☀ Solar Panels for New Builds
The plot-level FHS compliance checklist — UK new build solar PV installation
For developers

The plot-level FHS compliance checklist

Plot-by-plot checklist for Part L 2026 compliance — design, SAP/HEM, Building Control submission, on-site delivery and warranty sign-off.

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FHS Compliance Checklist for Housebuilders — UK housebuilder solar PV procurement

A practical, one-page checklist for housebuilders moving plot-by-plot through Part L 2026 compliance. Tick every box and your plot completes to FHS spec, with the compliance pack ready for Building Control and the warranty provider.

Design stage

☐ Standard house type drawings updated for FHS fabric, roof loading and array placement
☐ Plot-level orientation and shading assessment completed
☐ Solar PV array sized to 40% ground floor area (or technical justification documented)
☐ ASHP type, size and hot water cylinder specified
☐ MVHR ductwork routed in early consultant pack
☐ Part S EV charge point location agreed

SAP / HEM modelling

☐ Accredited assessor commissioned (Elmhurst, Stroma, NHER or BRE)
☐ HEM model run — DER ≤ TER demonstrated
☐ Backup SAP 10.3 model run if project qualifies for transitional period
☐ TM59 overheating model run and acceptable
☐ Plot-level variation captured (orientation, shading, party-wall losses)
☐ Compliance pack signed and dated

Building Control submission

☐ Full Plans or Building Notice submitted with compliance pack
☐ Approved Inspector or LABC nominated
☐ Plan check fee paid
☐ Pre-construction meeting held
☐ Plot register kept for transitional vs FHS plot tracking

On-site delivery

☐ Fabric installed to specified U-values, with site QA records
☐ Air permeability test on completion — actual ≤ designed
☐ Solar PV in-roof mounting fitted before tiling/slating
☐ Solar inverter and isolators positioned for safe access
☐ ASHP and hot water cylinder commissioned
☐ MVHR commissioned with airflow measurements at every grille
☐ EV charger installed and tested

Sign-off

☐ MCS certificate issued for solar PV
☐ Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) registration completed
☐ EPC issued (HEM output)
☐ Building Control completion certificate issued
☐ Warranty provider (NHBC/LABC/Premier) notified and accepted
☐ Buyer pack handed over including user guide, monitoring app and emergency contacts

40% of ground floor area
PV / ground floor area
Mar 2027
FHS in force
75%
CO₂ vs 2013 baseline
£4,350 per dwelling
Per-plot premium
For developers and housebuilders

Fhs compliance checklist for housebuilders for volume new-build programmes

Per-plot pricing locked at procurement. Factory pre-fit on panelised roof cassettes. SAP/HEM modelling for every house type included. NHBC, LABC, Premier and Buildmark warranty-accepted workmanship. 20-year insurance-backed system warranty. We work with developers from 50 plots to 5,000+ across multi-site frameworks — agreed pricing, agreed programme, agreed warranty stack.

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How this fits into the FHS compliance pathway

Every FHS-compliant new build must pass three regulatory gates. Fhs compliance checklist for housebuilders fits primarily into the second gate — design-stage Part L compliance — but has knock-on implications for Building Control sign-off and post-completion warranty:

  1. 1
    Planning permission Most solar PV on new dwellings is consented within the dwelling\'s primary planning consent. Conservation Areas, Article 4 directions and listed-curtilage plots require additional planning consideration — we handle the planning evidence required for these.
  2. 2
    Building Control — Part L compliance SAP 10.3 or HEM compliance modelling demonstrating Dwelling Emission Rate ≤ Target Emission Rate. PV specification, ASHP capacity, fabric U-values and air permeability all entered into the modelling. We provide the full compliance file ready for the Approved Inspector.
  3. 3
    Post-completion — warranty & EPC MCS certificate, EPC, monitoring app onboarding and 20-year insurance-backed workmanship warranty. NHBC, LABC, Premier and Buildmark all accept our installation specification without query — important if you\'re relying on a structural warranty for buyer mortgageability.

For a fuller walkthrough of the compliance process, see our Part L 2026 page and the FHS PV calculator which sizes a compliant system from your ground floor area in 30 seconds.

Frequently asked

Developer & contractor questions

Answers to the questions we get most often when discussing fhs compliance checklist for housebuilders with new clients.

How does FHS affect per-plot pricing for volume housebuilders?
Per-plot pricing is the dominant procurement model for FHS-compliant solar across UK housebuilders. The typical structure is a fixed per-plot price (covering supply, install and warranty) negotiated at land-bid stage, locked with inflation cap to a delivery window of 24–36 months. For a typical 3-bed semi, volume per-plot prices in 2026 run £4,800–£5,600 depending on site size, plot mix and supplier framework. Above 500-plot bulk orders unlock further discount through factory pre-fit programmes.
What's the contractor risk of getting FHS specification wrong?
Material — both at completion (Building Control refusing sign-off) and post-completion (NHBC reserving warranty against undersized systems). Specifications below the deemed-to-satisfy 40% PV threshold require enhanced fabric calculation backing in the SAP/HEM file. We see contractors most often caught out on (a) air permeability — design target of 3 missed at 5–6 due to detail failures; (b) ASHP sizing mismatched to building heat loss; (c) PV array placement that doesn't hit the 40% requirement on geometry grounds.
When does the Future Homes Standard come into force?
24 March 2027 in England, with a 12-month transitional period running to 24 March 2028 for projects already under construction. The Approved Documents L and F were published on 24 March 2026 (Government statement HCWS1445), giving the industry exactly 12 months of certainty before regulatory commencement. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are following with broadly equivalent regulations on roughly aligned timetables, although devolved nuances apply — Welsh regulations are typically 6 months ahead.
What does FHS-compliant solar PV actually cost per plot?
The Government Impact Assessment puts the total FHS premium at ~£4,350 per dwelling per dwelling (2025 prices, weighted average across heat pump, solar PV, MVHR and enhanced fabric). Of that, solar PV is roughly £4,200 — covering ~3.4 kWp for a typical 3-bed semi (panels, in-roof mounting, inverter, monitoring, MCS certification and 20-year insurance-backed warranty). Larger dwellings cost proportionately more; volume procurement reduces per-plot cost by 20–25%.
FHS 2027 deadline approaching

Get developer-volume pricing

Tell us your plot details — ground floor area, location and target start-on-site date. We return a fully-costed system sized to Part L 2026 (40% PV rule), with the SAP/HEM compliance pack included.

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