Open plan office acoustics comes down to three things: controlling reverberation so speech is clear, managing background noise so people can concentrate, and achieving speech privacy so conversations do not travel. The key targets for open plan offices are a reverberation time (RT60) of 0.4 to 0.6 seconds, a background noise level of around 40 to 45 dB LAeq, and a Speech Transmission Index (STI) that limits intelligible speech to the immediate vicinity of the speaker. Achieving these consistently requires an integrated approach. Acoustic panels alone are rarely sufficient without also considering layout, screening, ventilation noise, and room geometry. This guide covers the principles, the targets, and the practical steps to get there.
How To Pass Part E Of The Building Regulations
Quick Take
Part E of the Building Regulations sets minimum sound insulation standards for new residential buildings and dwellings created through material change of use. Compliance is demonstrated through pre-completion sound testing, an on-site acoustic measurement carried out before a building is occupied. The key performance targets are DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 45 dB for airborne sound (walls and floors between dwellings) and L’nT,w ≤ 45 dB for impact sound (floors). Achieving these figures consistently requires correct specification of the separating construction, attention to flanking paths, and quality workmanship throughout; selecting the right product is only one part of it.
What is Part E of the Building Regulations?
Approved Document E (ADE) is the guidance document that supports Part E of the Building Regulations. Part E deals with sound insulation, and ADE sets out how compliance is to be demonstrated for residential buildings in England. (Wales has its own version of Approved Document E; Scotland uses Section 5 of the Technical Handbook; Northern Ireland uses Technical Booklet G. The principles are broadly similar, but the specific requirements differ by jurisdiction.)
The document was last substantially updated in 2015, with minor amendments since. It runs to nine sections covering everything from the performance standards for separating walls and floors to reverberation requirements in common areas, school acoustics, and pre-completion testing procedure. For most residential developers and contractors, sections 1 through 5 are the most directly relevant. Section 6 covers rooms for residential purposes (student accommodation and similar). Section 8 covers schools, where acoustic performance is governed by BB93 rather than the residential criteria.
Part E has two distinct purposes. First, it ensures that new buildings meet minimum sound insulation standards between dwellings. Second, it ensures that buildings created through material change of use (conversions) achieve comparable performance. This distinction matters because the performance targets for conversions are set slightly lower than for new builds, reflecting the practical difficulty of upgrading existing fabric.
Poor sound insulation between dwellings is one of the most common causes of neighbour disputes. It affects property values, draws out dispute resolution processes, and in the case of new builds can trigger building control delays that hold up completion. Getting the acoustic specification right before work begins is always cheaper than fixing it afterwards.
For a broader introduction to the field, see our guide to the principles of building acoustics.
For a plain-English explanation of the acoustic metrics used in Part E testing, including DnT,w and L’nT,w, see our guide to the difference between Rw and DnT,w.
Who does Part E apply to?
New residential buildings
Part E applies to all new dwellings where there are separating walls or floors between different occupancies. A detached house with no shared walls or floors sits outside scope. A semi-detached house, terraced house, or any flat sits within it. For developers of apartment buildings, this means every separating floor and wall between different residential units must meet the performance targets.
Material change of use
When a building is converted to residential use from offices, warehouses, hotels, or any other use class, Part E applies to the separating constructions. This is one of the most commercially significant applications of the standard, because existing buildings rarely have the acoustic performance of purpose-built residential construction. The conversion threshold for impact sound is meaningfully lower than the new-build equivalent, but achieving even the lower target in buildings not designed with acoustics in mind still requires careful specification and workmanship.
Extensions and alterations
Part E does not generally apply to extensions or internal alterations unless they involve creating a new dwelling or a material change of use. However, building control may still require acoustic consideration in some circumstances, particularly where an extension creates a new separating element between dwellings.
HMOs
Houses in multiple occupation converted from single dwellings fall under Part E as a material change of use. This is a frequently misunderstood area. Many landlords and developers assume that the sound insulation requirements do not apply to HMO conversions, or that standard partition wall construction is sufficient. Neither assumption is correct. The dedicated HMO section below covers this in full.
