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I need some advice as I'm banging my head against the desk here.
We selfbuilt our house (we've been in 3 years now) but still don't have building regs sign off.
I paid for a 'structural warranty' that was combined with building regs sign off. The warranty provider sub-contracted inspections to a surveying firm who did the inspections that are supposed to cover both the building regulations sign off and the warranty.
It's not a brick box with a tiled pitched roof so it was never going to be completely straightforward. We did nearly all the work ourselves which also added complications.
However, sign off has been dragging on for most of this year and I seem to be getting nowhere. The 'house complete' inspection was in August 17. There were a few things they weren't happy about so we addressed them and they inspected again (a different surveyor as the first had left) in May18. He raised a few new items.
My only contact was with an 'admin' person rather than the surveyor so he could never explain what was being asked for (eg 'we need to see the specs/design for X'. I'd send it, it wouldn't be ticked off the list. I'd ask what was wrong 'we need to see the specs/design). Weeks would go by without response.
The surveyors issued a final sign off that didn't reflect things we'd evidenced we had done. We're accepting one or two elements are non-compliant but they've not signed off on our drainage (which is not in any way unusual and I still don't understand what their issue was as I sent everything they asked for, but of course never got to speak directly to the person who was doing the sign off).
They sent a final sheet to the warranty people that included as 'not done' stuff (a rooflight) they had agreed 2 years before in emails, and again a year before when i pointed them back at the first comms.
It's now been 3 months since then and a reissue of the Building Regs hasn't happened. The Warranty people also say the surveyors are unresponsive (though they asked me yesterday about the rooflight signoff when I'd forwarded them the email train on that back in September).
How do I actually escalate this or make something happen? I never get to speak to anyone senior who can actually make a decision or do anything. Payment was all upfront so I've got no money to withhold. If I demand my money back it would be a huge job to get this signed off by someone else.
Any ideas?
Your contract is with the Warranty firm so I'd escalate via them. If an insurer which i suspect it may be, complaint process should be in your warranty wording/contract.
Dear bla-bla useless company,
with regard to our contract for building regs etc etc, as you have not discharged your duties as our contract dated such and such, we will be engaging such and such to complete the work which has not been carried.
Accordingly we will be counter charging you for the work.
Or, work out what's been submitted and agreed, what's outstanding and speak to AN Other firm who carries out this kind of work, tell them what you;re after, and ask what is the simplest, easiest and cheapest way of doing so. Send me a mail, I may be able to put you i contact with an Approved Inspector who we have had a lot of dealings with (on £200m+ projects) who might be able to help.
Thanks aP
I've put in formal complaints to both the company I contracted with and their subcontractor. I've given them two weeks to either resolve, or agree a timetabled plan for resolution with me. If that doesn't happen i've said I'll appoint someone else and seek to recover costs.
Cant believe i've let it drag on so long.
Find out the MD's name, work out his email and go straight to him. I dud it with MBNA a few yes back after months of being fobbed off. Fixed in under 10 days 🙂
Drive to the office, go in and explain you want to speak to somebody and will leave when it's sorted.
i think that once the initial notice has been served and the building has been started (or finished) your only option for a change in Building control inspector is to go to your local authority’s building control services. You can’t use another approved inspector. The issue there is that they may well require works to be opened up to inspect them for example footings, drainage, boxed in beams etc etc.
In my experience local authority building inspectors are far more thorough and sticklers for the rules than approved inspectors.