"Employing local authority building inspectors to oversee a job is like paying to have your backside kicked". Discuss.
Local Authority Building Control.
- Thread starter tony1851
- Start date
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Providing you apply in writing Tony, it will give us great satisfaction to kick your ar*e free of charge.
Regards oldun
Regards oldun
What do you mean by "oversee?"
As in paying them to be quality control, clerk of the works, project manager etc....?
I made an incorrect choice of word in my haste to get this off my chest.
By 'oversee', I meant; 'snooping and prodding in every single nook and cranny until they find some tiny problem - usually of no real consequence - and then going back to the office satisfied that they've caused the builder/client/designer more expense and work'.
That explain it better?
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Providing you apply in writing Tony, it will give us great satisfaction to kick your ar*e free of charge.
Regards oldun
What's new? I often get my a*s kicked here without even asking.
You've nothing to fear if you just do things right.
Having said that, I know of one BCO, affectionately called "woolly cardie man" who lacks any notion of common sense, and smugly quotes regulations from the comfort of his woolly cardie whilst offering little practical help.
Having said that, I know of one BCO, affectionately called "woolly cardie man" who lacks any notion of common sense, and smugly quotes regulations from the comfort of his woolly cardie whilst offering little practical help.
Yes, but there are times when strict application of a regulation is just plain stupid.
I've just done a kitchen extension to 1930s semi in which the BCO has asked for a gas membrane under the extension and through the new walls. The extension represents about 20% of the footprint of the original house, which has a conventional suspended floor. How ridiculous is that?
I'm sure a private inspector would have applied commn sense and let that go.
Under certain conditions (ie it appears on the radon maps in the shaded or coloured areas) radon protection is required. Part C derives much of its radon protection requirements from BRE 211, only if the extension is a little used part of the house (like a porch) can it be excluded from protection. If proper attention is applied at the right stage radon protection can easily be implemented and will not cost any more to install. After the build its another matter .....
Yes Tony, but that is like saying why should an extension be insulated to latest regs, when the rest of the house is 100 years old and leaking heat like a sieve
There is no discretion about when regulations should be applied or not, and the BCO is in an awkward place if he is expected to pick and choose what to apply - especially on the life safety issues such as radon barriers
There is no discretion about when regulations should be applied or not, and the BCO is in an awkward place if he is expected to pick and choose what to apply - especially on the life safety issues such as radon barriers
Where's Theoldun? See, mate, I've had my a*s kicked again wihout even asking
The barrier I was refering to was the common-or-garden methane barrier, as the property is within x meters - or whatever it is - from an old tip.
By coincidence, just a few yards from where I live, are some post-War houses built directly on top of an old tip (they have cellars because of the poor ground). So far as I'm aware, the residents haven't been dropping like flies as a result.
Going back to the subject of nit-picking by inspectors; a few weeks ago I submitted plans to a council for a small (3.5 sq m) utility room. The BCO came back with 2 A4 sides of amendments/additional notes. Now I've been drawing plans for domestics since 1851, so I know one or two building regulations, but that's just ridiculous and serves no useful purpose at all.
Either that or you're bloody awful at what you do!
Interesting.
A few weeks ago I bumped into an old family friend who I haven't seen for about 15 years. He told me he is now in the construction game and mainly does new builds etc.
Whilst chewing the fat with him he told me he always employs a private building regulations inspector. He said the private guys approached an issue trying to find a solution not just pointing out problems.
Anyway, that just got me wondering how much do these guys charge? Are they too expensive to make them a viable choice for domestic work?
Thanks
A few weeks ago I bumped into an old family friend who I haven't seen for about 15 years. He told me he is now in the construction game and mainly does new builds etc.
Whilst chewing the fat with him he told me he always employs a private building regulations inspector. He said the private guys approached an issue trying to find a solution not just pointing out problems.
Anyway, that just got me wondering how much do these guys charge? Are they too expensive to make them a viable choice for domestic work?
Thanks
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