Gateway 2 readiness checker
Gateway 2 is a hard stop: construction on a higher-risk building cannot lawfully begin until the Building Safety Regulator approves the application. The statutory determination period is 12 weeks for a new build.
Published Building Safety Regulator data to 28 June 2026 shows an approval rate of about 77%, meaning roughly 23% of decided applications did not get through, with a median of about 22 weeks for new-build higher-risk buildings and about 35 weeks for external wall remediation. A large proportion of closed applications were invalidated rather than rejected: the package was incomplete before anyone assessed the engineering.
This checker scores the 18 things that most often cause that. It is not a substitute for the Regulator's own guidance, and it does not predict a decision.
Not ready: significant gaps
At 0% you have 18 outstanding items, including some of the heaviest-weighted. Submitting now risks invalidation, which means the 22-week clock never even starts.
Working
| Step | Value |
|---|---|
| Fire safety design0 of 7 complete | 0% |
| Competence0 of 2 complete | 0% |
| Golden thread0 of 2 complete | 0% |
| Application0 of 4 complete | 0% |
| Coordination0 of 3 complete | 0% |
What this means
- A fire strategy that covers every Requirement B1 to B5, not just means of escape: Incomplete coverage of B1–B5 is one of the most common reasons an application is turned back.
- Every departure from guidance identified, justified and cross-referenced: Undeclared departures are treated as errors. Declared and justified departures are treated as engineering.
- Fire strategy drawings that match the architectural package, revision for revision: Where the strategy drawings and the architect's drawings disagree, the reviewer has to assume the worst case.
- Competence declarations for the principal designer and principal contractor: Missing or generic competence evidence is a straightforward invalidation.
- Median determination for this application type has been running at around 22 weeks against a 12-week statutory target. Programme for the real number, not the target.
Sources
- Building Safety Regulator, building control approval application dataApproval rate and median determination times for higher-risk building applications, published to 28 June 2026.
- The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023Requirements for a building control approval application, including the competence declaration, construction control plan, change control plan and mandatory occurrence reporting procedure.
- Building Safety Act 2022, section 91The prohibition on beginning higher-risk building work before building control approval is given.
This is an engineering aid, not engineering advice. The result above is produced from the inputs you gave and the guidance cited. It does not account for everything a competent fire engineer would consider on a real building, and it is not a substitute for reading the current published standard. Check every number before it goes into a design.
Questions people ask
How long does Gateway 2 take?
The statutory determination period is 12 weeks for a new higher-risk building, extendable by agreement. Published Building Safety Regulator data to 28 June 2026 shows a median of around 22 weeks for new builds and around 35 weeks for external wall remediation, with the clock only starting once the application is validated.
What is the Gateway 2 rejection rate?
About 23% of decided applications have not been approved, against an approval rate of roughly 77%. A large share of closed applications were invalidated rather than rejected; the submission was incomplete, so it never reached technical assessment.
What is the difference between invalidation and rejection at Gateway 2?
Invalidation happens before assessment: the application does not contain what the regulations require, so it is not accepted and the clock never starts. Rejection happens after assessment: the Regulator has looked at the design and is not satisfied it complies. Invalidation is far more common and far more avoidable.
Can you start on site before Gateway 2 approval?
No. Section 91 of the Building Safety Act 2022 prohibits starting higher-risk building work before building control approval is given. Limited early works may be possible under a separate route, but the main works cannot begin.
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