Approved Document B (Fire Safety)
What is an approved document?
Approved documents are approved by the Secretary of State and give practical guidance on common building situations about how to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations for England. Different approved documents give guidance on each of the technical parts of the regulations. These are all listed in the back of the approved documents. In addition to guidance, some approved documents include provisions that must be followed exactly, as required by regulations or where methods of test or calculation are approved by the Secretary of State. Each approved document covers the requirements of the Building Regulations relating to a different aspect of building work. Building work must also comply with all other applicable requirements of the Building Regulations and all other applicable legislation.
Edition history, applicability dates and summary of changes – England
This briefing sets out each issue of Approved Document B from the first edition (1985) to the most recent (2026 amendments), the building work each version applies to, and the main changes introduced. The edition that applies to a project is determined by the date the building notice, initial notice or full plans application was made, subject to the transitional arrangements shown. Current as at October 2026.
Which edition applies – quick reference
| Edition / amendment | In force | Applies to building work where notice or application made | Transitional arrangements (when the previous version can still be used) | Status |
| 1985 edition (Building Regulations 1985) | 11 Nov 1985 | 11 Nov 1985 – 31 May 1992 (Inner London from 6 Jan 1986) | Plans deposited before 11 Nov 1985 continued under the Building Regulations 1976 (Part E). | Superseded – first issue |
| 1992 edition (Building Regulations 1991) | 1 Jun 1992 | 1 Jun 1992 – 30 Jun 2000 | Applications made before 1 Jun 1992 continued under the 1985 edition. | Superseded |
| 2000 edition (incl. 2000 and 2002 amendments) | 1 Jul 2000 | 1 Jul 2000 – 5 Apr 2007 | Applications made before 1 Jul 2000 continued under the 1992 edition. | Superseded |
| 2006 edition (incl. 2007, 2010 and 2013 amendments) | 6 Apr 2007 | 6 Apr 2007 – 29 Aug 2019 | Applications made before 6 Apr 2007 continued under the 2000 edition. | Superseded |
| 2018 amendments to the 2006 edition (combustible materials ban) | 21 Dec 2018 | 21 Dec 2018 – 29 Aug 2019 | Applications made before 21 Dec 2018 exempt from the ban only if work started within two months. | Superseded |
| 2019 edition (clarified) | 30 Aug 2019 | 30 Aug 2019 – 25 Nov 2020 | Did not apply to work already commenced before 30 Aug 2019. No new policy introduced. | Superseded |
| 2019 edition incl. 2020 amendments | 26 Nov 2020 | 26 Nov 2020 – 30 Nov 2022 | Previous version applies if application made before 26 Nov 2020 and work started before 29 Jan 2021. | Superseded |
| 2019 edition incl. 2020 and 2022 amendments | 1 Dec 2022 | 1 Dec 2022 – 1 Mar 2025 | Previous version applies if application made before 1 Dec 2022 and work started before 1 Jun 2023. | Superseded (may still apply to protected projects) |
| 2019 edition incl. 2020, 2022 and 2025 amendments | 2 Mar 2025 | 2 Mar 2025 – 29 Sep 2026 | Previous version applies if application made before 2 Mar 2025 and work sufficiently progressed within 6 months (by 2 Sep 2025). | Superseded (may still apply to protected projects) |
| 2019 edition incl. 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026 amendments | 30 Sep 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 – 1 Sep 2029 | Previous version applies if application made before 30 Sep 2026 and work sufficiently progressed within 18 months (by 30 Mar 2028). | CURRENT – most recent issue |
| 2029 amendments (published, not yet in force) | 2 Sep 2029 | From 2 Sep 2029 | Previous version applies if application made before 2 Sep 2029 and work sufficiently progressed within 6 months (by 2 Mar 2030). | Forthcoming |
“Sufficiently progressed” (2025 onwards): for new buildings, when the pouring of concrete for permanent trench, pad or raft foundations or the permanent placement of piling has started; for work to an existing building, when that work has started; for a material change of use, when work to effect the change has started.