Rooms for residential purposes
Student accommodation, care homes, and similar buildings containing rooms used for sleeping or living also fall within Part E’s scope under the provisions of Section 6.
Schools
Section 8 of ADE covers acoustic conditions in educational buildings. The requirements are separate from the residential provisions and are governed by BB93 rather than the airborne and impact sound insulation criteria that apply to dwellings.
What are the Part E performance standards?
Airborne sound insulation
Airborne sound is transmitted by pressure waves in air: voices, music, television. Part E sets minimum performance requirements for the walls and floors separating dwellings.
For new builds, the target is DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 45 dB. For material change of use, the target is DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 43 dB.
DnT,w is the on-site weighted level difference, a measure of how much sound is attenuated between two rooms in the completed building. The addition of Ctr accounts for low-frequency noise, including traffic and bass-heavy music. It is a more stringent metric than DnT,w alone because low-frequency sound is harder to attenuate and is disproportionately annoying to occupants. A result that passes on DnT,w alone but fails when Ctr is added typically indicates a construction that performs poorly at low frequencies.
For more detail on what these metrics mean and how they are measured, see our Rw vs DnT,w guide.
Impact sound insulation
Impact sound is transmitted by direct contact with a surface: footsteps, dropped objects, chair legs being dragged across a floor. For impact sound, lower is better.
For new builds, the target is L’nT,w ≤ 45 dB. For material change of use, the target is L’nT,w ≤ 64 dB. The significant relaxation of the conversion threshold reflects the practical difficulty of upgrading existing floor structures, particularly where ceiling height is constrained.
L’nT,w is the on-site weighted normalised impact sound pressure level. A lower number means better performance.
For foundational explanations of both airborne and impact sound, see our guides on what airborne sound is and what impact sound is.
An important nuance: these are minimums, not targets
A result of DnT,w + Ctr = 45 dB is a pass. It is also a very marginal performance, one that occupants in the completed building will notice. The threshold is the floor, not the goal. Acoustic consultants typically advise targeting DnT,w + Ctr of 48 to 50 dB for airborne sound to provide a realistic buffer against workmanship variability. The section on test failures below explains why that buffer matters.
Reverberation in common areas
ADE also sets requirements for reverberation time in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats: corridors, stairwells, and entrance halls. These are measured separately and are often overlooked in the focus on separating wall and floor performance. Failing the reverberation requirement can still block building control sign-off.
New builds: achieving Part E compliance
Achieving Part E in a new build is not about a single product or a single technique. It is the combination of mass, decoupling, absorption, airtightness, and damping applied together and detailed correctly at every junction. A failure in any one of these areas can cause a test failure regardless of how well the others are executed.
Mass
Heavy elements are harder to set into vibration and therefore transmit less airborne sound. For walls, this means using appropriate mass per unit area in the separating leaf. For floors, it means sufficient mass in the structural deck. Standard 12.5mm plasterboard is rarely sufficient on its own for Part E compliance. High-density acoustic plasterboards such as SoundBloc and Duraline are standard specification for a reason: their additional mass and damping properties are what makes the system work. Adding an extra layer of standard plasterboard is not a substitute for acoustic plasterboard.
For more detail on using mass to improve sound insulation, see our guide on whether adding mass is sufficient to soundproof walls and floors.
Decoupling
Sound travels through rigid connections. Decoupling interrupts the structural path, preventing vibration energy from passing directly from one element to another. Resilient bars, mute clips, independent ceiling systems, and floating floor assemblies all work on this principle.
Floating floor systems are particularly relevant for impact sound: a floating floor layer (typically chipboard or cement particle board on resilient battens or clips, with the perimeter isolated from the walls) prevents footstep vibration from being transmitted directly into the structural floor and from there to the ceiling of the room below. For detailed guidance on resilient bar installation, see our resilient bars installation guide.
