PSC88

Mains linked smoke detectors specced throughout the build with fire rated protected escape route through to the ground floor. games room originally had two doors via the internal corridor which are removed there are also large dormer windows in the games room but can’t be classed as escape windows due to being over 4.5m in height.

Thanks all my second design has been accepted by BC as all rooms now have direct access to the stairwell

Hi we originally were not having as much space on the second floor it was just going to be one room and storage but with a redesign of the roof structure and trusses we decided to capitalise on the space hence the first design the games room was almost a bolt on so more our own design. the second design is with the architect input to meet the concerns flagged on the first design so my query isn’t whether my architect is competent it’s whether the design is now meeting regs or any input on if it can be better utilised.

Hi, building regs have advised my loft (second floor) habitable rooms are not fire safety complaint due to all rooms not having a protected route (direct access) to the stair case. I have had this redesigned by architect and would like an opinion on whether this now meets the regs or how it can be improved? first image is the original design, games room was subdivided into a sep room, second image the doors removed so it becomes part of the space. The cinema, study and server now all have direct access to the stairwell.

It would need to be 350mm which is our fall back

Here’s a clearer more concise drawing

The redesign going under the property actually shorted the runs considerably and allows much more flexible ratios for the falls but I’m not a drainage expert so was just more dubious with having the main fouls drains under the property rather then around it

we want to avoid any drainage works outside the boundary of the property due to it being a private estate and the costs/lenght of time taken to get permissions to dig the road

It’s not to scale the drainage and man holes positions just a rough sketch of location we have added the additional manholes at the front and back so if needs be it can be rodded externally

Hi thanks all for the reply. the number of Inspection chambers or manholes will most likely be reduced to 4 so ignore all the noise on the above drawing this was my rough sketch. it was redesigned due to being short on fall. We are on a private estate so to connect on to the road isn’t an option due to the cost and also the time it will take to get the various permissions. the fall worked fine with the bungalow but due to the property being larger we are pushing the connection to the boundary of the property which gives us about a 1:80 fall only just but the inspector has stated he would be much more comfortable with a 1:60 which is achievable by shortening the runs and going under the build

Hi we are currently at foundation stage and having to rework our drainage design, mainly as we demolished an existing bungalow and wanted to use the same connection. In hindsight we should have dug a trial hole to existing connection and worked the falls backwards, however we relied on some old drainage plans which turned out to be a few 100 mill out leaving us with a very tight fall or having to raise the finished floor level by 300mm to gain the fall. We had a review with our building inspector who decided shorter runs under the building to get the fall to work. I have attached the image and the blue lines are our new proposed routes. Ideally I wanted as much of the drainage outside of the building as possible but looks like this isn’t possible. Any thoughts or advice positive or negative would be welcome

We have no restrictions or conditions on our ridge height in the planning approval. we have no adjacent houses as it’s a detached property on a fairly large plot the neighbouring property is about 20 metres away and the road slopes down. no street elevation was requested or provided for the planning application. we are still going to be lower then the nearest adjacent neighbours house due to the road being on a slight slope. We had a topography survey done of the exiting bungalow which shows the FFL of the bungalow. We are going to be just under 0.2m higher on the new FFL if we decide to go down the route of raising to make the drainage work (we are looking at alternatives with the drainage also). the property size/dimensions/height relative to ground level will remain unchanged and in accordance with plans. the FFL is being increased potentially for technical reasons for the drainage falls to be with in tolerance. I will look in to the drainage speak to designer to see if shorter routes can help

Hi I have a query on tolerances when it comes to build height of the property. we are demolishing a bungalow and rebuilding a 2 storey property. We want to use the existing drainage connection. we have connected foundation and the Finished floor level will need to be approx 200mm above where we previously set out our FFL to get the drainage falls to work. Ive looked through my planning and there nothing in terms of ridge height or finished height of the property apart from the submitted elevation drawings. my question is would 200mm increase in height cause a problem for planning? Or should we look at other methods to make the drainage work like a new connection many thanks

My plot was valued just under £800k. i was released circa £510k which was my max draw down of 65% I used this to clear my previous resi mortgage and pay for warranty and initial site enabling and Groundworks. i will be at block and beam (at a push first lift) when I request the second draw down. my end value has been conservatively placed at just over £2mill and my initial valuation report stated wind and water tight would value at 1.5mill Im restricted to max 65% draw down. my ideal scenario would be by end of 1st lift they value at £1.2 mill this should carry me to shell stage with roof covering complete and then just windows and doors to fund myself.

