Council building inspector

Sallycyc

Was it just me or if all building inspectors are giving people very hard times? Everytime they came inspect something they always found something to fail us, even my structure engineer are not too sure why??
We are just a normal family who are trying to build a better home, why is it so hard?

Doozergirl

It depends on who you get. Some are happy to offer advice and work as a team, others think they're some kind of supersleuth and will pick holes and measure mud trenches to the millimetre.

cyclonebri1

And don't forget many LAs now use independent companies for building inspections rather than their own employees so maybe they have a need to prove themselves.

In our area at least you can choose to use one of these bodies that you pick yourself, maybe that can help in some cases?

Sallycyc

Will definitely use an independent building inspector next time!

teneighty

The building control officer's job is to check for compliance with the Building Regulations, a bit like an MOT test for a new building. Within that there is some scope for interpretation and opinion by the officer.


If you are not happy with their interpretation you are perfectly entitled to put forward a counter argument to demonstrate that the work will comply with the regulations. You do not have to accept their pronouncements blindly as if it were the word of god.


A good builder; designer; project manager can be worth their weight in gold if you have a pedantic inspector. I have always found them very easy to deal with but then I always use the full plans submission route so the site inspections are relatively straight forward.