Furnace

The schedule is quite granular and leaves little exposure, plus they are open to suggestions about risk mitigation.

I'm not sure I could go with a typical stick build due to the requirement for a passive house build - I'd be relying a huge amount on the contractor to be top notch. My thinking is on a modified stick build like @IanR did with Cullen/Wilkinson/Touchwood where an Airfix Housefix model is produced from a CAD design in a matter of days and delivered to site for erection. The credit risk is far shorter, and the amounts smaller.

And requires the supplier to want the facility to be be in place. MBC don't want it, and their customers don't (currently) seem to require it.

MBC have rejected my requests for an escrow facility, and also for any arrangement that assigns ownership of materials to me when stored on their premises. The only protection they will consider is the insurance company route. I haven't see the terms but it seems that it would provide the protection that customers want. There are plenty of trade credit insurers, but for private punters is appears for less well developed and therefore more expensive. I'd only need protection for 6 months, so a cost of 6% is an annual risk premium of 12% - that sounds expensive for a cash rich company.

The stick builder I have been speaking to believes his experience in sealing windows and doors means it a job best left to him rather than the installers. However, reading the numerous threads on this forum there seems a lack of consistency on how to detail to minimise water ingress, management of drips, exit route for drain channels etc. And all the above assumes the supplier hasn't gone bust while they have my money, and I don't have their product....

I like the system very much. But I'm not so keen on the payment schedule and credit risk. Adding on 5% (£10k) to insure against bankruptcy may be worth it in the broader scheme, and that's what I'm pondering.

My view has been based upon getting the foundations and shell completed in a timely, airtight fashion, and then arranging follow-on trades and DIY efforts with less dependence on weather and airtightness. As such, I'm drawn towards timber frame and thence MBC style or stick built. The attention to detail is assured with MBC since they offer a guarantee of <0.6ACH, but stick built requires the carpenters/erectors to be diligent and experienced in Passive House site practice; not necessarily easy to find such teams. I've also not found the stick built quotes to be miles away from MBC style quotes. All suggestions welcome.

I've not yet managed to find a provider of a Passive House stick build that is significantly cheaper. Wilkinson/Touchwood came back with a similar price. Do you have any suggestions? Cheers

No. I'm wanting an integrated build that ensures air-tightness, so MBC are an obvious candidate. Stick built has more weather-based erection risk and is dependent on finding an engaged and competent build team. I'm asking them about a letter of credit. I'm also asking about gaining security over materials/components/products I have paid for. It's a far messier mitigation (I don't fancy dealing with an administrator in a warehouse full of gear) but better than nothing.

I've been in contact with MBC about this today. They have the ability to arrange an 'insurance bond' that pays the holder a fixed amount if MBC fail to perform under the terms of the contract. Underwriter is typically Aviva. Cost is about 6%. Not cheap, but offers peace of mind. They have offered it to a fair number of customers, but it has only ever been actually taken up by one. They don't offer an escrow service. I'm not sure if arranging multiple 'purchases' is feasible to take advantage of the Section 75 protection. It's possible that the transactions might be viewed as linked and part of a single master transaction.

Indeed, but it's also quite likely that a more valuable site will have a building that requires more work. My Class Q permission cost 14k.(architect 6k; planning consultant 3k; structural, environmental, ecology, topo survey 5k) The full permission cost an additional 31k (arch 16k; planning consultant 4k; environmental 7k; PHPP, newts and other stuff 4k. 225m2 2 storey, c.650k build cost. Architect was expensive, but has held my hand. I'm meeting with them today to determine if I continue to use them for BC, tendering/negotiating with builders, and PM.

That seems outstanding value. Do you think it's unusually cheap? Did you also have construction drawings made?

I can certainly agree with that. I don't like the information asymmetry, and much of the information is not 'difficult', but it's difficult to find out. I've done some of the planning related stuff myself rather than pay people, but the amounts involved up to this stage have been modest. When I move into the costly part of actually building, mistakes through inexperience are likely and become much more expensive. I'm unlikely to ever do this again so any experience I gain will be mostly wasted. I'm meeting with the architect this week and will have an honest conversation and see if we can come to a compromise that works for us both. The hand holding is worth quite a lot to me as a singleton, and I should have that in my mind.

So planning drawings plus Building Regs drawings for £2800 total?

They've already provided the plans and elevations that have been used in the planning app that has just been granted. I'd like someone to hold my hand throughout the project (I'm single), and am happy to pay a reasonable amount. However, the quote for Stage 4 feels rather OTT, and then I have Stage 5 (the actual build) to undertake.

Was that for all Building Regs docs, or just Part A?

Update to @Gus Potter and others... Planning permission granted (with some annoying but surmountable conditions) so I now need to decide how to progress the project. Architect has quoted £18-25k for RIBA Stage 4 - Technical Design. It seems a lot to me, hence my original title of the topic. Attached is the scope of service stage4.pdf The floor area is about 225m2 and estimated build cost c.£650k I'm inclined to ask for a Building Regs submission quote, and deal with the other stuff in an ad hoc manner. Thoughts from the wise owls? M

I've put that in my submission. Sounds more pro than 'downlighters'

My recently granted permission has this more onerous condition imposed: The requirement for a contour plan is a bit of a drag, but I cobbled together something using an excellent free piece of software called Dialux (www.dialux.com). I only generated the contours for the 4 external lights proposed and mitigated the light spill from internal lights by stating I will have curtains and blinds on all windows. I'll post back when I know if the LPA accept my DIY approach.

This is the amended and approved wording of the archaeological condition: Prior to commencement of development, the applicant, or their agents or successors in title, will secure the implementation of a watching brief to be undertaken by an archaeologist approved by the Local Planning Authority so that the excavation is observed and items of interest and finds are recorded. The watching brief shall be in accordance with a written programme and specification which has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. I think it's about the best we can have expected, although the content of the 'programme and specification' is yet to be agreed. Anyone know a tame archaeologist nr. Sevenoaks?

Council archaeology officer regarded my DIY ADBA as insufficient and is requiring a pre-commencement condition of a 'field evaluation'. This is typically digging some trenches that are monitored and examined by an archaeologist. I sense that this would have been required anyway, so I've avoided spending £2k on an ADBA. However, the planning officer believes the 'field evaluation' is an onerous requirement and has suggested that a 'watching brief from an archaeologist when excavations are taking place' should be sufficient. That would be similar to @saveasteading's experience. Fingers crossed.

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Gotcha. Good idea

Barrier pipe is sometimes specified if the site has the potential for contamination. It's 8 times the price of regular blue MDPE pipe, so no doubt I'll get stung for that too even though the soil samples from the appropriate area are uncontaminated.... The welding/fusion jobbie seems a better option than screwfit couplings. I didn't know Openreach would provide free ducting, so that's a plus. Cheers

Yup. It's amazingly quick and easy, although I've only done 50m lengths of 25mm diameter conduit. How would one do longer lengths? I'd like as few connections as possible underground.