Who's fault is this?

[ipjodan]

Hi all,

Im currently having my bungalow loft converted. This involves taking the roof off and fitting a new one with a steeper pitch. I have got planning permission and full building regulation permission. However now ive moved out and have knocked down internal walls and removed the roof the builder has noticed a problem. My new stairs have a half landing turn 180degrees and continue up to the first floor. He asked the building inspecter about this when he was here looking at my new foundations. Apparently i need 2meters head room on my stair well. I have this on the stairs but not on the half landing due to the pitch of the roof, its about 1600mm at the lowest part. They came to a solution which involes a small dormer about 500mm tall just above the half landing.The building inspecter said he would investigate and get back to me and i thought nothing more about it. Today i have had a call from the planning people and they have said i need to resubmite a planning application because of the new dormer which could take upto 8 weeks to aprove! I have moved out and only have use of another house for a set time! So whos fault is it? Im thinking its the building regs people for not picking it up durring the application but what can i do about it?

Pulling my hair out.

 

[JohnD]

The architect or draughtsman who did the plans.

 

[ipjodan]

Just been and spoken from through the problems with the architect and its sorted now we have jigged the stairs by 20cm. thank god

 

[^woody^]

Nice to see its sorted

It is not always possible to get exact measurements prior to drawing the plans. Discrepancies are very common

It is common for a text note on the plans along the lines of "builder to check and confirm all dimensions ..."

If the erorr is blatant then it may be designers fault, otherwise the builder does have a [professional] duty to ensure that the work can be built and advise accordingly. Building control can only check the drawings submitted, but even if drawings are passed you still must build in accordance with the building regulations, and site checks will overide any drawings

 

[diyisfree]

Small additions and alterations to plans don't usually cause a problem for the planning department.

You architect or designer can only work to your brief and as such, small alterations are inevitable.

I built a large extension and also a hard walled conservatory that should have been a 50p shape. We had to change it to a p shape because of technical issues that we couldn't have foreseen.

Planning department looked at the re designed plans and said Ok no problem. We had already built the revised design by the time they had OK'd it.

don't worry too much, They have to work WITH you not AGAINST.