Acoustic absorption within the construction
Acoustic mineral wool slab packed between studs or joists significantly improves performance by absorbing airborne sound energy within the construction rather than allowing it to reflect. The key word is slab. High-density acoustic products such as Rockwool RW45 and Rockwool Flexi are what the specification calls for. Rolls of standard glass wool or mineral wool are not a substitute, regardless of what the label says.
One practical point that is frequently overlooked: leaving an air cavity within a floor void (25 to 50% of joist depth unfilled above the acoustic mineral wool) improves low-frequency performance. Overfilling the joist bay reduces this benefit.
Airtightness and sealing
Air gaps are the enemy of sound insulation. Sound finds gaps as readily as air or water does. Perimeter sealing with acoustic sealant at every junction, careful detailing around service penetrations, avoidance of back-to-back electrical sockets in separating walls, and attention to door thresholds in corridors are all basic but essential measures.
This is also the most common cause of Part E test failures. It is the cheapest problem to prevent and, once a wall or floor is closed up, the most disruptive to fix.
Damping
Damping materials, such as Tecsound applied between plasterboard layers, reduce the resonant vibration of panels. This improves performance particularly at low frequencies, where mass alone provides less attenuation. Damping is most effective when combined with decoupling rather than used instead of it.
For a full technical resource covering wall and floor systems across masonry, timber, and steel frame construction, see NOVA’s sound insulation design advice library. For the products used in Part E compliant construction, see our Part E soundproofing products guide.
Material change of use and conversions
A material change of use means converting a building from one use class to another where the new use involves residential occupation. Office-to-residential conversions under permitted development rights, barn conversions, hotel-to-flat conversions, and house-to-flat conversions all trigger Part E. The existing structure must be upgraded to meet the relevant performance targets.
The performance thresholds for conversions are slightly lower than for new builds for airborne sound (DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 43 dB rather than 45 dB) and significantly lower for impact sound (L’nT,w ≤ 64 dB rather than 45 dB). Even so, meeting the conversion targets in buildings not designed with acoustic performance in mind requires careful specification and execution.
The challenge with existing construction
Victorian terraces, former commercial buildings, and agricultural structures all present very different starting points. A solid masonry party wall in a Victorian terrace may already provide reasonable airborne sound insulation but perform poorly for impact sound due to the lack of any floating floor or independent ceiling. A steel-framed commercial building presents the opposite problem: limited inherent mass and a structure that transmits vibration efficiently.
Common approaches for conversion walls
Independent wall linings applied to the existing leaf are the standard approach: a stud frame with acoustic mineral wool and double-layer acoustic plasterboard, built against (but independent from) the existing masonry or brick. Where the existing leaf has no useful acoustic value, a full independent stud wall may be required.
Common approaches for conversion floors
An independent ceiling system below the existing floor structure is typically the most effective intervention for airborne sound in conversions. Floating floor systems above address impact noise but require sufficient ceiling height to accommodate the build-up without making rooms uncomfortable. The combination of a floating floor and independent ceiling, with acoustic mineral wool between the joists, is the most reliable approach where height permits.
Heritage and retained fabric constraints
Listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas may limit the interventions available, particularly for wall linings that reduce room dimensions. Early acoustic advice is essential in these cases to establish what performance level is realistically achievable within the constraints, before commitments are made to planning or building control.
For detailed guidance on acoustic design for residential conversions, see our sound insulation design advice service.
HMOs and Part E
Converting a single dwelling into a house in multiple occupation involves a material change of use, and that triggers Part E. The separating constructions between individual lettable rooms (walls and floors between bedrooms, and between bedrooms and communal areas) must meet the conversion performance standards: DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 43 dB for airborne sound and L’nT,w ≤ 64 dB for impact sound.
This area is widely misunderstood. Many landlords undertaking HMO conversions assume that standard partition wall construction is sufficient, or that building control will not look for acoustic evidence. Both assumptions are wrong. Building control cannot sign off without evidence of compliance, and pre-completion testing is required before the property can be used as an HMO.
