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Respond to a Building Safety Regulator (BSR) Gateway 2 request for further information (RFI) immediately: BSR says it generally expects a response within 48 hours, even if that first response is only a holding reply. Then provide a numbered, evidence-led answer that closes every point, identifies each new or revised file, and follows the submission method stated in the RFI. For new higher-risk building (HRB) applications in England, Construction Leadership Council (CLC) guidance says not to resubmit RFI material through the ordinary online application portal.
This is a practical process for clients, applicants and project teams dealing with BSR as the building control authority for in-scope HRB work in England. It is not a procedure for Wales or ordinary, non-HRB building-control applications.
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Gateway 2 RFI response: the essentials
A Gateway 2 RFI means BSR has identified an information gap, inconsistency or issue that it needs resolved before it can determine the building-control approval application. The response must address the request actually made, not merely provide a general design update.
| Question | What the published guidance says | How to apply it |
|---|---|---|
| How quickly should you reply? | BSR generally expects a response within 48 hours, including a holding response. | Acknowledge receipt, name the coordinator and state when the substantive answer is expected. |
| What if there is no answer after a week? | BSR says an unanswered RFI after one working week is treated as a nil response. | Do not let an internal coordination problem become silence; send a holding reply within the 48-hour expectation. |
| Where should new documents go? | For new HRB Gateway 2 applications, CLC guidance says RFI information is not to be resubmitted through the online portal. | Use the case-specific delivery instructions in the RFI and provide an updated file schedule. |
| What happens after an inadequate reply? | BSR says it will request the original information once more. If the second request is not met, rejection is likely. | Check every numbered point and evidence reference before sending. |
BSR’s published wording is: “responses to RFIs should be received within 48 hours, even if only a holding response”. This is a stated starting expectation, not a universal statutory deadline. The individual RFI may contain its own instructions, dates or conditions, which take priority for that case.
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What a Gateway 2 information request is testing
BSR assesses whether the application demonstrates compliance with the building regulations for the proposed HRB work. Its criteria focus on whether the response addresses the issues raised and closes the evidence gaps. That means an explanation without the requested drawing, calculation, specification, report or other evidence may not be enough.
Read the RFI as a list of decisions BSR cannot yet verify. A point may ask you to:
- clarify a design assumption or discrepancy between documents;
- provide a missing calculation, fire strategy input, specification or schedule;
- show how a proposed detail satisfies a regulation or functional requirement;
- explain a change and identify all documents affected by it; or
- confirm responsibility, interfaces or coordination between dutyholders and specialists.
BSR considers the information gap, how clearly the material is presented, response speed, the complexity of the issue and its potential life-safety impact. Each application is assessed on its own merits. Do not imply that a point is closed merely because a related document has been uploaded; identify the exact evidence that answers the wording of the request.
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Log the request
Create a controlled record as soon as the RFI arrives. Record the date and time received, project name, application reference, the BSR contact or case channel, every stated deadline and any submission instructions. Nominate one person to coordinate the reply and maintain the master response log.
Send a holding response if the technical answer is not ready
A holding response is not a substitute for the technical submission. It is a prompt acknowledgement that prevents the RFI being treated as ignored while the team coordinates the answer. State which request points are being reviewed, who is coordinating them and a realistic proposed date for the complete response. BSR’s guidance supports sending a holding response within 48 hours; it does not publish a mandatory template or guarantee an extension.
Keep the message factual. Do not promise that an answer will be accepted, describe unissued evidence as complete or assume that a proposed date changes BSR’s expectations. Follow any case-specific instruction about how the acknowledgement must be sent.
Set up a response tracker
Copy the RFI numbering and wording into a tracker. Useful columns are:
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- lead dutyholder, designer or specialist;
- answer owner and internal due date;
- evidence required;
- document title, revision and folder;
- dependencies on other RFI items;
- reviewer and approval status; and
- date and method of final submission.
This prevents a long request from being answered selectively and makes it possible to demonstrate that every point has an owner.
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Turn each RFI point into an answerable task
Use the RFI’s numbering
Retain BSR’s item numbers and wording in the response. Under each number, give the answer first, then the supporting evidence and its location. If a single design decision affects several items, cross-reference the common decision without removing a separate answer from any numbered point.
Separate explanation from evidence
Label what is being asserted and what proves it. For example, a paragraph explaining the fire-resistance strategy should identify the drawing, calculation, tested-system information or specification that demonstrates the strategy. If the request asks for a revised drawing, do not answer only with prose.
