Building control completion certificates in Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Selling or remortgaging a home in South-west London (Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden and Chessington) and missing the completion certificate for an extension, loft conversion, windows, boiler or electrical work? Here is what Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames charges, how long its archive takes, and why checking all registers in one search saves time and protects indemnity insurance.
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames at a glance
| Council fee | £90 per copy including the research fee |
| Council turnaround | Up to 15 days for a reply |
| Key restriction | Previous owner's written consent required for older applications; 15-year retention |
What is on Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames's online register
Kingston's public register lists building control history for applications since 2002, though many entries only record the application status or Competent Person notification rather than a downloadable certificate.
Council archive fees & timescales
Where an official replacement completion certificate or decision notice must be retrieved from the council's archive, Kingston charges £90 per document (including its research fee) and takes up to 15 days to confirm availability and issue a copy.
Restrictions on who can request records
Building control records are not public. Only the property owner or a solicitor acting in the sale may request them — and Kingston states that the current owner has no automatic right to an application made by a previous owner without that previous owner's written consent.
How far back records go
Kingston states that it is only required to retain records for a maximum of 15 years and no longer provides historic documents older than that.
Why Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames often isn't the archive that holds your certificate
Building work can be signed off by the council, by a private approved inspector, or (for replacement windows, boilers, rewires and solar panels) by an installer registered with a competent person scheme. Only council-inspected work is held by Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. For everything else, the certificate sits with FENSA, CERTASS, Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA or MCS — which is why our search checks all 8 schemes alongside the council.
Protect your indemnity insurance option: Building Regulations indemnity policies are usually written on the basis that the council has not been contacted about the missing certificate. See why. When you order with My Certs, you can tick public register check only in Step 2 so we check Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames's online register and all 8 schemes without ever emailing or phoning the council.
Search Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and all 8 registers in 1 working day
Enter the property address and we check Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames's online register plus FENSA, CERTASS, Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, MCS and the EPC register within 1 working day. It's £79 including the official fees for up to 2 replacement copies, backed by our no record, no fee refund promise.
Questions
How much does Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames charge for a completion certificate search?
£90 per copy including the research fee (when checked on 27 October 2026). By contrast, a My Certs search checks the council's online register and all 8 national certificate schemes in 1 working day for £79, with a full refund under our no record, no fee guarantee if nothing is found.
How long does Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames take compared with My Certs?
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames quotes up to 15 days for a reply. With My Certs, you get first written findings from the online registers and public council index within 1 working day.
Can a buyer or solicitor check Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames without alerting the council?
Yes. By ticking public register check only in Step 2 of our order form, we inspect the public online register and all 8 competent person schemes without contacting Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames's building control team, keeping Building Regulations indemnity insurance available.
Other councils
My Certs is an independent service and is not part of or endorsed by Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. This is general information, not legal advice.