Urgent Advise Please

[PGTips35]

We have had building works started on a two story side extension, the builders have had to stop digging as it is all soft clay down below.

Building Inspector has been and is not pleased and gone away to do some investigation?? Builders and Architect are liaising with Structural Engineer,I am getting paranoid now that they will turn around and say that they cannot build on it!!

The housing estate is around 20yrs old and apparently built on an old brickworks factory/quarry land. Hence the clay!! but there is no sign of any houses suffering with subsidence?? the row of houses that ours is on has been built on some strange type of foundation??

Basically I want to know what sort of questions I should be asking etc.. as I am all new to this and a) don't want to be stitched up with paying for work that does not need to be done and b) end up with a house that will eventually fall down??

Also should I be expecting the builders to deal with the Building Inspector and then contacting me or should I be expecting the Build Inspector to be contacting me or me contact him??

Any help would be much appreciated.

Many Thanks

Paul

 

[^woody^]

What has to be determined is if the foundations specified are suitable for the ground conditions.

If not, then an alternative foundation design (possibly piles) may be required. The engineer will advise and may need to do some soil tests if not already done.

It is unlikely that it can't be built

The BCO is likely to want to check ground condition details from their records in the office. The decisions are made by the BCO (what is required) and/or by an engineer (to prove what is suitable)

The BCO should deal with the builders, or if you have an agent (your designer) he will deal with him. Otherwise he can deal with you directly.

Depending on your contract with the builder, you may have to pay extra for anything different to the approved drawings. Your builder may have only priced for a traditional strip foundation, so you can't expect him to pay for anything else

 

[PGTips35]

Thanks for the reply Woody, yes they have talked about doing a soil test so will have to wait and see then?

The builders did talk about piling so looks like there maybe an extra cost involved then!! great already having to dip into the contingency fund then

Do you have a rough idea of how much extra this may cost, sorry don't have any exact measurements of the build on me but if you could give a rough idea that would be good. I know the brick work is going out 2400mm width ways but would have to guess that the length of the house would be about 7000-9000mm??

Fingers crossed it won't be too much!!

 

[^woody^]

Mini-piling to 5m depth on a typical side extension can be anything between £3.5 - £5K. Plus engineers fees and soil sampling costs.

But then you would ask for a reduction in the builders price equal to the cost of the foundations indicated on the drawings - as he is no longer doing these