From 2025 onward, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has moved from policy oversight into active site enforcement. In 2026, testing evidence is no longer optional documentation. It is a legal requirement that forms part of the building’s compliance record and Golden Thread.
If a project is regulated, the BSR not only has the right to request testing results, it has the power to suspend works, block Gateway approvals and prevent occupation if those results cannot be produced.
For site supervisors, project managers and dutyholders, the message is clear:
If a project is regulated, the BSR not only has the right to request testing results, it has the power to suspend works, block Gateway approvals and prevent occupation if those results cannot be produced.
For site supervisors, project managers and dutyholders, the message is clear:
- If it has been tested, it must be recorded.
- If it has not been tested, it must not be built.
The BSR’s Legal Authority
Under the Building Safety Act, the regulator has broad enforcement powers across the full lifecycle of a building. These powers include:
- Entering construction sites
- Inspecting works and materials
- Requesting documentation and test data
- Issuing compliance and stop notices
- Blocking Gateway approvals
- Preventing occupation and handover
The BSR does not need to prove that a structure is unsafe in order to intervene. A lack of testing evidence is itself treated as a safety risk. In practice, failure to produce test results is interpreted as a failure of control.
What Testing Results Can the BSR Request?
The regulator can request any testing that is required to demonstrate that the building has been constructed in accordance with the approved design and meets safety performance requirements.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Structural Testing
- Concrete cube test results
- Concrete core test results
- Reinforcement inspection records
- Pile integrity tests
- Pile load tests
- Plate bearing tests
- Ground improvement verification
- Structural steel certification
- Weld inspection reports
- Fixings and Anchors
- Anchor pull-out test reports
- Resin and grout batch certification
- Installation torque records
- Manufacturer compliance certificates
- Fire and Compartmentation
- Fire stopping inspection reports
- Fire seal product certification
- Penetration sealing test evidence
- Cavity barrier inspection records
- Waterproofing and Durability
- Waterproofing integrity tests
- Flood testing
- Drainage pressure testing
- Tanking and membrane certification
- Ground and Earthworks
- Ground investigation verification
- Compaction test results
- CBR testing
- Earthworks validation
If a system is critical to structural safety, fire safety or building integrity, the BSR will expect test evidence.
When Can the BSR Request Testing Results?
The regulator can request test data at multiple stages of a project:
- During Construction
- Routine site inspections
- Targeted compliance visits
- Triggered inspections following complaints or intelligence
- After incidents or near-misses
- At Gateway Reviews
- Gateway 2 (construction approval)
- Gateway 3 (completion and occupation approval)
If test results are missing at Gateway 3, occupation can be refused.
Post-Completion
The Golden Thread must be maintained for the life of the building. This means:
- Test results can be requested years after completion
- Records must be retained securely
- Accountable Persons inherit responsibility for the data
- Loss of records becomes a compliance failure in itself.
What Happens If You Cannot Produce the Test Results?
Failure to provide testing evidence can lead to:
- Immediate compliance notices
- Stop-work orders
- Mandatory intrusive investigations
- Retrospective testing
- Structural opening-up
- Project delays
- Financial penalties
- Personal liability for dutyholders
In serious cases, criminal prosecution is possible. The regulator’s approach is evidence-based, if it cannot be proven, it is treated as non-compliant.
Who Is Responsible for Testing Evidence?
Responsibility sits across the dutyholder chain:
- Client
- Principal Designer
- Principal Contractor
- Designers
- Trade Contractors
- Site Supervisors
However, site supervisors are the first line of defence. They control the work, witness the tests, sign the permits and manage the records. If the evidence does not exist on site, the assumption is that the testing did not take place.
What a BSR-Compliant Testing Regime Looks Like
A compliant site in 2026 will operate with:
- A formal inspection and test plan (ITP)
- Defined hold points
- Independent testing providers
- Digital test record storage
- Real-time document control
- Full traceability to drawings and design intent
Testing is no longer a box-ticking exercise. It is part of the building’s legal identity.
Final Word for Site Teams
The Building Safety Regulator does not ask for testing results out of curiosity. It asks because the law requires proof that the building is safe. If you are building regulated works in 2026 and beyond, assume that every critical element will be inspected, tested and audited. If the evidence is missing, the building does not pass. Compliance is no longer about intent, it is about proof.
Image © London Construction Magazine Limited
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus
Founder, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |
