Inspection of Building Works
To ensure that your
building works comply with Building Regulations and other relevant
associated legislation, the Council's Building
Control Surveyors carry out inspections of building work as it
progresses.
Once you or your builder have decided when to start, you must
give at least two days notice to the Council in writing. A Building
Control Surveyor will call on the commencement date even though
there may be nothing to inspect. He will introduce himself, discuss
the job and answer any queries. If the job is being done under a
Building Notice, he will discuss the proposals with your builder
and arrange to carry out periodic inspections. He may require you
or your builder to submit further details for consideration.
Commencement is the first of up to nine mandatory inspections.
(Not all nine are relevant to all jobs.) Stages of work to be
inspected are listed below:-
- Commencement.
- Excavation for foundations.
- Foundation constructed.
- Damp proof courses laid.
- Over site ready for concreting (with damp proof membrane laid
if appropriate).
- Drains laid and visible for checking layout and
construction.
- Drains backfilled and ready for testing for water
tightness.
- Occupation.
- Completion of work.
YOU MUST ALWAYS INFORM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY WHEN
WORK STARTS ON SITE.
More than one inspection may be carried out at one visit.
Inspections one and two often coincide as do four and five and
seven and nine.
These inspections are not necessarily the only ones your
Building Control Surveyor will make. Some jobs will require extra
specific inspections such as reinforcement of concrete structures
and fire protection to a structure and often you will be asked by
your Building Control Surveyor when you intend to plaster or line
the ceilings so that he may call to inspect beforehand. In
addition, he may call unexpectedly at other times to check on the
work in progress.
To avoid unreasonable delay a Council must carry out inspections
two to six within one day of being notified.
Once written confirmation of commencement has been received, all
other inspections can be arranged by telephoning the Building
Control Office. Often same day inspections will be possible
following telephone calls before 10am.
Enforcement
When work is found not to comply with the Regulations, your
Building Control Surveyor will request that it is altered or
removed to put things right. Hopefully, this will be done but if
not, then he may serve a legal notice on the building owner
requiring him to do so.
Normally the notice will give you 28 days to rectify the work.
You can seek advice from a professionally qualified person if you
disagree with the notice, and if you tell the Council this, the 28
days will be extended to 70 days. If the report you get from this
person persuades the Council to withdraw their notice, your
expenses may be recovered from the Council.
If the Council does not accept the report, or if you don't have
one prepared, legal proceedings will continue which may lead to a
fine which increases day by day until the work is made to
comply.
Similar action may result if you carry out work without approval
or without notification of inspections. Enforcement is rare as,
normally, common sense prevails. Your Building Control Surveyor is,
after all, merely ensuring that your building is a safe and healthy
place to live, work or visit. To help him achieve this you are
advised to request the final inspection before your builder leaves
the job. Any problems can then be quickly and efficiently put
right.
Completion Certificates can be issued on satisfactory completion
of works.