Any building control experts on here – completed building work during Covid

Hi there,

Long story short. We started our extension just before Covid kicked off in anger and managed to get sign off on the footings.

With Covid in full force I managed to complete the build – simple, single storey, timber frame, extension to a bungalow – but never got sign off or any more visits because the officer stopped visiting (obviously) and subsequently left the council.

We now want to sell (and quickly) because we’ve seen the house of our dreams.

Will a simple indemnity insurance cover us or will have to be at the mercy of the council (Ceredigion council FYI).

Once you re-engage with Building control you can no longer get indemnity insurance!!

Any similar experience / outcomes to share?

We can’t have been the only one impacted in this way?

Cheers

please say you took copious amounts of photos….

as long as you’ve built it to BC as you should suck it up and speak to them and get it signed off.  I found our BC was pretty quick and responsive and actually quite helpful

I look at those indemnities as for old(er) work, like a good few years.  I’d be really wary of buying a place with relatively new work done that hasn’t got BC.  I’d be asking why, what horrors are they hiding.  It would have to be a good chunk under market value to be of interest.

When we bought we had an indemnity on the new places conservatory as it didn’t meet current BC.  Our old house had an indemnity as at some point in its history it had had an extension, like all of the rest of the houses in the victorian terrace.  No evidence of planning or BC and clearly decades old, but solicitors insisted.  It only cost something lie £40

We started building July 28th 2020 and had informed them of our intention to start a week before that.

We had the back taken out the house – steel beams put in  and 6*3 stuck in the back and a new kitchen fitted.

We had it signed off mid October.

Mid September they phoned asking to come do an inpromptu inspection on the shell and that I had to fill in a. COVID risk assessment.

I pointed out building work had been finished for about a fortnight.

They scrapped the inspection and asked for the photos we had to document the process.

All signed off now.

(Scotland under a building warrant but permitted development )

Thanks for the response!

I agree, suck it up and do it properly.

Yes, plenty of photos to share! I’ll get in contact with them directly.

The fly in the ointment is that our county is massive and only one BC officer!

You can use private BC companies – no need to use the council.

You can use private BC companies – no need to use the council.

Council will be cheaper but may take longer. We used a private co and had issues as they;d misunderstood the work involved and were waiting for certificates about electrical compliance that were not needed – other than that they were great, albeit they charged a chunk of money and spent about half an hour on site, over two visits…

Use private. Quicker, not cheaper, generally more flexible and pragmatic.

I don’t think you can use an approved inspector once work has started (or been completed), it has to be the local authority.

That private option is definitely food for thought but I emailed the local inspector and he replied in 30min and now booked in for two weeks time, so I’m comfortable I can make this work.

fingers crossed, might be a fire door or something but I’m confident the build is spot on!

Feedback was greatly appreciated. Love this site.

You can’t use an Approved Inspector to regularise controllable works at the time I retired from Building Control 2 years ago.

I worked through covid and we asked that applicants kept us informed of their progress by photos, video calls.

Has your electrician registered the electrical works?