Building Inspector Company No Longer in Business. What now?

[Magtan]

Hi Everyone,
I employed a private building inspector from Aedis via the recommendation of my builder.

In June 2019, Aedis was not longer allowed to carry out inspections because they could not get their insurance renewed.

My project subsequently got reverted back to the council and I was given a Form 7 - Cancellation of Initial Notice.

On Aedis website, it says 'If you are an existing Aedis client, please be aware that you are obligated to advise the Local Authority that you wish to cancel the Initial Notice. Regrettably, failure to do so is considered a criminal offence and liable to prosecution.'

I had paid Aedis about £1k and they had only done 1 inspection. I obviously will like to get some money back as I now have to pay the council 150% of a normal fee for the council to take over the building control and sign off my project.

It is a case of Aedis' inability to carry out their services rather than me wanting to cancel the Initial Notice. If I sign that Cancellation Notice, does it invalidate my ability to claim any money back from Aedis.

I wonder if anyone had been in the same position before and what did you do?

 

[wessex101]

I was under the impression that Aedis have got in to difficulties because they cannot renew their insurance but claim they are looking for a new underwriter so it might be worth waiting to see if they can find a solution.

If they cannot I strongly suspect they will go under so your original fee may well be lost.

As for the transfer to local authority Building Control I believe it is called a Reversion Application for which there is a fee, as you've only had 1 inspection you might be able to get site inspection notes from Aedis to pass on to local authority to avoid need for opening up.

 

[Magtan]

Thanks Wessex101.

So there is no chance of me claiming any money back.

The council says they won’t rely on Aedis report and will want to see it for themselves.

I don’t understand why I have to sign the cancellation notice because it is Aedis who had caused this so it is them cancelling rather than me.

It’s like them forcing me at knife point to do something against my wishes and if I don’t I would have committed a criminal offence when they were the cause of the problem.

I thought they should be the one signing the cancellation notice and giving it to me instead.

 

[wessex101]

This is all new territory, I'm not aware of a private inspector having this trouble before so we are all in new uncharted waters and everyone seems to be desperately trying to catch up to try and work out what happens next.

I suspect Aedis wont be the only one to go pop so if the others start to look vulnerable I wouldn't be surprised if the government didn't step in to prop the system up. After all private inspectors were a Tory wheeze back in the 90's so they'll not want one of their policies to go tits up.

 

[tony1851]

@ OP, sorry to read of your problems with Aedis - I have a couple of clients with them and feel guilty having recommended them in the first place - hope you get this resolved.

Does anyone know why they have been refused insurance? Maybe they haven't been checking as well as they should and have had a few claims against them - who knows?? If this becomes widely known, it will put clients off using AIs.

@Wessex, I'm not so sure the government wouldn't let the Approved Inspector scheme go under. Since the Hackitt report, attention seems to have been focused on the inspection/oversight regime, at least for larger buildings. And remember that the Conservatives have long ceased to be conservative in that they have been going leftward/statist/interventionist for some time. Yet if the building control function did go back to LABC, those departments would then need to be beefed up again.

It was the introduction of the AI scheme which led the worst LABCs to stop being so picky and bureaucratic at the risk of losing business, and it would be a shame to go back to all that nonsense again.

 

[wessex101]

Rumour is the insurance companies are panicking after Grenfell and dropping some PI cover especially in the inspection type sector.

Seems odd as Grenfell was signed off by the local authority and as far as I know it complied with Building Regulations but it looks like Grenfell is just the tip of the iceberg with thousands of buildings, high and low rise covered in flammable cladding and not just the composite aluminium stuff.

Personally I think it is going to get a lot worse. I for one will be dubious about using an approved inspector now and I suspect so will lots of others so their business will probably suffer potentially tipping them over the brink.

 

[Notch7]

ersonally I think it is going to get a lot worse. I for one will be dubious about using an approved inspector now and I suspect so will lots of others so their business will probably suffer potentially tipping them over the brink

Around here some LA contract out building regs, so are effectively privatised anyway.

Ive used BBS (now Stroma), for quite a few years, they are quite big now covering most of the South East.

For an orangery they do 3 inspections, but hardly look at anything in detail. Maybe its because we use them regularly. Im not sure how much support a DIYer would get from a private inspector.

Im a bit in 2 minds. Private inspectors are easier to contact and quite quick to do a site visit, but each inspector has so many jobs on at any time, I was told typically 300. My experience with LA inspectors has been a bit mixed, they can be rather officious and Ive gound they wont give out mobile numbers so you have to keep ringing the office.

One thing thats good is that if you submit drawings etc to a private inspector, they can start inspections in 7 workibg days. The LA option of full plans v building notice doesnt exist.

 

[tony1851]

The LA option of full plans v building notice doesnt exist.

Eh...?

 

[JT19]

Go private they said (builder/architect) it’ll be easier they said (builder/architect)

 

[JT19]

Only way is to revert back to LABC (it really is no different than a regularisation) and start from scratch. It just seems strange there was another large AI in the same position ie; same insurance company, who did manage to renew?

 

[tony1851]

It just seems strange there was another large AI in the same position ie; same insurance company, who did manage to renew?

As a matter of interest, which AI is that?

 

[JT19]

As a matter of interest, which AI is that?

Prefer not to say, but it has been confirmed albeit they renewed with a different company. You can check an AI’s insurance here and who it’s with. All are insured with either Howden or Griffiths & Armour;

https://www.cicair.org.uk/approved-inspectors-register/

Howden (who insured AEDIS) have now stepped away. As can be seen on the CICAIR website a number of AI’s are currently insured with Howden

 

[noseall]

Go private they said (builder/architect) it’ll be easier they said (builder/architect)

Not this builder.

On our present job (1 week in) the BCO informed me of some conditions, that had been mailed to both the architect and the client. There were 6 in total. All rather important and coincidentally, two of those I had flagged up with the architect at the pricing stage. Nice of her to get me involved.

Private inspectors are far from diligent and are big fans of builders taking pictures.

 

[Notch7]

Private inspectors are far from diligent and are big fans of builders taking pictures

that has been my experience -when I started using independents they seemed to have quite a few ex BCOs working for them and they used to spend time on site.

Now the inspectors have so many jobs on the go -one told me he had 300 jobs on his books, that they dont spend any time on site. they certainly dont check much in the way of compliance to regs.

And yes, the do say 'I wont come back to see that, send me pics'

 

[tony1851]

@N7, broadly agree with what you say, and some AIs are light-touch to almost no-touch.

But back in the day my experience of LABC was that some plan-checkers were far too picky in amendments/notes they were demanding to put on the drawings
("Wall ties to BS EN XXXX"; "Walls to be built plumb") the last straw for me was two A4 pages of notes for a poxy utility room extension - you know the form!

I'd be loath to go back to all that, but agree that AIs could be - perhaps - a little more vigilant on site, if only for the clients' sake.