Did you find the valuations were sufficient to progress your build? my only concern is they deem the valuation lower then the funds needed to progress to next stage

Hi anyone with expertise with ecology stage valuations and draw downs? they don’t follow typical stages or give a clear indication of how much they will release at each stage only that they will release funds as the build progresses. i have a mortgage that will release up to 65% of the value at any one stage. i drew down the max 65% of my plot valuation to clear my previous residential mortgage (knock down and rebuild) and this left a small buffer to commence the build. i have enough funds to get to foundation and block and beam using the buffer and personal savings. im planning on then getting them out to value and release funds. The question is will they release enough to get to the next stage! And what stage would I then be calling them out again? my build is quite heavy in the earlier stages up to wind and watertight and would be great if I could budget effectively .

Hi all hope you can help. we have just demolished a bungalow read for rebuilding a 2 storey house. my mains water meter is just on the boundary of my property at the main entrance to the plot. my builder disconnected the water and has setup a temporary water supply from the main supply. We didn’t get the utility company involved in this. the new property is going to be roughly in the same position as the bungalow and we will need to arrange the water reconnection . Will my builder be able to do this? He has asked for details for the reconnection so im guessing I provide him with where I want the new main stop cock to be? he will be able to dig the trench and lay any pipework? do I need to get the utility company involved at any point many thanks

How do I put this forward to building control that we already have fibre broadband at the site?

Hi all, I am commencing a bungalow demo and house rebuild on the same footprint. currently have fibre to the premises fast broadband to the bungalow. openreach have come out to temp move my fibre cable and box from the bungalow to the site office. once build complete they will re route back to the house. currently overhead cable. for building regs is it suitable for me to explain the above? or do I have to go and pay the £2k fee to openreaxh as this is what they quoted me when I registered the site as a new site on there portal makes little sense to me to be paying £2k to get service to a sight already served by fast fibre

Hi all I’m in the process of sourcing my self build warranty. the broker has given me a quote and Castle checkmate is the most competitively priced. I never intend to claim but need the warranty for remortgaging or if I decide to sell in the first ten years. my queries are is this a good reputable warranty for banks? the max they offer is a £1 mill rebuild cost which is bang on what my build is costing. i was advised by the broker the warranty should cover the rebuild to watertight shell. obviously I may decide to spend more on my interior/home tech/cinema etc but this isn’t necessarily a requirement of the warranty cover. Will the banks in future for remortgage purposes be happy with the £1 mill cover (excluding land) to wind and watertight thanks

Even with the above we are looking at £500k plus for demo, foundations and fees which I believe is excessive.

To add some context, I’m building a property on a plot that’s been valued at £750k my build costs are coming out to be approx £1 million. My end value for the property post build was listed at between £2- £2.2 million. my broker has queried why the surveyor recommended a £1.8 mill rebuild cost to the mortgage company as she believes this may be an error particularly as he signed of the build costings at a 1 mill. I was surprised at the level of insurance cover required. £1.8 mill rebuild cover on a total GDV of 2-2.2 mill seems high. particularly as the land alone valued at £750k plus

Hi Im looking for recommendations for my self build insurance my surveyor and mortgage company require cover for rebuild cost for £1.8 million Most insurers online quote a max £1 mill rebuild cost protek are quoting me just under £4k for 12 months this seems steep any other recommendations or brokers?

Hi I am about engage a private building control company for my building control full plans sign off. i just want to make sure I have all the Documents they may request. -block plan -full scaled floor drawings, include cavity/insulation/ventilation info and steel and lintel info also windows. - detailed foundation and drainage drawings include foundation depths, block and beam info. -first floor joist drawings (provided by timber company L) -roof plan and timber joist drawings (provided by timber company) include weight bearing calculations etc - desktop ground survey report - SAP calculation report is there anything I’m missing here? im demolishing a bungalow (only built in 1992) and replacing with a house in largely the same foot print but extending on both sides. will I need anything else to get the building control sign off?

CIL exemption confirmed yes only conditions pre commencement were that materials to be discharged by council which had been done and tree protection fencing to be erected as per my tree protection plan