About to embark on a loft conversion....sooo many costs!

Jon_Tiffany

confusedroast wrote: »

the dimensions, what materials we are using, the stircase with the fire door at the top and the MOE velux window nearest to the stairs

You may not need the MOE velux - what is required is to have an escape route with 30 mins fire resistance. For our loft conversion the escape route was down the stairs and out the front door. It meant all doors to the habitable areas on the ground and first floor landings had to be fire doors. My understanding is that most planners now prefer this as a means of escape aparently not many peopler ever escape by jumping off the roof, most try to get to the front door.

Note that fire doors must also have fire rated hinges fitted - many people are not aware of this.

kmmr

My architect has told me to use a private building control company. Similar price, but apparently much more reliable in terms of timing and availability. So he says.... I'll report back in a few months!

Jon_Tiffany

kmmr wrote: »

My architect has told me to use a private building control company. Similar price, but apparently much more reliable in terms of timing and availability. So he says.... I'll report back in a few months!

My experience of our local BCO was very good, they came out a few times at short notice and were very helpfull in giving advice. I guess that this is something that varies between different councils and individual BCOs.

chappers

kmmr wrote: »

My architect has told me to use a private building control company. Similar price, but apparently much more reliable in terms of timing and availability. So he says.... I'll report back in a few months!

I am currently working on a job with a private BC and have found exactly the opposite, they are not local and appoinments don't always fit in with the schedule of works, whereas,in my experience LABC will usually turn up same or next day, but that being said the private company seem ok with taking our answers to their questions or photographic evidence as ok.

To the OP , you shouldn't have to submit any specs for a building notice, but depending on how au fait your builder is with the regs will depend on how smoothely the process will go.
I have done loads of loft coversions under building notices and would be happy to specify most local loft conversions over most architects. the one thing I will say though is , that depending on how standard your conversion is and how familiar the BCO is with conversions to similar properties in your area, will depend on whether they are happy to either advise or take your builder's word for the stuctural elements in the conversion, or whether they will want calcs from a SE.
If you need structural calcs then you will have to just bite the bullet on this one though either your builder or SE can just draw on your original drawings and the SE just provide the calcs based on these.
Though to be honest the more specification that is laid down before commencement of works the easier things go and the less surprising the cost will be at the end.
A MOE velux is no longer a requirement to the regs but as has been mentioned a protected stairway is.

confusedroast

oh okay well shall I just buy the normal 3 velux windows - all are 78 x 118 and are centre pivoted so you could easily get out of them - I suppose if the building control officer turns up and says - no you need a MOE then I can send one window back and exchange it
My husband and I are ready with a ruler and graph paper tonight to draw up the plans as the council have told me they need the plans 6 weeks in advance - so now really
I am a leaseholder so already have all the ordance survey stuff

One more thing - in order to get the staircase up from the landing my builder has said we should block off the living room door and then we have the perfect 800mm width space for a proper staircase, he wants to knock through the kitchen diner into the living room, the wall that is there is MDF its not a structural wall, we wont be taking it to the beam just half way up and putting in sliding doors, so you think I could put this on the plans and get the BCO to check this when he comes round?