Building control firm liquidation

[Marmoot]

Hi,

we are building (have built) a single story extension and are awaiting final inspection to sign off building regs. We have been using PWC building control as a private firm to do this. They have been very difficult get hold of the last couple of months and we had an email from them on Friday to say they are going into liquidation. We have had them round for periodic inspections at key times but have had no paperwork from them throughout the process. They are now not answering any calls or emails. They have not filed for liquidation with companies house, they have not passed there cases to the local authorities, neither RIBA nor BRS have been informed by PWC they are liquidating.

My questions to the community
1) is anyone else using PWC? What’s your current experience? How are you proceeding?
2) has anyone had this experience of building control firm just stopping work and decided to suck up costs and go to Regularisation? I know this will involve intrusive work to demonstrate to LA. Can anyone share what intrusive work was required?

Thanks

 

[^woody^]

Going into or being in liquidation does not mean they stop work, but yes they may not be actually doing much whilst in that process.

The job reverts back to the local authority or gets passed to another private firm.

Give your council a call, ask to speak with one of the managers at building control ( not an inspector) and get advice.

Any opening up is a case a fact and degree, it will be job specific and based on the quality of previous inspection and record keeping.

 

[Marmoot]

Thanks Woody. Local authority building control weren’t much help. They have just said keep chasing or you can apply for regulation. They didn’t know anything about PWC going into liquidation. Perhaps we will try again and see if we can speak to someone else.

 

[Marmoot]

I am definitely worried about their record keeping, as I have no way to know what it was like.

 

[^woody^]

That's unusual as there are normally alerts that go round when private inspectors are in trouble. The key thing is to speak with a manager though who should know the process of private inspectors' being would up, and the options if any.

Try the Building Safety Regulator, these control inspectors and firms www.hse.gov.uk/building-safety/regulator.htm

Also try any professional association the firm may be a member of

 

[Marmoot]

Thanks. We have spoken to BRS. They have had similar calls from people using PWC who have been told they have gone into liquidation but PWC have not informed BRS either so not able to give specific advice at the moment.

It seems they have told their customers by email (and then gone silent) but not LA, regulator or filed with Companies house.

 

[^woody^]

The firm will be insured, so that's another avenue to pursue if the firm has been negligent and failed to carry out their contracted and legal duties to inspect and record and you incur losses because of that. And your home insurer may help with that.

 

[wessex101]

There was a case a few years ago when one of the big private building control firms went bust. I seem to recall people had to pay the local council for a new application.
My memory is a bit hazy but I seem to recall that some councils were accepting written inspection records (if they were available) from the failed building control company others were insisting on opening up completed works for re-inspection. A lot of the inspection records were not available, either they had not been written up or the staff left behind to sort out the mess were overwhelmed by the number of requests so a lot of customers had to open up for re-inspection.
I have a nasty feeling the private company I use may be in trouble as their service has taken a turn for the worse and is now appalling. I'll be using the local authorities from now on.

 

[Marmoot]

Thanks wessex. That is what I have read too. Looking to see if anyone has direct experience. Would also be good to know if anyone else is having trouble with PWC too.

 

[RandomGrinch]

Would also be good to know if anyone else is having trouble with PWC too.

You just gave to look at some of their recent reviews, to see other people are having similar issues...

Unit 6, PWC Building Control Services LTD, Selby Barns, Duncote, Towcester NN12 8AL - Google Search

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Looks like they got rap across the knuckles last year too: https://www.cicair.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Sanction-Notification-PWC.pdf

 

[ajstoneservices]

We are going through the same thing having used AIS Chartered Surveyors Ltd. We were expecting our completion certificate back in January but they kept dragging their feet and asking for certificates that didn't apply to our build. Then out of the blue we found out that they had ceased trading. We are now in the hands of the local authority (reversion) who have charged a 30% premium on top of their usual fees. Having not heard from them for weeks despite having paid they told us we are at the back of the queue as their clients come first.

 

[Marmoot]

@ajstoneservices: how did the reversion come about? Did the building control company pass the case to the local authority? Did you get interim certificates or case notes?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Jeez if anyone ever needed just one reason to not go private this is it.

 

[ajstoneservices]

Our architect contacted CNC (local authority BC) to tell them what had happened and a few days later they were informed from another source( I can't remember who).

We do have site survey reports and photos taken by surveyors from ACS. They are a sister company of AIS They are still trading.

We could not ask another private BC to take over as cases like ours can only revert to the the local authority.