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Original poster

Building Regs

25 replies

FebruaryPosting · 04/04/2023 15:52

I have another thread going about our builder walking out....
We have sent him a 'letter before action' (I think it's called), and he's got until the 16th April to respond/pay for the work he's been paid for but didn't complete.

We also had a leak a couple of weeks ago (coming from the bathroom into the kitchen/diner) that cost £500 to fix, and we sent him that invoice, which he did pay (when my OH said he'd come round to his house to collect it on a Saturday if he didn't pay within 48 hours....).

After looking into some things, we realised that part of the paperwork we don't have (along with guarantees for the floor and bifolds) we don't have any building regs.

They did internal work (knocking walls down), but we had some steel put in. We have been told we should have building regs for this?
A couple of people have also said, when they have seen photos/videos I took to show the progress, that the plasterboard used should have been pink/red around the steel, and not the 'normal' blue/grey one he used for the rest of the room?!

My OH is saying it's our responsibility to get building regs (after looking online), so is worried if we flag this up we'll get into trouble, but surely if a builder was doing a 10 week project, did the steels/plasterboard/plastering and didn't say 'Oh, you need to get building regs in now' at any point, how are we supposed to know when or if we need them?

He was the experienced builder, the project manager, and I didn't know (still don't) if/when building regs were needed?

I'm so exhausted by this, it's made me ill and unable to work with all the stress.... :(

OP posts:
Wale90 · 04/04/2023 15:59

It's your job to appoint building regs and have them come in at the appropriate times to sign of on work. However, I had no idea about this either until our builder pointed it out, and asked who ours were and who he should call to do the site visits.

He will have known it was necessary!

Original poster
FebruaryPosting · 04/04/2023 16:10

I used his recommended surveyor to get the structural survey done, and he would say 'I'll get X back to check X' numerous times.

If I didn't go to speak to him I wouldn't see him (I worked from the front lounge with the door closed and would leave the front door open for him to come and go), and would always say to let me know if he needed anything. Plus most mornings I would pop out to ask about XYZ.

He 100% knew when it needed to be done, but never said anything to me about it so I just assumed they were done (they might be, I have no idea) or weren't needed (again, no idea).
He was still working on the project 4 weeks after that part had been done (he did a bathroom and cloakroom too after) so surely at the plasterboard point he should have told us?

We trusted him. Which is also why we're in this predicament now....

OP posts:
WoolyMammoth55 · 04/04/2023 16:19

Hi OP, when we did our extension the builder/project manager gave me the heads up that a building regs inspection was due, and then I was the one who called them and arranged the visits.

They are a team at the council, you could find the number online and give them a call now to see if they have any record of your works. I found them super helpful to deal with, prompt to answer the phone, etc.

If it turns out that you don't have any building regs approval then it can be done now but they might have to knock a hole in the plaster to examine the steels and cladding etc. So it'll be a pain because there'll be work to make good after their inspection.

In terms of responsibility, I think it could be argued that there's fault on both sides honestly. We did our research before we started the works and understood what it entailed - found out did we need planning permission (no), did we need building regs (yes) and went ahead. In a perfect world your builder would sort it but I don't think it's part of his job, per se.

You will need to get it as often it invalidates your building insurance if there's works without building regs sign off.

Hope you get it sorted. Best of luck.

Original poster
FebruaryPosting · 04/04/2023 16:25

This is what my OH is worried about, if we flag it up we'll be the ones out of pocket (again) and having to put right his work, again.
I have photos and a video of the steels, which people have said is fine, the issue is the plasterboard used, and they think it's not the fire protective one. To put this 'right' would mean pulling down the ceiling across the whole house, and also part way into the kitchen, which would be a horrific mess, cost thousands we don't have, and we'd also have to find someone to do it....

I did wonder about contacting the building surveyor, the one who did the structural survey I paid for, to see if he did ever come?

😔

OP posts:
user56912 · 04/04/2023 16:34

I actually read your thread and wondered if I'd posted it without remembering OP. I have all the same issues, right down to the lack of pink plasterboard. In our case the steel is in the kitchen and we are pretty sure from using a camera through a light fitting hole that the steel isn't wrapped. It will costs thousands to put right. Its so extremely stressful so I feel for you. Sad

Original poster
FebruaryPosting · 04/04/2023 16:39

user56912 - What do you mean by wrapped?

What will you do? :(

I can see in my photos and videos the steel has plasterboard around it, just not the pink one.... I was half hoping the steel would be some super fire repellant one that didn't need the pink, but that's probably not gonna happen....

OP posts:
IsAGirlMumma · 04/04/2023 16:45

My OH is a builder. He would always inform a client when/if they need building regs. He then pretty much (depending on location) recommends and uses the same guy every time.

A builder should know current refs eg using pink board over a steel, which is part of fire regulations.

user56912 · 04/04/2023 16:47

The steel can be encased in the pink plasterboard (or potentially in two layers of normal plasterboard) and that will be ok and mean the rest of the ceiling can be done in normal plasterboard.

In our case the steel isn't encased in anything. If you took down the ceiling you would see the bare steel

Original poster
FebruaryPosting · 04/04/2023 16:53

user56912 - Bloody hell! 😱 What will you do?

I guess we can only hope that the steel has 2 layers of plasterboard then?! Although they'd still need to check it all, and if they discover it's not then we're in trouble...

OP posts:
user56912 · 04/04/2023 17:06

I am bracing myself to get a hole made to see for sure. I've been delaying and sticking my head in the sand because I don't want to know.

