What are approved inspectors meant to do?

[tony1851]

I have read and re-read you post several times to make sure that I understand the situation.
Sorry, but you have no redress against the BCO - he has done nothing wrong and has not been negligent. He is also under no obligation to provide you with an opinion on what would happen without the beam being installed.
This might be a fraudulent act by the builder, but the inspector is under no duty to act as a 'building policeman' and chase these things up.
Building Control cannot be 100% on the ball - it doesn't act like that. If you take your car for an MoT, it may officially pass, but that doesn't mean it's 100% roadworthy. It's down to statistics, really. The Building Regulations regime just aims to prevent serious, life-threatening failures, which in this country it does. Beyond that, it's down to relations between builder and client.
I suspect that if you try and sue your BCO, you'll just get nothing except frustration.

 

[noseall]

First you say this........

.
I sack my builder and my new builder finds that this beam was never installed in the first place.

Then you say.....

.
So surely the bco has to take some responsibility here. He should have said to the builder "I need you to call me when the beam is in place so that I can inspect it."

Surely the BCO is still waiting for the call....er.....and the beam?

 

[Nakajo]

Not that it makes much difference, but I'm still unclear - is it an AI or a BCO?

 

[tony1851]

AI, I think.

 

[^woody^]

It's BS.

The OP has made several of these posts since last year.

 

[motorbiking]

having had excellent service from the authority inspector and fairly mediocre service from the private firm, whom i'm still chasing for sign off despite there being no outstanding issues, i think next time i'll go with the in house team.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

edit

 

[Richard Caville]

Ive enquired about BC with my council and told i have to pay £330!! Is this the going rate? Seems from the above posts that its going to be a lot of money for brief visits! Must be a money spinner for the council on projects that dont need planning permission!

Mine is a part garage conversion in an integrated bungalow to make a craft room for the wife. Its already got a fire rated partition...the window install will be by proper installer, lighting by electrician, so does BCO really need to check the partition before plastering? Do they give a certificate for that or what for whenever a future house sale is conducted...not that we intend moving, its likely to be the kids that sell it!

 

[tony1851]

Seems about right, frankly.
You will get the certificate, but you may need to keep reminding them and chasing them up.

 

[noseall]

told i have to pay £330........a lot of money for brief visits! Must be a money spinner for the council

I doubt it. Do you think your £330 just buys you the visits? How many visits do you think you are limited to? Do you think you will be charged more for visits that are longer than say 10 minutes?

 

[garyo]

You pay on a sliding scale according to the size of the work. My last 2 storey extension (5m X 3m) was around £700 if I remember rightly.