Building before warrant signed off

fizzscone

Evening all.

We've recently resubmitted plans for a single story extension for the building regs to be signed off, the first plan was rejected for a couple of minor things.

It was sent back to the council just over a week ago and I'm hopeful that everything will be signed off in the next 5 to 10 days.

As winter is round the corner, I'm keen to get started now. It's not a huge extension, didn't require permision but I'm told it's like to take about a week for the kit to be built.

I know it's a bit of a gamble and I'm probably best to wait but time is ticking. My question is, does anyone have any good or bad experiences of starting the work prior to everything being signed off? I would add I stay in Scotland.

Thanks

teneighty

I don't know how things work in Scotland but in England you can start work before you receive full plans approval. But you still have to give 48 hours notice prior to commencement and still arrange site inspections.

Officially you proceed at your own risk so if you do any work that does not comply then you might have to change it. Having said that if you are only digging out the foundations and possibly building up to DPC level there isn't much you can get wrong.

Down here the building inspector will still come out and make the necessary inspections such as the foundation trenches.Obviously until you start digging you never really know what the ground will be like so even if you had approval the foundations are usually an unknown quantity until you commence work.

System

completely different system in scotland, technically you can't start work on site until a warrant has been granted, however you can carryout works which don't require a warrant (so you can dig your founds and drainage runs etc.
The thing with a warrant is that it's really just permission to build and showing you can comply with the regs, your application wasn't "refused" as such, building standards have just asked for clarification on some points - if there were no queries returned about below ground things or activity spaces etc then there's less that might change resulting from building standards queries.
It's always a risk to start early but only you can understand mitigate the risk

mvteng

fizzscone wrote: »

It was sent back to the council just over a week ago and I'm hopeful that everything will be signed off in the next 5 to 10 days.

Not sure where you stay, but if its Edinburgh then I doubt that timescale will realistic

jk0

I think human nature dictates that if you go ahead without permission, you will find someone has a problem with what you've done, if only for devilment.