The council is responsible for ensuring that buildings are properly designed and constructed so as to ensure the health, safety, welfare and convenience of people using them. All buildings should comply with the current building regulations. The local authority inspect plans for new buildings to check compliance with regulations and periodically inspect the site during construction to ensure approved plans are adhered to. In Scotland the local authority is responsible for ensuring that the construction, alteration, extension, demolition and conversion of buildings are conducted so as to ensure the health, safety, welfare and convenience of citizens. The local authority will inspect plans for new buildings to check compliance with regulations and periodically inspect sites during construction to ensure approved plans are adhered to. When the local authority is satisfied that with the plans they will issue a Building Warrant the legal permission to commence.

Building control enforcement is a formal procedure available to Local Authorities which enables them to ensure that building work complies with the national Building Regulations.

The local authority, which controls the installation of any new or replacement domestic oil storage tank, will require a Building Notice to show that the work complies with current Building Regulations (unless the work is already covered under a full Building Regulations approval). Alternatively, the work can be done by a supplier recognised as a competent person. This is someone who can self-certify their own installation work.