Can the building inspector do this?

[Odyssy]

My neighbour is selling his house, price agreed, surveys done, no problems. Due to complete in a week or so. Out of the blue a building inspector called walked in and demanded that the owner knock holes in the plasterboard cladding on an RSJ.

This beam was installed when the wall between the front room and dining room was knocked through by a reputable builder seven years ago.

The beam is double skin clad in plaster board which is mounted on wooden noggins forced into the web of the RSJ and held in with the usual 'interferance' fit.

The inspector told my neighbour that the joist must be stripped, the noggins must be bolted to the joist with Halco bolts, re-inspected, re-clad, and re-inspected.

Charged him £60 and said you're not selling the house until it's done and you've got the certificate to prove it.

He's livid (nearly decked the BI) the purchaser is livid, and no-one seems to know why the inspector called.

Can they retrospectively demand this change, because most of the houses in the country would be 'illegal' if this was the case.

I'm concerned because I've had similar (and other) work done over the years that was perfectly acceptable at the time but now would contravene building regs.

Also what rights of entry do BIs have?

The house is a terraced, over 100 years old with no other problems, passed the structural surveys OK with no works required.

A couple of other builders my neighbour asked both said this was a new one on them and to tell the BI (bleeding idiot) to eff off.

Any thoughts . . .

 

[Mr Winston]

Out of the blue a building inspector called walked in and demanded that the owner knock holes in the plasterboard cladding on an RSJ.

this cant be the full story as someones notified the BI, buyer/seller/solicitor/land charge search? might be that an application was made at the time but nobody called the BI out to inspect and approve?

This beam was installed when the wall between the front room and dining room was knocked through by a reputable builder seven years ago.

Did the works have approval from the council? messing around with steel beams would certainly need it. If there wasnt i'd question the reputibility of the builder (and other things)

He's livid (nearly decked the BI) the purchaser is livid, and no-one seems to know why the inspector called.

because hes knocked holes in some plasterboard and found problems.....way OTT

Can they retrospectively demand this change, because most of the houses in the country would be 'illegal' if this was the case.

yes

and only if the works were dodgy

I'm concerned because I've had similar (and other) work done over the years that was perfectly acceptable at the time but now would contravene building regs.

if they were acceptable at the time you must have had approval for them for the council to accept them

Also what rights of entry do BIs have?

ultimately they have powers of entry of areas of building works or contraventions

 

[ss_fraser]

Any modification to a house that has a structural implication on the house is subject to building regulation. This is to provide some form of safety to the owner that what is being done is safe...

If this is not done at the time of the modification it can be done retrospectively at a later date... if this is the case the plastering etc covering the beam and the ends would have to be removed to gain approval.

The application forms can be down loaded from most local council web site for filling in etc.