The existing construction of a single-family home is not designed with sound insulation between individual rooms in mind. Stud partition walls, lightweight floor joists, and minimal absorption within the floor or ceiling structure typically mean that significant upgrading is required. The acoustic starting point for a Victorian semi-detached converted into an HMO is very different from a purpose-built block, and the specification needs to reflect that.
Landlords seeking HMO licensing from their local housing authority may also face acoustic requirements that go beyond Part E. Some local housing authorities set their own standards for licensed HMOs, and those standards should be identified before work begins.
For a full guide to Part E requirements for HMO conversions, including what to test, how to pass, and what building control requires, see our dedicated HMO sound testing guide.
Robust Details vs. full acoustic design
What Robust Details are
Robust Details are pre-approved construction specifications developed by Robust Details Ltd. Developers who register plots and build to an approved specification are exempt from pre-completion sound testing, on the basis that the construction has been shown through extensive site testing to achieve Part E when built correctly.
Registration involves a fee per plot and requires that a Robust Details inspector visits the site to verify that the construction matches the specification. Current fees and registration requirements should be checked against the Robust Details scheme website.
When Robust Details make sense
For volume housebuilders constructing large numbers of plots to the same specification, the cost and certainty advantages of RD can be substantial. Avoiding pre-completion sound tests on every plot is a genuine programme and cost saving. The scheme works because the specification has been shown to perform reliably across a wide range of site conditions.
When Robust Details may not be the right choice
For smaller developers, one-off projects, bespoke constructions, or conversions, the scheme is less useful. Conversions are generally not eligible for RD registration. If no suitable RD specification exists for the construction type being used, full acoustic design is required.
The risk with RD is also worth noting. The testing exemption assumes the construction is built exactly to specification. If workmanship deviates (missing acoustic sealant, a wrong product substitution, incorrectly fitted resilient bars), the exemption is void. A subsequent test may fail, and the cost of remediation and retesting can quickly exceed whatever was saved by avoiding the initial tests.
Full acoustic design
For projects where RD does not apply, or where the developer wants to use a construction not in the RD library, a bespoke acoustic design is required. An acoustic consultant specifies the wall and floor systems, details the flanking junctions, and advises on workmanship requirements. Pre-completion testing then verifies performance once the building is complete.
For a detailed explanation of the Robust Details scheme, including eligibility and how it compares to full acoustic design, see our Robust Details guide.
Pre-completion sound testing: what to expect
Pre-completion testing is how Part E compliance is demonstrated. It is a site measurement carried out in the completed building, before occupation, by a qualified acoustic tester using calibrated equipment.
Who must test
Unless using Robust Details, pre-completion sound testing is required for all new dwellings and all dwellings created through material change of use in England. The testing procedure is set out in ADE Annex B.
What is tested
Airborne sound insulation (walls and floors) and impact sound insulation (floors). Reverberation in common areas may also be tested where the development includes communal corridors, stairwells, or entrance halls.
How testing works
For airborne testing, the tester uses a calibrated sound level meter and a loudspeaker to generate a known sound level in one room and measure how much reaches the adjacent room. For impact testing, a standardised tapping machine is used to strike the floor, and the resulting sound is measured in the room below. Tests are carried out in both directions for each separating construction.
Sample testing
Part E allows for proportional sampling rather than testing every unit. Typically, one set of tests per type of separating construction per construction run is required, but the sampling approach must be agreed with the building control body in advance.
UKAS accreditation
Building control authorities across England are increasingly requiring that pre-completion sound testing is carried out by a UKAS-accredited testing laboratory. NOVA Acoustics holds UKAS accreditation (No. 8568) specifically for sound insulation testing. Accreditation is independently audited: it is not a self-certification. Not all acoustic testing companies hold it, so it is worth confirming before appointing a tester.
