Regulation 7: Materials and workmanship
England-focused reference checklist
Editorial source review: 2026-10-17
https://saeedazarshab.com/articles/england-building-regulations/regulation-7-materials-workmanship/

INDEPENDENT GUIDANCE — not project-specific legal/design advice or a compliance certificate. Check the official current requirements and applicable transition.

Regulation 7 concerns suitable materials and workmanlike execution. It is a regulation, not a lettered Part of Schedule 1. Read the current legal text alongside the guide and the project’s other requirements: an older guide’s publication date does not demonstrate that it contains every later restriction affecting materials.

WHAT TO CHECK
[ ] Identify the relevant requirements for the actual use, including any current materials restrictions.
[ ] Check that product and assembly evidence supports the proposed specification and installation.
[ ] Agree workmanship, inspection and acceptance responsibilities before installation.
[ ] Record substitutions and obtain the appropriate technical review before use.
[ ] Retain traceable installation, inspection and relevant product information for completion.

RECORDS TO KEEP
- Specification, product/assembly evidence and acceptance records
- Inspection and workmanship records
- Substitution, traceability and handover information

WHEN TO GET SPECIALIST HELP
Refer uncertain product suitability, fire performance or workmanship acceptance to the competent responsible team. No checklist can certify a product’s suitability for every building.

SCOPE AND EDITION
Landing updated 29 November 2018 with an amendment; check current Regulation 7 itself and other applicable amendments rather than treating the older guide as the whole law. Regulation 7 is not a lettered Part of Schedule 1. A guide publication date does not establish that every current materials restriction is reproduced in it.

OFFICIAL SOURCES
GOV.UK — Approved Document 7
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/material-and-workmanship-approved-document-7

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated. Original practical summary by Saeed Azarshab.
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/