Building Safety Levy: information for developers
If you are planning a major residential development in England, you may need to pay the Building Safety Levy. This is a mandatory government levy that applies to certain building control applications submitted from 1 October 2026.
We collect the levy locally, but all payments go directly to central government to help fund the removal of historic building safety defects.
When the levy starts
The Building Safety Levy comes into force on 1 October 2026.
It applies to relevant building control applications submitted on or after this date.
Which developments the levy applies to
The levy applies to major residential developments and is calculated using the gross internal area (GIA) of new residential floorspace.
This includes:
- new-build residential developments of ten or more dwellings
- purpose-built student accommodation with 30 or more bedspaces
- residential extensions, conversions, or changes of use that meet the major development thresholds
What the levy means for you
You are responsible for paying the levy
You are legally responsible for paying the levy. It is charged on building control applications for work that creates new dwellings, purpose-built student accommodation, or qualifying residential conversions.
You must plan for the cost early
The levy is charged per square metre of gross internal area. You should include this non-negotiable cost in your early financial planning, as it may affect project viability.
You cannot complete without paying
We cannot issue a final building control completion certificate until the levy has been paid in full. This also applies to the registration of final notices.
What you need to do
At the building control application stage
When you submit full plans to Swindon Borough Council Building Control, or submit an initial notice through a private building control inspector, you must provide preliminary levy information.
Applications submitted without the required levy information cannot be processed and will be automatically rejected.
At the commencement stage
Before physical work begins, you must submit a formal notice of commencement. This must include:
- detailed layout calculations
- gross internal area figures for the development
We will review the information and may carry out spot checks. We will then issue either a Levy Liability Notice confirming the amount you must pay, or a Notice of No Charge if your development is exempt.
Payment and completion
You can pay the levy at any point after receiving your Levy Liability Notice. However, payment must be made in full before you request a building control completion certificate.
Please note: For larger developments, the levy for the entire project must be paid before the first completion certificate can be issued.
Once payment has cleared, we will issue a Levy Payment Certificate. This allows the building control team to sign off the work and issue the final completion certificate.
Further guidance
Further details are available via the Building Safety Levy guidance on GOV.UK.