Nightmare with a builder and building regs!

[Osteosingh]

I posted a post last year about issues with the builder i had chosen building a roof with out a wall plate and the problems didn't end there!

The job is virtually finished but he has to get a pad foundation for one of the steel columns signed off by his own structural engineer to get the house signed off by building regs! He is asking for £12000 more as the job didn't make him any money to get the house signed off and give me the gas and electric certificates! The building Regs inspector has suggested I find someone else to say the pad foundation is sufficient to the load of the column as he was only sent pictures by the builder he needs a qualified surveyor to sign it off

Ill enclose the two pictures and have all the calculations and drawings as well, can anyone help because otherwise i'm literally being held to ransom!!!

 

[Nakajo]

That's £1200, right? Not £12,000 !?!

 

[Osteosingh]

That's £1200, right? Not £12,000 !?!

No £12000!!!

 

[Nakajo]

Ouch. And the gas fitter and electrician were subcontractors to the builder?

 

[Osteosingh]

Ouch. And the gas fitter and electrician were subcontractors to the builder?

Yes but luckily the gas certificate came in the post to the address which ive got!

 

[Nakajo]

So really you just need an independent electrical certification. That's not going to cost £12k!

 

[Osteosingh]

So really you just need an independent electrical certification. That's not going to cost £12k!

No i need a surveyour to sign of those pictures with the calculations to say its sufficient, thats what im being held to ransom over, the builder very confidently told me that no other surveyor would want to get involved

 

[Nakajo]

Dare I ask... was there a contract?

 

[chappers]

Just go to them with the beam and post sizes and pay them to design the found. Say something along the line that your builder says he has told it needs to be twice the size, but BC reckons it only needs to be x by y by z.(insert your measurements here) you could always ask him if you could pay him to check the beams and posts calcs too as you don't have much confidence in what he has said.
Gas already done
Electrics BC will probably be happy with a PICR and test.
Tell the builder to go whistle

 

[Osteosingh]

Just go to them with the beam and post sizes and pay them to design the found. Say something along the line that your builder says he has told it needs to be twice the size, but BC reckons it only needs to be x by y by z.(insert your measurements here) you could always ask him if you could pay him to check the beams and posts calcs too as you don't have much confidence in what he has said.
Gas already done
Electrics BC will probably be happy with a PICR and test.
Tell the builder to go whistle

Many thanks for your advice, can anyone recommend anyone ?

 

[Doggit]

Ask the BCO if he knows someone independant, otherwise (not even knowing where you are) you'll just need to start ringing round. But they may want you to dig a hole down the side of the pad to make certain - can that be done, as that's why the builder may reckon no one will sign off the pictures.

On the other hand, if you take into account how much an independant surveyor is going to cost, plus the testing for the other certificates, I'd be inclined you suggest to him that the cock up on the lack of profits is his fault, not yours, and you'll happily take this up with trading standards, the papers, and the police, as this is effectively extortion. Then offer him a grand take it or leave it, and you'll take your chances on finding a surveyor.

 

[motorbiking]

Depending on what you agreed and how it was agreed. you could get someone else in and sue him for the costs plus keep your 12k. devil is in the detail though.

see if you can get him to text or email his position

 

[^woody^]

I'll come and say it's OK for £11k cash.

 

[^woody^]

Dare I ask... was there a contract?

There is always a contract when someone comes to do work. It does not need to be in writing.

 

[John D v2.0]

Sorry to hear of your trouble, must be very stressful.

In my opinion It's not the pictures that need signing off by an se, it's the design that needs to be approved. So agreed with the advice post about getting the design done separately to match. The se will surely want to know the ground conditions though, ours came to inspect the trench and existing foundations before the pour. And redesigned one of the pad foundations as a result. So the trial hole might need to happen, but at less than 12k cost.