rules could potentially make you liable even if you were unaware of the defects. Hence why obtaining a structural warranty is an essential layer of protection for most new build projects.

With the right professionals, insurance and warranty protection in place, the BRPD role can contribute to ensuring your project progresses smoothly, safely, in compliance with the law and at less financial risk.

Simon Middleton Simon Middleton is managing director of Protek Group. Since starting his career as a site engineer, he has been underwriting site insurance and structural warranty in the self build and construction sector for over 25 years. For more information speak to the team by calling 0333 456 8030 or log on to Protek’s website.