BCMS, the Building Control Management System, is the national online platform used to lodge statutory building control documents such as commencement notices, fire safety certificate applications, disability access certificate applications and certificates of compliance. It is operated on behalf of local authorities and is the standard route for submitting these notices in Ireland.
BCMS stands for the Building Control Management System, the national online portal through which statutory building control applications and notices are lodged with local authorities in Ireland. It was introduced to standardise and digitise the submission of documents required under the Building Control Acts and Regulations, replacing what were previously separate paper-based processes handled by individual local authorities.
Through BCMS, applicants lodge commencement notices and seven-day notices before building work starts, apply for fire safety certificates and disability access certificates where required, and submit certificates of compliance on completion once works are finished, including the statutory documentation from the assigned certifier, ancillary certifiers, and builder. The system routes each submission to the relevant local authority Building Control Section, which can review, request further information, or in some cases object to a notice within the statutory period.
While homeowners can, in principle, use BCMS themselves, submissions are usually made by the design or building control professionals engaged on the project, such as the architect, engineer or assigned certifier, because the documentation required is technical and must be prepared to a professional standard.