Various works done, do they need Building Control sign-off?

[SteveInHerts]

As part of renovating our house, quite a few works have been done that I'm told don't need B.C. control, but I'd like to double-check whether I should consider approaching B.C. on any of these anyhow, in order not to risk a problem later on.

1. Suspended floor underfloor insulation blocks + breather membrane added.
2. All walls and ceilings stripped to brick and re-surfaced (this one's still being done, but that's another story...)
3. New central heating pipework + radiator mounts.
4. Metalwork added in loft, to hold the cross joists to the main joist (joists strong but not cross-linked, they're all 2x4 or in some cases 2x8).
5. Space created in 1st floor ceiling for a larger loft hatch by adding metalwork + doubled trimmer both sides to strengthen the nearby walls and joists, as I understand it, then removing a few feet of joist in the way. (New hatch will be fire resistant etc).
6. 2 structurally significant joists found to be virtually unsupported and causing structural weakness to other elements, proper brickwork and new metalwork have been added to fix them both.
7. Non-structural wall "moved over" 3 feet.
8. Concrete-embedded drainage gulleys added alongside house wall, to guide rainwater along house wall to the drain (there weren't any before so water pooled up instead causing problems).
9. Roof storage space has its own convenient tall access panel which had been sealed off, now replaced by firedoor and fire-resistant frame structure, accessible by 3 steps up. (Currently using removable steps in case fixing them triggers any kind of B.C. issue)
10. Split level "gallery" added in a 1st floor room, with storage space under it. (Picture a 3 foot high battened area, with shelves below and enough space on top to put a beanbag or a few books and not be disturbed). Gallery area is small (<15% of floor space), "floor" of gallery is <4.5m from ground everywhere, foot of steps to gallery are <3m from midpoint of hall door, and all points on gallery <6m from hall doorway. Head space is >2m above the (short but steep) fixed steps, which can be replaced by non-fixed steps, or 42 degree steps, if required. Doesn't have any kind of separate door up there. Tried to comply with vague and murky regs in this area, they aren't as clear as they could be! Is any of this a problem or needing B.C. approval?

The house is 1930s terrace. Anything related to the Party Wall Act is already okay, and the work is to a high standard by a reputable builder, so for us this is purely about anything where we'd be expected to show B.C. paperwork if we sell.

Thanks!

 

[cjard]

Your items:

1) alteration of a thermal element: notifiable
2) potential alteration of a thermal element: notifiable
3) not notifiable (so long as the boiler and cylinder remain)
4) alteration to a structural element: notifiable
5) not notifiable
6) alteration to a structural element: notifiable
7) not notifiable
8) alteration to a drainage system: notifiable
9) possible alteration to a thermal element, or fire safety concern: notifiable
10) possible protection from falling concern (notifiable) - you didn't mention a balustrade/railing?

ultimately, you really should consider approaching your LABC with a request for more info. You don't seem the sort to be trying to evade BC oversight, so you really have nothing to lose (other than the cost of any remedial works for anything they don't like) by approaching them - theyre far more the final authority than anyone on an internet forum

 

[SteveInHerts]

Thanks, cjard, and you're right, I'm not interested in evasion. Like everyone else I'd like to avoid 5 visits where one will do, or larger charges where lower ones might be possible, and any "how to" tips would be useful.

I hope a few more questions on the B.C. process are okay, since you have suggested quite a few items we understood weren't notifiable, probably are.

Regarding the "list of items" - thanks, it's very helpful and gives an idea what to look up if unclear. The boiler was done by a gas safe engineer so it got separately certified, and being a combi there's no cylinder. On subfloor insulation, I thought we were told it was only cavity and roof insulation that's notifiable, I will check again, happy to notify if we need to. On the raised area, yes there is a balustrade, it's over 0.9m high. Do we still have to notify it so they can inspect the balustrade for sturdiness/height? The builder supported the area with 2x3's attached to the walls with anchor bolts because it's supported independent of the storage space under it. For a small raised area (8 x 3 ft, tapering to 8x2 ft, 3 ft up) would this be okay or should we ask him to add further metalwork to support them from the brickwork, or upgrade the main 2x3's to 2x4's? I'd also like to check, thinking about it, what the regs require, if there's a short set of 2 - 4 steps up, to move from the main floor to a gallery level in a room (visual image: think of 2 bunk beds fixed to a wall and therefore having fixed steps; the 2m rule would effectively mean almost no non-trivial gallery in a "normal" height room could be given fixed steps)

On the point of B.C. generally, I'm not expecting any kind of improvement or remediation of faults from their inspection unless they happen to set out with a mindset of finding issues or we get a jobsworth inspector. At most maybe a few minor points easily fixed, and worth doing for that alone honestly.

The reality is that the work's been done, and I believe competently, but it was done as it came up, because a lot of issues only got identified or decided once the basic fabric/structure started being uncovered - and then couldn't really wait for remediation after discovering it. It would help to have a better idea what's needed or likely to happen at this point. For example, does notification mean simply we have to notify them (surely not!), or do they need an appointment to visit? Should we ask our builder to be there in case they want to discuss anything? How is this kind of activity usually priced and is there scope to negotiate cost (or can they name any price they like and we have no choice?). If they want multiple visits, or quote more than some amount of cost, should we consider asking a commercial B.C. firm?

Thanks for the input!

 

[cjard]

Well, the work's already been done so you'd be making an application to regularise it. Building regs aren't exactly the approved documents - building regs are the law, and the approved documents are a government certified set of "ways that compliance with the law can be achieved"

The law has much less to say about the whole situation than the approved documents; that said if your work meets the recommendations in the approved documents it is certain to comply with the law

Your floor insulation scenario is specifically mentioned in Part L1b (conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings) - http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_L1B_2011.pdf - page 17 onwards deals with renovation and says you should aim to improve anything you renovate. As with anything related to building regs, so long as relevant things are no worse than when you started then it should comply - your existing wall stripping exercise should hopefully fall into this category even if you haven't specifically improved it

Your new works to put a raised area in would be notifiable because there's a risk of injury from falling from it and you need to demonstrate that your efforts to minimise the risk can effectively do so - while an inspector might not go to the extent of applying a specific point load to the middle of your hand rail to test it doesn't break (so long as it doesn't look particularly flimsy), he might measure the distance between balusters and pull a face if they are more than 100mm apart

The supports for an 8x2ft mezzanine are likely sufficient - who would stand on such a small platform though? On this aspect a picture would be welcome because it sounds more like a shelf than a raised platform so i'm having difficulty understanding why it would be constructed with a balustrade

Remember that you know exactly what your house looks like, but we've only a scant text description of it so it's not as easy to envisage