Ensure Digital Part L Compliance with Ease
Part L compliance requires solid evidence and paperwork. With SymTerra, simplify your reporting and streamline evidence collection.
Create your own custom Part L dashboard, linked to real-time updates from your team. Track photographic evidence, monitor progress, and stay on top of compliance, ensuring your Part L documentation is always complete, accurate, and compliant.
What is Part L?
Part L of the Building Regulations focuses on Conservation of Fuel and Power, commonly known as energy efficiency. This set of standards applies to both new builds and renovations, setting crucial guidelines to reduce carbon emissions in buildings across the UK. It’s divided as follows:
L1A: New dwellings
L1B: Renovations to existing dwellings
L2A & L2B: New and existing non-residential buildings
Why Part L Matters?
With energy prices rising —typical households have seen nearly a 100% increase in energy bills since 2017—Part L aims to help build with efficiency in mind. This focus on energy savings and carbon footprint reduction means that adopting Part L standards not only benefits the environment but can also lead to long-term cost savings.
Understanding Part L Photographic Requirements
Part L compliance means that from June 2023:
Part L photographic evidence is mandatory.
It requires developers and contractors to prove that new and refurbished properties meet building regulation standards. Failure to comply can impede the issuance of Energy Performance Certificates and Building Regulation England Part L Reports.
Photographs must be captured at significant stages of construction, documenting each detail before any closing works.
Each photo should be unique. Images must be geo-located, meaning they should be tagged with the precise location, date, and time at which they were taken. This establishes a clear connection between each photo and a specific physical object in a verified location, providing information on who took the picture and when.
Non-compliance could lead to deconstruction or retrofitting, incurring additional time and financial costs. Failure to meet the BREL report requirements can prevent a property from being certified as completed.
Part L Photographic Evidence Requirements
Photographic management has always been crucial in construction, but the Part L Photographic evidence requirement has increased its importance. Utilising digital tools for data collection in the field and storing it in an organised manner is now more essential than ever.
Key items to be aware of:
Photos must be digital.
Geolocation should be included to validate the date and location of each image.
Each construction detail in each plot requires a separate image, necessitating a large volume of photos.
Images must be of high quality and visibly clear.
Keeping the photo evidence organised is crucial.
How SymTerra can help you comply with Part L
By using SymTerra, Part L Photographic Evidence requirements can be quickly and easily met.
Effortless Part L Compliance with Real-Time Dashboards
SymTerra's platform offers customisable real-time Part L dashboards, providing immediate insights into your compliance status. Key features include:
Progress Monitoring: Track the completion of required photographic evidence across various construction stages, ensuring no detail is overlooked.
Data Visualisation: Utilise visual charts and statistics to quickly identify areas needing attention, promoting proactive management.
These dashboards empower project managers and teams to make informed decisions, address potential issues promptly, and maintain a clear overview of compliance efforts throughout the Part L process.
Snap Tap and Go—ditch WhatsApp and streamline your reporting
With SymTerra, every photo captured meets Part L compliance. High-definition, time-stamped, and instantly organised—your photographic evidence is always spot-on, ensuring you stay fully compliant and efficient.
Can also be used for shift reports to inspections, audits, snagging, and more, SymTerra makes it easy. Need a custom form? Build it yourself.
Enhance Your Photos & Videos On-Site for Part L Compliance
With SymTerra, capture photos that meet Part L requirements and provide real value to your team and clients. Instantly add markups to highlight key details, improving your project records and making compliance easier than ever.
Add Drawings, Tags & Location
With SymTerra, easily add tags, drawings, and GPS locations to your photographic evidence.
Simply press “Add Location” in your SmartNote to capture the exact photo location, and use the drawing tool to highlight key details, ensuring precise documentation for full Part L compliance.
Capture Photos Anytime, Anywhere for Seamless Part L Compliance
Reliable photographic evidence is critical for every stage of your project. With SymTerra, capture photos online or offline, ensuring continuous compliance. Photos and videos are saved in drafts, ready to be uploaded and securely stored as soon as you’re back online—keeping your Part L documentation always up-to-date.
Fix Radio & SymTerra: What Part L is all about?
For anyone looking for a quick podcast to get their head around Part L, listen to SymTerra’s John Ryan with Mark Millar on Fix Radio. Key points covered:
➡️ What Part L is all about?
➡️ When was this brought in and why?
➡️ What other changes should people be aware of
➡️ Upcoming changes or additions we might see in the coming years?
➡️ Where people/builders go massively wrong with regards to regs compliance?
More than just a Photo App
SymTerra is the user-friendly tool for capturing building photos, meeting Part L Photographic Evidence requirements, and streamlining all your site reporting.
Digitise site diaries, audits, inspections, and progress reports—ensuring higher information management standards and full compliance across your operations.
Is WhatsApp Compliant with Part L?
When it comes to adhering to Part L of the UK Building Regulations, the use of WhatsApp may raise several compliance issues. While WhatsApp is a popular communication tool, it lacks specific features needed for regulatory compliance in construction projects. Here's where WhatsApp falls short and how SymTerra effectively addresses these gaps:
Data Security: WhatsApp's general data security protocols may not meet the specific needs of construction data handling. SymTerra provides robust data security, ensuring sensitive project information is protected.
Audit Trails: The absence of structured audit trails in WhatsApp poses a challenge for regulatory compliance, whereas SymTerra offers comprehensive audit trails for full traceability and verification.
Image Quality and Compliance: WhatsApp's image compression could compromise the quality required for compliance documents. SymTerra maintains high-quality images essential for compliance evidence.
Organisation and Retrieval: WhatsApp’s limited organisational capabilities for complex data can hinder efficient project management. SymTerra allows for effective organisation and easy retrieval of project information.
Integration with Compliance Tools: Lack of integration with other compliance and management tools in WhatsApp can lead to information gaps. SymTerra is designed for seamless integration, ensuring cohesive compliance strategies.