Timing
Testing should be carried out when the building is substantially complete: all finishes in place, floor coverings laid, kitchen units and fixtures installed. Testing too early can produce a misleadingly poor result. A floor tested before the finished floor covering is laid will typically show worse impact sound performance than the completed building.
For more detail on the testing process, see our pre-completion sound testing guide or our building compliance sound insulation testing service page.
Why sound tests fail, and how to avoid the most common causes
1. Poor airtightness and inadequate sealing
The most common single cause of Part E failures. A small gap at a wall/floor junction, around a socket, through a pipe penetration, or in the perimeter seal of a plasterboard layer can significantly reduce measured performance.
Prevention: apply acoustic sealant at every perimeter junction, every service penetration, and every layer boundary. Treat pipe and cable penetrations with acoustic grommets or sealant. Do not install electrical sockets back-to-back in a separating wall without acoustic protection.
2. Flanking transmission
Sound does not travel only directly through the separating construction. It also travels around it via flanking paths: through the floor at the base of a wall, through the ceiling above it, through external walls connected to both rooms, and through ventilation pathways. A separating wall that performs well in isolation can fail a site test because flanking paths dominate the result.
Prevention: address flanking at the design stage. Use acoustic flanking strips at wall perimeters. Ensure the floating floor screed or board is isolated from the wall leaf. Ensure the ceiling system is independent from the joist structure.
For a detailed explanation of how flanking works, see our guide to flanking sound.
3. Wrong products or product substitution
Using standard mineral wool rolls instead of high-density acoustic slab, substituting standard plasterboard for acoustic plasterboard, or using the wrong resilient bar clip type. Each substitution may look minor to the site team but can significantly reduce performance.
Prevention: specify products by name and type. Make sure the site team understands that Part E specifications are not suggestions, and that substitutions are not acceptable without acoustic review. Check deliveries against the specification before products are installed.
4. Incorrect installation of resilient systems
Resilient bars or mute clips that are mechanically bridged to the structure lose their decoupling effect. Common bridging failures include screws accidentally passing through a resilient bar into the joist behind it, hard materials touching a floating floor layer at its perimeter, and services passing rigidly through a floating assembly.
Prevention: follow manufacturer installation guidance precisely. Inspect the construction before closing it up. Brief the site team specifically on why decoupling must be maintained. This is not general building knowledge.
5. Insufficient mass
Constructions at the lower end of the mass range, particularly in lightweight timber frame, leave no buffer for workmanship variation. A construction that performs at exactly 45 dB under ideal conditions will fail if any imperfection is present.
Prevention: add mass where practical. Use double layers of acoustic plasterboard rather than single. Use cement particle board for the subfloor rather than standard chipboard where impact performance is critical.
6. Marginal design with no buffer
The most predictable failure pattern: a design specified to achieve exactly the Part E minimum. Workmanship variability on a construction site is real. A design with no margin has no tolerance for it.
Prevention: target DnT,w + Ctr of 48 to 50 dB for airborne sound rather than the 45 dB minimum. The cost of designing to this level is negligible; the cost of a failed test and subsequent remediation is not.
7. Testing too early
Testing before the building is fully complete (floor finishes not yet laid, plasterboard not fully taped, kitchen units not in place) can produce a misleadingly poor result and an avoidable failure.
Prevention: ensure the building is in a complete, ready-to-occupy condition before testing. Agree the timing with the tester and building control body in advance.
What happens if you fail a Part E sound test?
A failed test result does not stop a project permanently, but building control sign-off cannot be granted until a satisfactory test has been passed. The process from this point has several stages.
The first step is to review the results with an acoustic consultant. A marginal failure (DnT,w + Ctr = 42 dB against a target of 45 dB, for example) may be addressed through relatively minor work: additional plasterboard layers, perimeter resealing, or addressing a specific identified flanking path. A significant failure indicates a more fundamental construction issue and will require more substantial intervention.
