Changing from a council building inspector to a private one.

[londonextension]

Hello,

is it possible to change from a council inspector to a private one?

We've had the council round to do a first inspection and work has been stopped for a week because the inspector (who took over from his holidaying boss and had read none of our paperwork and plans) isn't able to make clear what he wants from the builder and structural engineer.

We don't know how to proceed, apart from starting all over again.

Thanks,

Ian,

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I'm pretty sure you can't change once you've appointed the Local Authority. I don't really understand your 'making clear' comments though.

 

[londonextension]

Thanks.
He's chopped and changed his mind on some things and has received an underpinning report today, hasn't given approval to continue, but hasn't said what more he needs.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well ask him.

 

[londonextension]

We have.
And you're right; cats do rule.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well what did he say when you said I still don't understand what it is you need in order for work to continue?

 

[wessex101]

Thanks.
He's chopped and changed his mind on some things and has received an underpinning report today, hasn't given approval to continue, but hasn't said what more he needs.

In my experience they cannot always give instant answers to technical queries. If you have submitted a design for the underpinning they may need to get their structural engineer to check it before they approve it.

Like Freddy, I was under the impression that once you start you cannot change inspectors but it is not an area I know that well. I always use the local authority building control.

It does sound like you have been unlucky, sometimes they can be infuriating. Ultimately it is the builder's/designer's responsibility to ensure the work is compliant so if they are confident that it is, you can proceed at risk and hopefully the building inspector will agree the details submitted are OK, eventually.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Ultimately it is the builder's/designer's responsibility to ensure the work is compliant so if they are confident that it is, you can proceed at risk and hopefully the building inspector will agree the details submitted are OK, eventually.

Technically, the building owner is ultimately responsible. But a good designer/SE should be able to say hand on heart if their proposals cut the mustard, assuming its not one of the grey areas where some interpretation of the Regs is required.

 

[tony1851]

.................and the moral is.....?



..........private inspectors every time.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Or maybe the OP's report is rubbish, you don't know.

 

[Nakajo]

For this kind of project, I'm not convinced that there's a whole lot of difference between the AI and LABC routes - but I'd be interested to hear others' views on it.

To my way of thinking, the choice of which to use normally depends (primarily) on the nature of the project and (to a lesser degree) on the method to be adopted for Building Regulations approval.

Approved Inspectors are most commonly used where the nature of the work is specialist – hospitals, distribution centres for instance, or where dealing with multiples, e.g. the nationwide roll-out of a chain of identical stores.

Through partnering arrangements, Local Authorities have some capacity to manage the latter, but only if they are 'partnered' with each and every Local Authority concerned. More often they are used where the work is 'local' and straightforward, as in this instance.

 

[cjard]

Like Freddy, I was under the impression that once you start you cannot change inspectors but it is not an area I know that well. I always use the local authority building control.

It really depends on whether the LABC will let you go and accept a notice from an AI. On my job I did sack the first lot of approved inspectors after they had sent an initial notice in, but the job hadn't started. Added to that the LABC were too busy to take me on, and so I ended up with another AI. It was a matter of sending in a letter that I wished to cancel the initial notice given by the first AI (and the council could have refused, or insist that they take the job) and nominate the second AI

You can but ask (, and they can only say no )
Be careful though, as depending on how you couch it it may be taken personally, and your BI isn't someone you really want to fall out with, especially if you're stuck with them, as they can make life very expensive and progress very slow

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Like Freddy, I was under the impression that once you start you cannot change inspectors but it is not an area I know that well. I always use the local authority building control.

It really depends on whether the LABC will let you go and accept a notice from an AI. On my job I did sack the first lot of approved inspectors after they had sent an initial notice in, but the job hadn't started. Added to that the LABC were too busy to take me on, and so I ended up with another AI. It was a matter of sending in a letter that I wished to cancel the initial notice given by the first AI (and the council could have refused, or insist that they take the job) and nominate the second AI

You can but ask (, and they can only say no )
Be careful though, as depending on how you couch it it may be taken personally, and your BI isn't someone you really want to fall out with, especially if you're stuck with them, as they can make life very expensive and progress very slow

I think you can go from Private to LA but not the other way round. Not 100% sure though tbh.

 

[jeds]

No contest. We use private inspectors exclusively now. Fed up with calling local authority inspectors for them never to be there and never return your calls. You leave messages but they never, ever call you back. And I find it particularly irritating that nobody will deal with you in the inspectors absence. A few years back I asked for the inspectors mobile number and was told 'we don't give out numbers'. So I asked for the email address to be told ' we don't give out individual email addresses'. I don't know what they think they are down there but they act like the secret service or something. I told her that I had paid a substantial fee for this so-called service and was in fact a client. She didn't have a clue what I was on about. I've used the same private inspector now for a couple of years and if I call him he either answers or calls me back usually within 20 or 30 minutes. If we need him on site at 2.00pm because we've got concrete coming at 3.00pm he's there. For 99% of the works he will go with exactly what I specify with no query. If we do hit a problem he will discuss it and agree a solution. And at the end of the job you don't get a three page list of things they couldn't be bothered or forget to look at when they were visiting. It's a local authority favourite to get to the end of the job and then get their tick box check list out and suddenly realise they haven't see this or that, or whatever, and they just lump a whole load of stuff back onto you because they couldn't do their jobs right in the first place. I could go on but you get the drift.

 

[wessex101]

No contest. We use private inspectors exclusively now. Fed up with calling local authority inspectors for them never to be there and never return your calls. You leave messages but they never, ever call you back. And I find it particularly irritating that nobody will deal with you in the inspectors absence. A few years back I asked for the inspectors mobile number and was told 'we don't give out numbers'. So I asked for the email address to be told ' we don't give out individual email addresses'. I don't know what they think they are down there but they act like the secret service or something. I told her that I had paid a substantial fee for this so-called service and was in fact a client. She didn't have a clue what I was on about. I've used the same private inspector now for a couple of years and if I call him he either answers or calls me back usually within 20 or 30 minutes. If we need him on site at 2.00pm because we've got concrete coming at 3.00pm he's there. For 99% of the works he will go with exactly what I specify with no query. If we do hit a problem he will discuss it and agree a solution. And at the end of the job you don't get a three page list of things they couldn't be bothered or forget to look at when they were visiting. It's a local authority favourite to get to the end of the job and then get their tick box check list out and suddenly realise they haven't see this or that, or whatever, and they just lump a whole load of stuff back onto you because they couldn't do their jobs right in the first place. I could go on but you get the drift.

John, do you mind if I ask if this is for Building Notice applications?
I always thought this legislation was a big mistake for all but the most simple of jobs because most Building Inspectors who deal with domestic extension type work do not have adequate knowledge of building construction or the surprisingly the Building Regulations either to make snap decisions on site. Its Full Plans applications everytime for me so the BCO just has to follow an approved drawing and carryout the basic statutory site inspections. Although this is not a guarantee that you wont get the awkward inspector who doesn't know his armpit from his elbow.