Cant find builders these days

[pfenwick]

Hi All,

We are in Staffordshire and we cant find a builder to do some work for us, we have had about 6 builders in and they are either getting the quotes wrong or just not getting back to us.

We want to remove a downstairs toilet to give a small dinning area, the problem is we don't know if one of the toilet walls is supporting the stairs, some builders say it is some say its not

Can anyone recommend a builder or does anyone on here want to quote for the work.

Or shall I just get a structural engineer in and take the walls out myself if I get the ok.

 

[markie]

You will find sometimes builders will look at at job and think to themselfs it's not worth the hassle with what in volved, as in they could make more money doing less work/time for the same price, yet there is builders which would put a silly price on a job ( who don't relly want it ) and then the cilent agrees to pay then they have hit the jack-pot.

Have you looked who are in the marster builders fed, ? not saying them are any better tho.

 

[noseall]

Hi All,

We want to remove a downstairs toilet to give a small dinning area, the problem is we don't know if one of the toilet walls is supporting the stairs, some builders say it is some say its not

Can anyone recommend a builder or does anyone on here want to quote for the work.

Or shall I just get a structural engineer in and take the walls out myself if I get the ok.

i'm not 100% sure but i think if you intend removing a down stairs loo, building control require you to re-install a loo in another location, again on the ground floor.

p.s what part of staffs?

 

[pfenwick]

In Stafford, our neighbour had there's removed and have not re-installed another loo, we have an upstairs bathroom, and the builders we have had round so far have not mentioned this.

 

[^woody^]

Building control don't have any remit to insist that a toilet is replaced elsewhere when one is removed.

With regards to the builders, how are they getting the quotes wrong? Don't they add up?

Many stair walls are supporting either the top of the stairs or a trimmer, but you won't know unless some flooring is taken up to expose it.

 

[markie]

Building control don't have any remit to insist that a toilet is replaced elsewhere when one is removed.

With regards to the builders, how are they getting the quotes wrong? Don't they add up?

Many stair walls are supporting either the top of the stairs or a trimmer, but you won't know unless some flooring is taken up to expose it.

Thats what i was thinking regarding taking out an down stairs bog lol, as long as there's one with a hand basin then every thing should be good.

 

[noseall]

try and ignore woody and markie etc and check it out for yourself.

it's just a hunch, but look into it anyway.

no diss w&m.

 

[noseall]

Building control don't have any remit to insist that a toilet is replaced elsewhere when one is removed.

wanna bet?

 

[^woody^]

Oh, go on then I'll have a flutter.

And I am thinking in context of the OP's original post

 

[noseall]

i've spoken briefly to b.c at Lichfield council and there is a precedent for new- build, but there was some ambiguity as to existing ground floor toilets.

the job where the loo business sprung up was at stafford and was controlled by Trevor Edensor, who is an absolute ****. but as you say woody, i'm not entirely convinced it can be enforced.

the jury is still out on this one.

 

[^woody^]

Part M (M4) deals with access for the disabled, and deals with sanitary appliances, and there is a requirement for a WC in the "entrance storey" of new build.

This does not apply to extensions to extisting buildings, and this approved document and none of the others deal with relocating WCs. They tell us how work should be done, but not what a house should and should not have.

I am not sure that this is contained within other areas of The Building Act (from which we get the building regulations) either. So in this respect, the BCO has no authority to dictate what rooms are required within a dwelling.

There may be something in the Environmental Protection Act, or the Housing Act, to say that sanitary appliances must be provided (ie a public health issue) but this will be coverd by Environment Health Officers, and not BCO's.

There is legislation within Landlord and Tenant Law which requires a basic standard for tenanted properties which includes the provision of a WC, but nothing about replacing one which is removed.

BCO's often impose their own ideas of what should and should not be done, some of it is good advice, but not all is within their role - or the legislation that they enforce