Identify changes completely
Where the response changes the submitted design, list every affected document, revision and interface. Check plans, sections, schedules, specifications, calculations, fire-safety information and any coordinating model or report. A revision that appears minor in one discipline can alter another discipline’s evidence.
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Resolve the technical issues before submission
Each responsible competent designer and specialist should review the answer for consistency with the submitted design and the applicable building-regulations evidence. The coordinator should hold a short interdisciplinary review where an RFI affects structure, fire safety, building services, architecture, access, acoustics, façade or construction information.
- Confirm that the answer uses the same project references, levels, zones and terminology as the application.
- Check that calculations, drawings and specifications use matching revisions and assumptions.
- Test interfaces: for example, a fire-stopping detail must align with the wall build-up, services penetrations and the fire strategy.
- Identify genuinely outstanding evidence rather than implying that it has been supplied.
- Record decisions and approvals in the project information-management system.
If a technical issue cannot be closed by the proposed date, say precisely what remains outstanding, who is producing it and when it will be issued. Do not use a holding response to conceal an unresolved life-safety question.
Build a clear Gateway 2 response pack
Covering reply
Begin with a brief covering reply containing the project and application references, date of the RFI, date of the response, the scope of the submission and the name and contact details of the coordinator. State whether the pack is a complete response or identifies specific outstanding items.
Point-by-point schedule
Follow with the numbered answers. A practical format is:
- RFI request: reproduce or accurately summarise the point.
- Response: give the technical answer in direct language.
- Evidence: list each supporting file, revision and relevant sheet, section or paragraph.
- Effect on the application: state whether the submission is unchanged or identify the associated revisions.
- Outstanding action: if anything remains, describe it and give the proposed issue date.
Updated file schedule
CLC’s Gateway 2 guidance, version 1.0 dated 21 July 2025, recommends an updated Application Folder Structure and Contents Schedule for RFI material. Highlight new and amended files, revisions and the folders in which they belong. This helps BSR route the information to the relevant members of its multidisciplinary team.
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| RFI item | File name | Revision | Status | Folder or location | What it answers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RFI-01 | Fire strategy report | Rev C | Amended | Fire safety / reports | Compartmentation and evacuation assumptions |
| RFI-02 | Typical façade junction detail | Rev B | New | Architecture / details | Fire stopping at slab edge |
| RFI-03 | Structural calculation package | Rev D | Amended | Structure / calculations | Load path clarification |
The table is a working example, not a prescribed BSR form. Use the naming convention and folder structure required by the case instructions. Make sure the file names in the schedule exactly match the files sent.
Submit using the method specified by BSR
Read the delivery instructions in the RFI before sending anything. CLC’s July 2025 guidance for new HRB applications says RFI information will not be resubmitted through the ordinary online application portal and tells applicants to follow the specific submission instructions they receive. Uploading a new version into the original portal location, without confirmation that this is the requested route, may not count as delivery.
After sending, retain the final response, file schedule, transmission record, acknowledgement and any subsequent BSR correspondence in the project record. If the delivery method produces a receipt or reference, save it with the response pack.
Timing: BSR expectations are not guaranteed decision dates
BSR’s RFI page says responses should arrive within 48 hours, including a holding response, and that an unanswered RFI after one working week is treated as a nil response. It also says missing information or design changes should generally take no more than two working weeks to produce. These statements describe BSR’s general expectations; they are not universal statutory reply periods. The RFI may set different case-specific instructions.
GOV.UK guidance says BSR normally has up to 12 weeks to assess a new-HRB application and 8 weeks for an existing-HRB application unless an extension is agreed. The period depends on application quality and work complexity, and BSR will contact the applicant if further information is needed. The available guidance does not establish a universal rule that an RFI pauses or resets the formal determination clock, so do not assume that it does.
Operational performance can be longer than the nominal assessment period. BSR reported a median approval time of 23 weeks for new higher-risk buildings and conversions and 32 weeks for external remediation in July–September 2026 data, correct as of 5 October 2026. Those figures describe recent performance, not an RFI deadline or a prediction for an individual application.
