What is Sound Insulation Testing?
Sound Insulation Testing (also known as Part E testing or acoustic testing) is the pre-completion testing required under Approved Document E of the Building Regulations to demonstrate that separating walls and floors between dwellings achieve the required levels of airborne and impact sound insulation.
Tests are required for:
- New-build flats and houses where there is a separating element between dwellings.
- Conversions and material changes of use that create new separating walls or floors.
- Rooms for residential purposes (e.g. student accommodation, care homes, hotels).
How the test works
A UKBC acoustic engineer will visit your site and run two types of test on the relevant separating elements:
- Airborne sound test — a calibrated loudspeaker generates pink noise in the source room, and a sound level meter measures the level reaching the receiving room.
- Impact sound test — a standardised tapping machine drops weighted hammers onto the separating floor, and the impact noise reaching the room below is measured.
Each test takes around 20–30 minutes per element. A typical pair of flats with one separating wall and one separating floor takes about half a day.
Site readiness for sound insulation testing
For the test to be valid, the property needs to be substantially complete:
- All windows and doors fitted and closed.
- Mains power available so the loudspeaker and tapping machine can run.
- All sockets, switches and penetrations sealed.
- Floor finishes and skirting fitted.
- No noisy site activity within or adjacent to the property during testing.
Get our full Site Readiness Checklists to share with your site team before we arrive.