Building control... - What do they actually do?

[Ted]

If you are building a house you have to get your plans OK'd with Building Control. You then have to notify Building Control when you start construction and they are supposed to do periodic visits to ensure compliance and provide you with a certificate upon completion.

I have spotted a number of faults with a build and called up Building Control to ask why they hadn't spotted them.

I was told that it is not Building Control's job to police quality of workmanship they just have to ensure the plans meet building regulations.

Is this right in your view?

If so, what is the point in sending officers out on inspections?

[lutonlagerlout]

sadly ted that is correct
i have seen dog rough extensions passed because they meet the criteria
and i had a loft conversion fail,because the BCO wanted a sprinkler system put in the house(this insane idea was overturned by his boss)
the problem is,is that no 2 BCOs interpret the building regs the same way.
it should be the same response no matter where you are in the country,but it aint
i can guarantee you now that you will be p**sing in the wind if you try and point any finger of blame at the BCOs,
cheers LLL

[Dave_L]

A law to themselves................:0

[Rich H]

In my new extension the BCO required documentation to support our choice of fire-retardent board (no problem), the fensa documentation from our window supplier (as if they wouldn't have one) and, despite the fact that I've put in 47 accoustic-hooded, fire-retarding 50W halogen downlighters he insisted we put curly bulbs in 1/3 of all the pendant lamps (requiring him to come back for a second visit).

What with all his excitement about light bulbs he completely missed the fact that the guttering had been removed from one side of the house because the silly bugger who put it up cut it too short!:p

[Dave_L]

Did he turn up in a yellow jacket, wellies and a clipboard? :laugh:

[matt h]

every BCO has his /her little foibles you've just got to nod yer head at all the right times and agree with whatever they suggest and then do it the right way... got told by one to remove the steel from the founds for under a gable end of a block of flats. i went through the motions and as soon as he left retied all the steel... we werent supposed to pour until 9 oclock, but started at 5, so when he came back in a flap at 8.30 after realising he had made a mistake we kept him dangling pretending we had actually removed the steel as he had requested. Had to let him know the truth though, or he would have had us digging it all up again. Winchester city council would have never lived it down... they had already caused some poor unsuspecting blokes garden (BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED) to be dug up by mistake.. should have seen his face when he returned from his holiday to find a huge pit where his garden used to be! Probably the same bloke setting out all wrong!:D