Holding response versus complete response
| Feature | Holding response | Complete response |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Confirm receipt while coordination continues. | Close the information and evidence gaps. |
| Timing | Send within BSR’s stated 48-hour expectation. | Send as soon as the evidence is reviewed and ready, following the RFI instructions. |
| Minimum content | Project reference, RFI acknowledgement, items being coordinated and realistic proposed date. | Numbered answers, evidence references, revisions, updated file schedule and any clearly identified outstanding action. |
| What it cannot do | It cannot replace a requested calculation, drawing, report or specification. | It should not claim closure where evidence is still missing. |
Consequences of an incomplete or missing reply
BSR says it will request the original information once more if the first response does not provide it. If the second request is not met, BSR will decide the application on its merits and says rejection is likely. A nil response is therefore not a neutral administrative outcome; it can determine whether the application proceeds.
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- Every RFI number appears in the response.
- Every answer addresses the wording of that number.
- Every requested evidence item is attached or its absence is expressly explained.
- Document names and revisions match the updated schedule.
- Referenced drawings, calculations and reports are the versions actually sent.
- Changes are coordinated across disciplines.
- Any outstanding action has an owner and a realistic date.
- The pack has been delivered by the instructed route and the record of delivery is saved.
What happens after BSR receives the response
BSR assesses the application and may approve it, approve it with requirements or reject it. Approval with requirements does not mean every part of the project can start. Work may proceed on approved parts, but work affected by an unmet requirement must wait until BSR is satisfied that the requirement has been met. GOV.UK guidance says not to begin work before approval.
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A rejected application cannot proceed to building work. If you disagree with the decision, follow the review route described in the decision letter. If you still disagree after the review, the decision route includes an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common failure modes and their fixes
Silence while the team coordinates
Problem: The applicant waits for a complete technical answer and misses the initial response expectation.
Fix: Send a holding response within 48 hours, identify the live workstreams and give a realistic proposed date without presenting it as an agreed extension.
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A narrative answer with no evidence
Problem: The response explains the design but does not include the requested drawing, calculation, report or specification.
Fix: Map each answer to the exact evidence file, revision and location. If the evidence is not ready, say so and identify the remaining action.
Uploading through the wrong channel
Problem: New files are placed in the normal application portal without checking the RFI instructions.
Fix: Follow the case-specific submission route. For new HRB Gateway 2 applications, apply the CLC guidance that RFI material is not resubmitted through the ordinary portal.
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Problem: BSR receives files but cannot tell what changed or which multidisciplinary team should review them.
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Fix: Supply an updated folder and contents schedule showing new or amended files, revision identifiers and relevant folders.
Closing one discipline’s point while creating another gap
Problem: A revised detail solves the issue raised by one specialist but conflicts with fire, structural or services information.
Fix: Hold an interdisciplinary check and list every consequential revision in the response.
Assuming the assessment clock has stopped or restarted
Problem: The project team treats the RFI as an automatic reset of the statutory assessment period.
Fix: Treat the 48-hour and two-week statements as BSR expectations, not guaranteed legal deadlines, and do not infer a pause or reset unless BSR gives case-specific information.
Practical response wording
Holding acknowledgement
“We acknowledge receipt of the Gateway 2 RFI for application [reference] received on [date and time]. Items [numbers] are being coordinated by [role or team], including review of the referenced fire, structural and architectural information. We will provide the substantive response and updated file schedule by [realistic date], subject to completion of the identified technical checks.”
Use the bracketed variables only when preparing your own project correspondence; replace them with the actual information before sending.
Point-by-point answer
“RFI-[number] — [short description]. Response: [direct technical answer]. Evidence: [exact file name], revision [identifier], [sheet, section or paragraph]. Application effect: [no change / list coordinated revisions]. Outstanding action: [none, or precise action, owner and proposed issue date].”
Project-team checklist
Before the coordinator submits the pack, the client or applicant should be able to answer yes to all of these questions:
- Have we acknowledged the RFI promptly?
- Do we know the deadline and delivery route stated in this case?
- Have we copied every request point into a controlled tracker?
- Does each point have a named technical owner?
- Does each answer identify the evidence that closes the gap?
- Are new and amended files clearly marked by revision?
- Does the updated schedule show the correct folders and file names?
- Have competent designers and specialists checked coordination?
- Have we stated honestly what remains outstanding?
- Have we retained proof of submission and the final response pack?
A disciplined response is not simply a faster upload. It is a traceable set of answers that lets BSR’s multidisciplinary team find, understand and assess the evidence requested for the HRB application.
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