Summary of changes by edition
| Edition / amendment | Summary of changes |
| 1985 edition First issue | First Approved Document B, issued with the Building Regulations 1985.Replaced the prescriptive Part E of the Building Regulations 1976 with functional requirements supported by separate guidance.Covered B1 means of escape, B2 internal fire spread (linings), B3 internal fire spread (structure) and B4 external fire spread.B1 applied only to certain buildings, mainly dwellings of three or more storeys. Other buildings relied on separate mandatory rules and fire precautions legislation. |
| 1992 edition | Means of escape (B1) extended to all building types.New requirement B5 – access and facilities for the fire service.Guidance increasingly referenced the BS 5588 series of fire precaution codes. |
| 2000 edition (2000 and 2002 amendments) | Revised and restructured guidance across B1 to B5.2002 amendment introduced European reaction to fire and fire resistance classifications (BS EN 13501) alongside the national BS 476 classes, creating a dual system. |
| 2006 edition (2007, 2010 and 2013 amendments) | Split into Volume 1 (dwellinghouses) and Volume 2 (buildings other than dwellinghouses, including flats).Aligned with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.New requirement to hand over fire safety information to the responsible person (Regulation 16B, later Regulation 38).Sprinklers recommended in new blocks of flats over 30m.Expanded guidance for residential care homes and for the evacuation of disabled people.2010 and 2013 amendments were mainly consequential and editorial, including updates for the Building Regulations 2010. |
| 2018 amendments | Ban on combustible materials in the external walls of relevant buildings 18m and over (Regulation 7(2)), in force 21 Dec 2018.Tighter restrictions on the use of assessments in lieu of fire tests. |
| 2019 edition | Full redraft following the Hackitt review, in plain English with clearer layout and worked examples.Flats moved from Volume 2 into Volume 1 (now titled “Dwellings”).Clarification only – no new policy introduced. |
| 2020 amendments | Sprinkler trigger height for new blocks of flats reduced from 30m to 11m.New wayfinding signage for the fire service (floor identification and flat indication) in blocks of flats with storeys over 11m.Notional boundary guidance extended to Purpose Group 2 (residential – institutional/other). |
| 2022 amendments | Secure information boxes in new blocks of flats over 11m.Evacuation alert systems in new blocks of flats over 18m.Combustible materials ban extended to hotels, hostels and boarding houses, with metal composite material (MCM) panels banned on all buildings.Strengthened provisions for assessments in lieu of fire tests. |
| 2025 amendments | Sprinklers required in all new care homes irrespective of height, with previous sprinkler-related allowances removed.New care homes to limit compartments to 10 beds, with self-closing devices on doors.BS 476 national classes removed for reaction to fire and roofs – BS EN 13501 becomes the sole route.Regulation 38 guidance updated to reflect the Building Safety Act 2022. |
| 2026 amendments Most recent issue | Second staircase required in new residential buildings over 18m in height.Supporting guidance on stair provision and design in tall residential buildings, including provisions for evacuation lifts in blocks of flats.18-month transitional window for schemes already submitted before 30 Sep 2026. |
| 2029 amendments Forthcoming | BS 476 national classes removed for fire resistance – BS EN 13501 becomes the sole route of classification. |
Notes
- Applies to England only. Wales publishes its own version of Approved Document B with separate amendments and dates.
- Before 6 January 1986, buildings in Inner London were controlled under the London Building Acts rather than the Building Regulations. Buildings pre-dating 1985 were built under earlier Building Regulations (1965, 1972 and 1976) or local byelaws, not Approved Document B.
- Approved Document B is statutory guidance for new building work, extensions, material alterations and material changes of use. It does not apply retrospectively to existing buildings, but the edition a building was designed to is useful context for fire risk assessments under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- Dates and transitional arrangements from 2019 onwards are taken from MHCLG circulars and the gov.uk Approved Document B publication page. Details for the 1985 to 2013 editions should be verified against archived copies where they are relied on for a specific building.