Common remediation approaches include adding further plasterboard layers (subject to ceiling height), full perimeter resealing, installing an independent ceiling system, fitting acoustic underlays, and addressing identified flanking paths. In finished or occupied buildings, remediation is significantly more expensive and disruptive than preventive action during construction.
After remediation, a further sound test is required to demonstrate compliance. The cost of retesting is additional to the cost of the remediation work itself. Across many construction projects, the total cost of a failed test (investigation, remediation, and retest) is many times the cost of the pre-design acoustic advice that would have prevented it.
If you have received a failed test result, our acoustic consultants can review the data, identify the cause, and advise on the most proportionate remediation route. Get in touch.
Why choose NOVA Acoustics
Part E compliance is a combination of design, specification, workmanship, and verification. NOVA Acoustics supports residential developers and their project teams at every stage of that process, from pre-design acoustic advice through to UKAS-accredited pre-completion testing.
NOVA is a UKAS-accredited sound insulation testing laboratory (accreditation No. 8568). Accreditation means that the testing methodology, equipment calibration, and reporting process have been independently audited. It is a standard now increasingly expected by building control authorities, and not all testing companies hold it. Choosing a UKAS-accredited laboratory is straightforward protection against the result being challenged.
Design and testing under one roof matters in practice. Having the same team advise on the specification and then carry out the pre-completion test creates continuity of knowledge. NOVA has a vested interest in getting the acoustic design right, because the test result is part of the same service relationship.
With offices in Leeds, Manchester, London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Cambridge, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol, and Hull, NOVA can deploy testing teams across England and Wales at competitive rates and with practical turnaround times. For developers running large residential programmes across multiple sites, this matters when managing programme risk.
Across masonry, timber frame, light steel frame, cross-laminated timber, and hybrid constructions, NOVA brings testing and design experience that covers the full range of residential construction methods in current use. The free online sound insulation design resource reflects that experience in practical form.
Whether you need pre-completion sound testing, acoustic design advice, or support following a failed test, NOVA Acoustics can help. Get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What does Part E of the Building Regulations cover?
Part E sets minimum standards for sound insulation in residential buildings, specifically between dwellings separated by party walls or floors. It applies to new builds and to dwellings created through material change of use (conversions). It covers airborne sound (voices, music, television) and impact sound (footsteps, dropped objects). Approved Document E provides the detailed guidance on how to comply.
Do I need a sound test to comply with Part E?
In most cases, yes. Pre-completion sound testing is the standard method of demonstrating Part E compliance for new builds and conversions. The only alternative is to use a registered Robust Detail construction specification, which exempts the development from testing if the construction is built exactly to specification and a Robust Details inspection has been completed.
What are the Part E pass levels?
For new builds, the minimum performance targets are DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 45 dB for airborne sound (walls and floors between dwellings) and L’nT,w ≤ 45 dB for impact sound (floors). For material change of use, the targets are DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 43 dB and L’nT,w ≤ 64 dB. These are minimum thresholds: designing to achieve a comfortable margin above them reduces the risk of test failures and produces a better result for occupants.
What is the most common reason for failing a Part E sound test?
Poor airtightness is the most common cause. Small gaps around wall perimeters, through service penetrations, or at floor and ceiling junctions can significantly reduce measured sound insulation performance. Flanking transmission (sound travelling around the separating construction rather than through it) is the second most common cause.
Does Part E apply to HMO conversions?
Yes. Converting a single dwelling into an HMO involves a material change of use, which triggers Part E. The separating constructions between individual lettable rooms, and between rooms and communal areas, must meet the Part E conversion standards. Pre-completion testing is required before the property can be used as an HMO.
What is the difference between Robust Details and a full acoustic design?
Robust Details are pre-approved construction specifications developed by Robust Details Ltd. Developers who register plots and build to an approved specification are exempt from pre-completion sound testing. Full acoustic design involves a bespoke specification developed by an acoustic consultant for the specific project, followed by pre-completion testing. Robust Details typically suits volume housebuilders; full acoustic design is required for conversions, bespoke constructions, and projects where no suitable Robust Detail exists.
