Problems with regularisation after AEDIS collapse

H1nn1h

Hello

I’d like advice about work done on my property. Once completed, I asked for certification and was told by the builder it was overseen by AEDIS who had collapsed so I needed to apply to the council for regularisation. (As it turns out, my builder said they had passed the details on the AEDIS before the build started, who should have contacted me for payment etc but this never happened.)

Trying to get things sorted with the council was a challenge, photos needed of everything, plans of before and after etc which seemed over the top for a modest project (remove load bearing wall, take out door and window, put new window in the place of the old one). 

Eventually got the load bearing wall sorted. Seem to be stalemate with the window. The council states that needs to be safety glass with a markers mark (builder says that’s not a thing in residential properties) and or needs to have a lintel.  My builder hasn’t put one in and says there are none in the Rest of the property. 

I’m not sure where I stand, council won’t budge (plus wants more money to certify the window as apparently it’s not in the original regularisation fee). Builder is not interested. Do I have any rights here? I’m assuming that the window while it doesn’t meet the current regs is actually ok in reality. Can I just get insurance for this if I come to sell the property? 

FreeBear

H1nn1h said: Eventually got the load bearing wall sorted. Seem to be stalemate with the window. The council states that needs to be safety glass with a markers mark (builder says that’s not a thing in residential properties) and or needs to have a lintel.  My builder hasn’t put one in and says there are none in the Rest of the property.

Depending on the size & height from the floor, the window may well need to be toughened (safety) glass. Any opening in a wall requires adequate support either from an arch or from a lintel. Matters not if the rest of the house doesn't have lintels, it is the one having a new frame inserted that needs to conform to current regulations. Your builder is wrong.

If your other windows & doors don't have lintels and are uPVC frames, you need to get them sorted before the outer leaf starts to collapse.

H1nn1h

Thanks for that, is there any sort of come back on my builder here? They basically just say it’s fine and I suspect I will have to pay them again to get them to put a lintel in. 

Jeepers_Creepers

What plans were the builder using for this work? What does that show?

And were you informed beforehand that it would be overseen by AEDIS as opposed to the LA's BC?

H1nn1h

I don’t know what plans he was using-I don’t remember any. It was/should have been a simple job. Remove load bearing wall, move another wall back slightly. Remove exterior door and window and replace with brickwork and a window. 

I wasn’t informed who would be doing the building control beforehand. It was being sorted by the builder.

His introduction/estimate documents say that work would comply with current building regs and that work would be inspected at the relevant stages by building inspectors at all relevant stages. 

It does say that cost of the building inspection fees are not included. At the time I thought all was being sorted by him and didn’t twig that I had not had any contact from building inspectors. They said that they had contacted AEDIS and they thought all ok at their end. 

Thanks for your reply 

PabloRG

Have you got legal expenses on your home insurance (or even car insurance)? If so call them, explain the situation and they may help with a claim against the builder.