Professional Sound Insulation & Air
Tightness Testing
Specialist acoustic and air permeability testing ensuring your developments comply with Approved Document Part E and Part L of the Building Regulations. Fast, reliable pre-completion testing services across the UK.
Experience
Unrivalled Expertise.
Exceptional Service.
Hart Sound & Air Testing Ltd is a specialist testing company providing comprehensive sound insulation and air permeability testing services. Our team of fully qualified and experienced engineers is dedicated to delivering accurate assessments tailored to your project's requirements.
We work with developers, builders, architects, and housing associations to ensure full compliance with the Building Regulations. Whether you require sound testing for a single conversion or air testing across a 200-unit development, we have the expertise and equipment to deliver.
"To help our clients achieve project compliance and reduce risk by providing acoustic and air testing expertise in a friendly, cost-effective, and transparent way."
Comprehensive Testing Solutions
We provide a full range of pre-completion testing and acoustic services to ensure your project meets all regulatory requirements.
Sound Insulation Testing
Pre-completion testing to Approved Document Part E of the Building Regulations. Sound insulation testing assesses the performance of party elements — separating walls and floors — between residential dwellings.
- Airborne sound testing — walls & floors for noise through air (conversations, TV)
- Impact sound testing — floors for noise through impact (footsteps)
- New-build & change-of-use developments
- Hotels, student halls & residential
- Pre-completion certification
What's a full set of tests?
- 2 × airborne wall tests
- 2 × airborne floor tests
- 2 × impact floor tests
Air Tightness Testing
Air permeability testing to Approved Document Part L of the Building Regulations. We measure the air leakage rate of your building envelope using calibrated blower door equipment to assess how well the building retains conditioned air.
- Domestic properties — Part L1A compliance
- Commercial buildings — Part L2A compliance
- Blower door (fan pressurisation) testing
- EPC & SAP-ready reporting
- Recommendations for improvement
Why is air testing important?
Excessive air leakage wastes energy and increases carbon emissions. Testing ensures your building meets energy efficiency targets.
Pre-Build Consultancy
Expert advice during design and construction phases to help you achieve compliance first time, avoiding costly remedial works and project delays. We assess your construction details and provide tailored recommendations.
- Design stage acoustic advice
- Construction detail reviews
- Remedial works guidance
- Wall & floor specification reviews
- Risk reduction strategies
Save time & money
Getting advice early avoids costly failures. We help you get it right the first time.
Understanding Compliance
Everything you need to know about sound and air testing requirements for your development.
When is sound testing needed?
Part E (2003) stipulates that sound insulation tests must be conducted in all residential developments involving party elements (walls and/or floors). This applies to:
- All new-build residential developments
- Conversions creating adjoining dwellings
- Material change of use developments
- Hotels & university halls of residence
A minimum sample of 10% of properties require testing, assuming the same construction details are used throughout.
Performance Criteria
| Element | Airborne | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Floor (new build) | DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 45 dB | L'nT,w ≤ 62 dB |
| Floor (change of use) | DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 43 dB | L'nT,w ≤ 64 dB |
| Wall (new build) | DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 45 dB | — |
| Wall (change of use) | DnT,w + Ctr ≥ 43 dB | — |
When is air testing needed?
Approved Document Part L requires air permeability testing for all new dwellings and commercial buildings to demonstrate energy efficiency and limit heat loss through uncontrolled air leakage.
- New domestic dwellings (Part L1A)
- New commercial buildings (Part L2A)
- Extensions over a certain size
- Projects requiring an EPC
The design air permeability is declared in the SAP or SBEM calculation. The actual result must meet or better this target.
Typical Targets
| Building Type | Typical Target | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic (Part L1A) | ≤ 5 m³/(h·m²) @50Pa | ≤ 3 m³/(h·m²) @50Pa |
| Commercial (Part L2A) | ≤ 5 m³/(h·m²) @50Pa | ≤ 3 m³/(h·m²) @50Pa |
| Passivhaus | ≤ 1 m³/(h·m²) @50Pa | ≤ 0.6 ACH @50Pa |
Site Conditions Required for Testing
To ensure accurate results, the following must be in place before our engineers attend site:
Our Simple 4-Step Process
From booking to certification, we make compliance testing straightforward and hassle-free.
