So we applied for planning permission for a flat roofed, single storey extension, the neighbour to one side opposed it but planning was given. The builder has now built it 8 bricks higher than the approve planning permission and now it is in the hands of enforcement, who are saying they want it brought down 5 bricks.
The architect who was a friend, provided all drawings for free and it has been noticed that the planning drawings and building regs drawings dont tie up (the regs drawings show 5 bricks higher) She is saying that once the drawings were handed over to us & the builder 5 months prior to beginning the build, no one questioned anything, the builder changed the roof to a warm roof which added height and then the builder sourced the structural engineer and they changed the roof make up (bigger timbers) which also pushed up the height! The structural engineers drawings were never sent to the architect and she was not made aware of the larger timbers.
So my question is, if this ends up with the roof coming off, who is liable? We didnt pay the architect so I presume it could be said there was no contract. The builder never passed over the structural engineers details to the architect or questioned why it was so much higher than the planning permission, but also he didnt build to the regs drawings and went higher than them, so essentially ignored all drawings, both planning and regs.
Its essentially a huge mess and if the roof comes off is going to cost a fortune, but we dont want to waste time chasing the wrong person!
The architect who was a friend, provided all drawings for free and it has been noticed that the planning drawings and building regs drawings dont tie up (the regs drawings show 5 bricks higher) She is saying that once the drawings were handed over to us & the builder 5 months prior to beginning the build, no one questioned anything, the builder changed the roof to a warm roof which added height and then the builder sourced the structural engineer and they changed the roof make up (bigger timbers) which also pushed up the height! The structural engineers drawings were never sent to the architect and she was not made aware of the larger timbers.
So my question is, if this ends up with the roof coming off, who is liable? We didnt pay the architect so I presume it could be said there was no contract. The builder never passed over the structural engineers details to the architect or questioned why it was so much higher than the planning permission, but also he didnt build to the regs drawings and went higher than them, so essentially ignored all drawings, both planning and regs.
Its essentially a huge mess and if the roof comes off is going to cost a fortune, but we dont want to waste time chasing the wrong person!