Is my building higher-risk?
Four questions, and you will know whether the gateway regime applies. Free, instant, and nothing is recorded. For the detail behind the test, including the edge cases that catch people out, read what counts as a higher-risk building.
Is the building in England?
The higher-risk building regime and the gateways apply in England.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes a building higher-risk?
- In England, a building at least 18 metres tall or with at least 7 storeys, containing at least two residential units. Care homes and hospitals meeting the height test are also higher-risk at the design and construction stage, though they sit outside the Gateway 1 relevant-building definition.
- Does the 18m or 7 storey test need both limbs?
- No. Either limb is enough. A building of 7 storeys under 18m is caught, and so is a building over 18m with fewer than 7 storeys.
- What about buildings under 18m?
- They fall outside the gateway regime, but not outside the Act. The dutyholder and competence duties in Part 2A apply to all building work, and the Part 5 leaseholder protections start at 11m or 5 storeys.