The Future Buildings Standard has been in development since 2019, progressing through consultations, an interim uplift, and a joint consultation before its publication on 24 March 2026. Enforcement begins in March 2027 for most buildings and September 2027 for higher-risk buildings (Building Circular 01/2026).
Key dates
October 2019
Future Homes Standard consultation launched
The government published the first consultation on raising energy performance standards for new buildings, initially focused on domestic buildings.
June 2022
Interim Part L 2021 uplift takes effect
An interim update to Part L raised energy performance requirements by approximately 27% for non-domestic buildings, as a stepping stone towards the full FBS.
December 2023
Joint FHS/FBS consultation published
MHCLG published the joint consultation on the Future Homes and Buildings Standards on 13 December 2023, covering both domestic (Part L Vol 1) and non-domestic (Part L Vol 2) proposals.
March 2024
Consultation closes
The consultation period ended after receiving responses from industry bodies, assessors, developers, and other stakeholders.
24 March 2026
FBS published
The Future Buildings Standard was published alongside the Future Homes Standard, including the new Approved Document L Volume 2 (2026 edition) and Building Circular 01/2026.
March 2027
FBS enforcement – non-HRB buildings
The Future Buildings Standard comes into force for all non-domestic buildings except higher-risk buildings. Projects submitted after this date must comply with the new standards.
September 2027
FBS enforcement – higher-risk buildings
The Future Buildings Standard comes into force for higher-risk buildings (HRBs), regulated by the Building Safety Regulator.
March 2028
Non-HRB transition period ends
The 12-month transition period for non-HRB projects expires. Any project submitted before March 2027 under Part L 2021 must have commenced work by this date to retain transitional provisions.
September 2027 onwards
HRB transitional protection
HRB transitional protection continues for projects with valid applications submitted before September 2027. Unlike non-HRB projects, there is no fixed commencement deadline — protection depends on the application remaining valid (Building Circular 01/2026, Section 2.2).
What happens now?
Between now and the enforcement dates, practitioners should familiarise themselves with the new notional building specification, understand the solar PV requirements, and assess whether current projects fall under the transitional provisions. Use our Compliance Route Finder to check which standard applies to your project.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Future Buildings Standard come into force?
The FBS is enforced from March 2027 for non-higher-risk buildings and September 2027 for higher-risk buildings (HRBs).
How long is the transition period?
The transition period is 12 months from the enforcement date. Projects submitted under Part L 2021 before the enforcement date must commence work within 12 months to retain transitional provisions.