What happens if my development fails a Part E sound test?
Building control sign-off cannot be granted until a passing test result is achieved. The failed construction must be investigated, remediated, and retested. Remediation costs vary widely depending on the severity of the failure and how accessible the construction is. NOVA Acoustics can review test results, identify causes, and advise on remediation.
Does Part E apply in Scotland and Wales?
Scotland has its own equivalent provisions under Section 5 of the Technical Handbook. Wales operates under its own version of Approved Document E. Northern Ireland uses Technical Booklet G. The principles are broadly similar but the specific requirements and testing protocols differ by jurisdiction. An acoustic consultant familiar with the relevant jurisdiction should be consulted for projects outside England.
Summary
Passing Part E requires a combination of correct design, correct products, and quality workmanship. No single technique or product achieves compliance on its own. The most common and most costly failures (poor airtightness, flanking transmission, product substitution, and marginal design with no buffer) are all preventable with the right advice early in the process and clear communication with the site team during construction.
The standard is a minimum threshold, not a performance goal. Occupants in a building that scraped through at 45 dB will notice. Designing with a margin above the minimum, and then testing to verify performance before occupation, is the straightforward approach that avoids both regulatory delays and unhappy residents.
NOVA Acoustics provides acoustic design advice, pre-completion testing, and remediation support under one roof. UKAS accreditation (No. 8568) means the testing meets the standard now required by building control authorities across England.
Get the design right before you build, or get expert support if a test has already failed.
Browse our free sound insulation design resource or contact your nearest NOVA team.
Sources
- Approved Document E: Resistance to the Passage of Sound. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The primary regulatory document on which this guide is based. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resistance-to-the-passage-of-sound-approved-document-e
- Building Regulations 2010: Part E (Sound Insulation). UK legislation underpinning the Approved Document E guidance. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/contents/made
- Robust Details Scheme. Robust Details Ltd. The registration scheme for plot-based exemptions from pre-completion testing. https://www.robustdetails.com
- BB93: Acoustic Design of Schools. Department for Education. The acoustic standard for educational buildings referenced in ADE Section 8. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bb93-acoustic-design-of-schools-performance-standards
- ISO 16283: Field measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements. International Organisation for Standardisation. The measurement standard underpinning Part E testing procedure. https://www.iso.org/standard/66012.html
- Technical Handbook: Section 5, Noise. Scottish Government. The equivalent provisions for Scotland. https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-standards-technical-handbook-domestic/
- UKAS Accreditation. United Kingdom Accreditation Service. The national body for independent accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories. NOVA Acoustics holds UKAS accreditation No. 8568. https://www.ukas.com
- Institute of Acoustics (IOA). The professional body for acousticians in the UK. https://www.ioa.org.uk
Recent posts
Part E of the Building Regulations sets minimum sound insulation standards for new residential buildings and dwellings created through material change of use. Compliance is demonstrated through pre-completion sound testing, an on-site acoustic measurement carried out before a building is occupied. The key performance targets are DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 45 dB for airborne sound (walls and floors between dwellings) and L'nT,w ≤ 45 dB for impact sound (floors). Achieving these figures consistently requires correct specification of the separating construction, attention to flanking paths, and quality workmanship throughout; selecting the right product is only one part of it.
BS 4142 is the British Standard used to assess the impact of industrial and commercial noise on nearby sensitive premises. It works by comparing the rating level of a specific noise source (adjusted for acoustic character) against the prevailing background noise level at the nearest receptor. A difference of around +10 dB or more indicates a likely significant adverse impact. Around +5 dB indicates a likely adverse impact. At or below background indicates negligible impact. Most local planning authorities require a BS4142 assessment when new commercial or industrial premises are proposed near residential properties, or when fixed plant and equipment is being installed. The 2019 amendment (BS4142:2014+A1:2019) introduced important updates to methodology that all current assessments must reflect.