Creating new doorway (internal - load bearing wall) and Buidling Control inspection

andywalker2005

Hi,

I am in process of creating new internal doorway (normal size for around 760mm door) in my house. Its under load bearing wall.

I have submitted the building control application and paid the fees. They are still "validating" the application aparantly. The total cost of the job is £800 (quoted me from builder). It just need concerte lintel - prob. regular jobs for lot of builders. 

When I rang the council (two different times to two different call center reprentative) they got me two response (not from Building control department but from 1st line support I think).
- 1 said I might need to hire structural enginner (costs £400)
- Other said they need to arrange 3 different visits to get the approval done!

Has anyone got any experince of simiar work? Do I really need to hire structural enginner for £800 job!! and do they visit 3 time?!!

Thanks

Section62

andywalker2005 said:

Hi,

I am in process of creating new internal doorway (normal size for around 760mm door) in my house. Its under load bearing wall.

I have submitted the building control application and paid the fees. They are still "validating" the application aparantly. The total cost of the job is £800 (quoted me from builder). It just need concerte lintel - prob. regular jobs for lot of builders. 

When I rang the council (two different times to two different call center reprentative) they got me two response (not from Building control department but from 1st line support I think).
- 1 said I might need to hire structural enginner (costs £400)
- Other said they need to arrange 3 different visits to get the approval done!

Has anyone got any experince of simiar work? Do I really need to hire structural enginner for £800 job!! and do they visit 3 time?!!

Thanks

Often they won't visit at all - they just rely on pictures taken by you or the builder as the work progresses, and emailed to them.  The main thing to beware of is covering work before you get the nod from BC - for example not plastering and making good over the lintel until you know BC are happy with it.

Building control will let you know what their requirements are once the application has progressed beyond 'validating'.  I'd be surprised if they will require you to have SE calcs unless the lintel is sized for the barest minimum.  They will also let you know if they need to visit and how often, or whether submitted pictures would do.  Call centres just give generic advice, often assuming the worst case.

TELLIT01

I hope BC in your area is better than in ours.  They failed to turn up on a couple of occasions, then the person who turned up for the final inspection didn't have a clue what he was doing.  He asked questions relevant to the previous visits and thought I would know all the answer (I was the client not the builder).  In the end he just left and we got the final certificate.

andywalker2005

Thanks BC has sent me list of documents and one of them is this one which needs to be signed by the builder. Is this new thing? Aparently its new legislation. I am just concern that builder might not want to sign this for an £800 job.

No mention of hiring the Structural enginner yet.

Section62

andywalker2005 said:

Thanks BC has sent me list of documents and one of them is this one which needs to be signed by the builder. Is this new thing? Aparently its new legislation. I am just concern that builder might not want to sign this for an £800 job.

No mention of hiring the Structural enginner yet.

A notice of completion is one of the longstanding aspects of building control - it is what triggers the final inspection (if any) and issuing a completion certificate.

The person signing should be you (as client), as per the form.

andywalker2005

I have rang up the council and they say it needs to be the builder (or whoever is carrying out the work not me). This form was not there when I done a BC 2/3 years ago for a roof replacement.

Section62

andywalker2005 said:

I have rang up the council and they say it needs to be the builder (or whoever is carrying out the work not me).

Tell them their form is wrong then...

andywalker2005 said:

This form was not there when I done a BC 2/3 years ago for a roof replacement.

This council's use of this form might be new, but the requirement to give notice of completion is old.  See Regulation 14(5) of the 1985 Regulations (page 9 of the pdf)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1985/1065/pdfs/uksi_19851065_en.pdf

andywalker2005

There is also ther pages. (apologies I wasnt clear)

Section62

andywalker2005 said:

There is also ther pages. (apologies I wasnt clear)

You fill out and sign the client section.

You can fill out the section for the first principal contractor and then ask the builder to sign it.  If he refuses, then return the form to the council with a note saying the builder wouldn't sign.

If they are bothered, the council can contact the builder to find out what the problem is.

This is something which has changed relatively recently - in the past it was the building owner who had responsibility for compliance with building regs, and and who enforcement action could be taken against.  Now the builder (and the designer) have responsibilities (in addition to those of the building owner) and could be subject to enforcement action as well.

If the builder wouldn't be happy co-signing the completion notice you may need to think whether they are the right person to do structural work on your home.

andywalker2005

Section62 said:

andywalker2005 said:

There is also ther pages. (apologies I wasnt clear)

You fill out and sign the client section.

You can fill out the section for the first principal contractor and then ask the builder to sign it.  If he refuses, then return the form to the council with a note saying the builder wouldn't sign.

If they are bothered, the council can contact the builder to find out what the problem is.

This is something which has changed relatively recently - in the past it was the building owner who had responsibility for compliance with building regs, and and who enforcement action could be taken against.  Now the builder (and the designer) have responsibilities (in addition to those of the building owner) and could be subject to enforcement action as well.

If the builder wouldn't be happy co-signing the completion notice you may need to think whether they are the right person to do structural work on your home.

> If the builder wouldn't be happy co-signing the completion notice you may need to think whether they are the > right person to do structural work on your home.

True

Thanks

andywalker2005

Thanks @Section62 for the prompt and sound responses