Get in Touch
Contact us with your project details. We'll provide a competitive, fixed-price quote and schedule a convenient testing date.
Site Visit
Our qualified engineers attend site with fully calibrated equipment, ready to perform all required tests efficiently.
Testing
We conduct thorough testing in accordance with BS EN ISO standards, ensuring accurate and reliable results every time.
Certification
Receive your detailed test report and compliance certificate, typically within 24 hours of testing.
The Hart Sound & Air Difference
Our team of experienced acoustic and air testing engineers deliver tailored services for every project, no matter the scale or complexity.
Fast Turnaround
Results and reports delivered within 24 hours. We understand your project timelines and building control deadlines matter.
SITMA-Accredited Testing
All testing carried out to SITMA-accredited standards for sound insulation testing. Our engineers are fully qualified and test under approved quality procedures.
Competitive & Fixed Rates
Transparent, fixed pricing with no hidden fees. We provide our expertise at fair rates and offer volume discounts for larger projects.
UK-Wide Coverage
We cover projects across the entire United Kingdom, from single dwelling conversions to large-scale residential developments.
State-of-the-Art Equipment
Regularly calibrated, industry-leading testing equipment for precise, reliable measurements you can depend on.
Helpful, Friendly Team
We believe in a personal, approachable service. Our engineers are happy to explain results, offer advice, and help resolve any issues.
Accreditations & Standards
Sound Insulation Testing
Compliant
Regulations
Sustainability
What Our Clients Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from some of the developers, contractors, and architects we've worked with.
"Excellent service from start to finish. The team was professional, punctual, and the reports were delivered the same day. They explained all the results clearly and even advised on some minor improvements. Highly recommended for any developer needing fast, reliable testing."
"We've used Hart Sound & Air Testing on multiple projects and they always deliver. Competitive prices, speedy reports, and genuine expertise. The engineers were thorough in running all tests and very happy to assess any direction of noise we wanted. Our go-to testing company."
"Very knowledgeable team who provided great pre-build advice that saved us significant time and money. The testing was thorough and all units passed first time. It's the one thing I didn't want to get wrong with the project and feel really confident in the results."
"Thank you for the speedy turnaround on the quote, arranging access and the report. Great service — we will definitely be contacting you again for our upcoming developments."
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend booking testing as early as possible in the construction programme. Sound insulation testing and air tightness testing should be carried out at the pre-completion stage, once the property is substantially complete but before carpets and soft floor coverings are installed.
We are SITMA (Sound Insulation Testing Members Association) accredited for sound insulation testing. Approved Document E requires that testing is carried out by a suitably accredited test body, and our SITMA accreditation meets this requirement.
For sound testing, Part E requires a minimum sample of 1 in 10 (10%) of dwellings to be tested, assuming the same wall and floor construction details are adopted throughout. More testing may be required if there are multiple construction types. For air testing, the sampling rate depends on the building type and local building control requirements.
If a test doesn't meet the required standard, our engineers can advise on potential remedial works to improve performance. Once remedial works have been carried out, we can return to re-test. We offer competitive rates for re-testing and our pre-build consultancy service can help you avoid failures in the first place.
We pride ourselves on our flexibility and fast response times. In most cases we can attend site within a few days of booking, and for urgent requirements we can often accommodate next-day testing. Reports are typically delivered within 24 hours.
Yes — we provide nationwide coverage across the entire United Kingdom. Whether your project is in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Scotland, Wales, or anywhere else in the UK, we can help.
Request a Free Quote
Ready to book your testing or need advice on compliance? Get in touch today and we'll get back to you promptly with a competitive, fixed-price quote.
Call Us
07526 299 530Email Us
info@hartsoundairtesting.co.ukWorking Hours
Mon – Fri: 7:00am – 6:00pm
Sat: 8:00am – 2:00pm
Coverage
Nationwide UK-wide service
Request a Callback
Prefer us to call you? Leave your number and we'll ring you back.