Building Inspector Not Sticking to The Submission

[asnoop20]

Just wondering if this is normal.

I submitted a plan for RSJ's to be put in the kitchen. The work was done and the inspector came round. He barely looked at it to be honest. Instead he noticed I was in progress with fitting a kitchen to garage door and skylights, neither of which require BC. When I queried him he said because I was fitting new steel they do fall under BC. Eh??? I objected to any potential price increase thinking that's what he was going for, but he has said he's no intention of charging extra. The garage door and skylights have no bearing on the RSJ work - I'm merely doing them in parallel.

There are two things with this, first I can't get the RSJ work signed off until the entire kitchen is all complete and that might take a while. Second while I'm fully intending to comply with all regs there's the possibility that I have whataboutisms come up, like Fensa certs for the skylights and blah blah blah.

Should I kick up a fuss?

 

[endecotp]

I think he's probably right, sorry. If you want to split the project into a "BC" part and a "non-BC" part you probably need to fully complete one before starting on the other.

Maybe someone else will be able to point to appropriate docs.

 

[wessex101]

fitting a kitchen to garage door and skylights

?

 

[asnoop20]

Should be a kitchen-to-garage I can see it reads wrong.

Still it makes no sense. Surely BC can't just decide to take on other work that's not related to the submission - including stuff that doesn't require building control.

 

[wessex101]

Should be a kitchen-to-garage I can see it reads wrong.

Still it makes no sense. Surely BC can't just decide to take on other work that's not related to the submission - including stuff that doesn't require building control.

I still not understand what a "kitchen to garage" is? Are you converting your garage to a kitchen? If so that requires building regulations approval. Also the installation of doors and rooflights may require building regulations approval.

 

[asnoop20]

kitchen-to-garage door

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If you're fitting a new kitchen where there was no kitchen before then building Approval is required, if the rooflights or new door requires structural changes then Building Control approval is also required for those elements. Of course the inspector is going to expect those works to meet the regs, he can't just turn a blind eye.

 

[pcaouolte]

I think they mean that they are fitting a door between the kitchen and the garage?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Agreed, which is probably a structural wall.

 

[stevie888]

And has to be firedoor with a step.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Except the garage is now a kitchen, probably.

 

[asnoop20]

Yes there is a door being placed into a wall from the kitchen to the garage. The wall isn't structural.

Skylights don't need building control. Neither does the new door. They do have to meet regs but there's nothing to say BC sign-off is required.

There are no structural changes to these elements and the garage remains a garage.

 

[endecotp]

Skylights don't need building control. Neither does the new door.

I was hoping that someone more knowledgable would come along and give a good answer, but everyone seems to have got confused about what a "kitchen to garage door" is....

My understanding is that the entire project either needs approval or not. You can't split a project up and say X needs approval but Y doesn't. If some part of your project needs approval (i.e. the RSJs) then you should describe all of the work (including the new door and skylights) in the application. Or, you should do the other work as a separate project after you have had the former work signed off.

Can someone point to some regulation describing that? Or am I wrong?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

God it's like pulling teeth, I'm not sure if anyone (except the OP) can quite grasp exactly what work is being done, if the OP wishes to clarify that would be grand. We know @asnoop20 knows whats being done but your descriptions do not make it clear.

 

[asnoop20]

Imagine a door between two rooms. One room is a garage. The other room is a kitchen. Hey presto!

I don't see why the entire project needs approval, it's daft. For one I could have started the extra bits a year later. I might not have known they were being done. Fine on a second submission, that's what I'd expect. Not that you need building control for them though...