In two rooms we could fairly easily overlay the ceiling in a second layer of plasterboard but we would have to remove coving and replace it and then redecorate so probably talking a few thousand each in those rooms. In the kitchen it will be major cost even if we do that because the kitchen units go right to the ceiling and my steel is a goal post (two uprights and a cross bar) so my splashback would have to be smashed out etc.

My builders didn't want to involve building regs at all so building control saw nothing as we went along. We've had to uncover footings etc already. It's a horrible shit show and I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown over it.

Original poster
FebruaryPosting · 04/04/2023 17:16

user56912 - I'm my gosh, I'm so sorry, yours seems far worse than ours.....

We trust these people, the 'experts', and they just crap all over us.....

OP posts:
shard5 · 04/04/2023 18:11

Oh my god op! Are you. In Bolton by any chance!?!
Pink plaster board is the fire proof one. Normally the builder would give you an option of using the local councils building controls or a company he's used before.

Original poster
FebruaryPosting · 04/04/2023 18:55

shard5 - South Coast, but seems there A LOT of them about!

OP posts:
shard5 · 04/04/2023 21:56

From my experience what I gathered was anybody can start up a company and advertise that they're in the construction business, get family and friends to leave good reviews.
There's no licencing required, no proof of any training and even building regs, when they're a private company, overlook loads and there's no recourse available to homeowners when theyve evidently missed the appropriate checks.

shard5 · 04/04/2023 22:00

The private company recommended to us through our builder did 4 visits, in none of them did they notice that he hadn't placed the beams correctly, or hadn't used the fire proof plaster boards, or pointed out that he was using the wrong insulation.
Matters came to a head one night when he had done some plumbing ( faulty) and come Eid morning the next day my house was dripping with water, even the light bulbs were full!
Building regs when they did get involved put the onus on us that homeowners should have been aware that things weren't being done correctly!

Ichosetheredpill · 04/04/2023 22:04

You have two options, OP, as far as I can see. Contact Building Regs at your local authority (or an approved partner) or get an appropriately qualified surveyor in to check the work. I work in this field but Building Regs isn’t my specialism so I can’t offer any advice specific to your build issues, but what I can say without any doubt (I was a senior officer in a local authority) is that we saw this all the time. Building Regs officers know when people are trying to pull the wool and when they’ve simply been messed around by their builder/professional. I’m now freelance and a good part of my work is putting this kind of thing right. If you tell Building Regs what you’ve posted here, I’d hope you’d find them supportive and helpful. You won’t be in trouble, but you will still need to put things right for your own safety and to keep the legal record straight for development on the house, so be prepared for that.

Ichosetheredpill · 04/04/2023 22:08

Two clarifications - an appropriately qualified and experienced surveyor and one that is nothing at all to do with your builder.

SnowSnow · 04/04/2023 22:17

Hi OP. I work in Building Control but am an inspector myself. Contact your council and apply for a Regularisation. It will unfortunately generally cost 50 per cent more than if it was applied for before the work was done as it is meant to act as a deterrent to not doing it at the time of work.

However don't panic they won't bat an eyelid. Lots of people don't realise they need Building Regs until selling their house and being asked for completion certificates and then need to apply for a Regularisation and it is urgent for them as can end up holding up the sale. Or quite commonly sometimes builders say they have sorted Building Regs and haven't or tell clients they don't need it when they do. We get several people a week apply after the work has been done when trying to sell their house.

SnowSnow · 04/04/2023 22:21

Sorry that should have read not an inspector myself

user56912 · 04/04/2023 22:28

Our buildings inspector at the local council has been very sympathetic and helpful.

shard5 · 05/04/2023 00:33

It's true that although our local council wouldn't touch it because the works had been under the care of a private company but they did give us invaluable information.
We ended up getting a surveyor in who did a thorough inspection. Unfortunately nearly 90percent of the work was against regs and some actually dangerous.
Cos us the other arm and leg to fix them complete the works. Still paying back that loan.

TizerorFizz · 05/04/2023 09:46

@FebruaryPosting
You do need to contact your BR inspectors. It might be the council or a private company.

Regarding a beam, it’s not just about size of beam. The calcs for size of beam should be submitted of course but it’s also important that it’s installed correctly. This means it’s embedded in the walls sufficiently to stop it twisting in a fire. If it did this it would fail to support the floor above. Ditto with fire cladding. It’s safety. Not just for you , but future owners too.

Im sorry if this has been overlooked but you need to sort it out as others have said.

ocrendby · 05/04/2023 15:20

Joining in because we are in a similar boat as well with builder and will be going to small claims as well.

Just got to get a quote to put things right as apparently you need to know exactly how much to claim for in advance.

I did make the initial building control application and arranged the first visit but the builder had got them in a couple of times so I assumed he was always doing this and it seems he stopped after a while. It has meant that some work has been completed without building control having seen it.

I have to say though that building control are being amazing - they are there to prevent builders getting away with shoddy quality so so ask them- they are on our side!

Original poster
FebruaryPosting · 20/04/2023 22:49

Just a quick update, we don’t have building regs, apparently he told me he could get them but I didn’t get back to him (which is a load of bollocks) so he didn’t!
Doesn’t change the fact he’s not done the correct work to actually pass them anyway! 🙄

But, we have managed to get £8,250 back from him!
Doesn't solve the issue, but means we have the money to get it sorted, and the rest of the bits he didn’t finish off.

Thanks for all the comments and advice. 😊

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 20/04/2023 23:29

Well done for the refund. Hope you can get it sorted now.

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