Managing building control in a non-standard way…

[Omnibuswoman]

Due to the amount of work needed to complete the house, and our limited funds, I have been toying with the idea of completing the project one or two rooms at a time. Psychologically it feels more achievable to complete a room, before moving on to the next. 
We are at a point of having the plumbing infrastructure in place, and the electrician is happy to work on the house in sections. 
However, this doesn’t sit with the BC inspection schedule to see all first fix done prior to plasterboarding (unless we pay them to keep coming back for each room!!). 
 

I am minded to try to speak to our building control officer about whether they would be able to review a video or photographic record of each room (taken prior to plasterboarding) for the purposes of assurance. 
 

Any thoughts about this? Has anyone gone this route for the sake of their sanity?!

[Dave Jones]

sounds like false economy for plumb and wiring. 1st fix is fast and relatively cheap as its only cable, tube and labour.

 

how is a sparky meant to wire a single room and leave all the wires rolled up someplace ? I'd expect to be charged more for this as its a load of hassle.

 

Not a common sense idea.

[JohnMo]

I would first fix everything, then building control can inspect. Then do plasterboard and second fix on a room by room basis. But you would have no electricity until second fix was finished for the electric in most rooms. Plumbing could be sorted using a manifold for hot and cold. You just need an isolator for each wet room and then branch distribution within the room.

[garrymartin]

I'm with Dave on this one. Your limited funds will be stretched even further by doing work like this in sections. It's much easier (and less prone to mistakes) for a plumber or electrician to blast through the whole project rather than doing it in stages.

 

If it's a question of the limited funds relating to right now, I'd be more inclined to pause this type of work until you do have the funds to complete it.

 

The idea of completing one or two rooms at a time isn't a bad one per se, but you need to think hard about the things that should be done in those rooms, and the things that can be left until later.

 

In our architects brief, we're very clear that we'd rather get all the structure and facilities in place within our budget, even if that means we have to come back to them in the future when funds allow to complete rooms - the sauna and bathroom are probably two good examples here. We know we want them, but they're not essential immediately (en-suites obviously). We just need to make sure we have the space and that the key infrastructure (i.e. electrics and plumbing) are in place and we'll then "finish" them at a later date if we don't have the funds available to do it along with the main build.

[nod]

20 minutes ago, Dave Jones said:

sounds like false economy for plumb and wiring. 1st fix is fast and relatively cheap as its only cable, tube and labour.

 

how is a sparky meant to wire a single room and leave all the wires rolled up someplace ? I'd expect to be charged more for this as its a load of hassle.

 

Not a common sense idea.

Absolutely makes no sense 

Any faults in the plumbing or wiring will be a nightmare to find and it will cost you a fortune doing this 

Now doing the first fix plumb and elec Then plastering and fitting out a room at a time Will cost a bit more But without the above issues and no issue for BC

[joe90]

I am another who says plumbing and electrics done In one hit, pipes can be isolated and electrics temp connected (wago,s) then all other stuff done per room.

[Russell griffiths]

First fix it all in one go. 
two electricians will first fix the entire house in a week

the same for the plumber, use a manifold system for the plumbing and he can keep individual rooms shut off, and bring them on line one room at a time. 
if you do some labouring it will help them out. 

[ProDave]

English BC must be somewhat different to Scotland, as once our shell was up wind and watertight and all insulation in, BC inspected and I then asked what is the next inspection needed and was told "completion"  They never did inspect first fix plumbing and electrics.  As it happened we got them in sooner to get a temporary habitation certificate and then the completion inspection.

[Kelvin]

I thought the only thing BC is  interested in re electrics and plumbing is the safety certs and the final drain test. What is there to inspect at first fix electrics? It’s cable mostly. 
 

If you don’t have enough funds at this early stage you really need to do a cost analysis. 

[joe90]

@Omnibuswoman ask your BC officer what he wants to inspect.

[BotusBuild]

@Omnibuswoman, knowing your back story, and who is doing your electrics, I agree that you should get your first fix electrics all in one go, and use hot and cold manifolds or plenty of isolation on the plumbing.

FYI, just had our house electric first fix done. It took him 4 days. I had put all the conduit in place, and the sockets where we wanted and marked up where all the lights were going.

This approach is likely to be cheapest in the longer term.

PM me or call if you want a sanity chat

[LSB]

Is your BC private or council.

Ours is private and he is inspecting each step of each phase at no additional cost.

So as everyone says, FF everything then make each room habitable one at a time.

 

We are planning the same as we know the money will run out before everything is finished.

Shell + FF then Family room + bathroom + bedroom, then move in.

The rest can be finished later.  

May be an issue with VAT reclaim though.

 

[Omnibuswoman]

Thanks all! Sanity has been restored. 
 

Plumbing first fix is all done already - DHW tank is in, and all rooms have both waste pipes and hot and cold supplies, all closed off with a valve in the plant area. So it’s only electric that I would be staging.
 

@BotusBuild you’re right about the sparky - he came in last week and did three rooms in a couple of hours. We are getting a good rate from him, and in return I’m happy to have him use our project as the place he goes when his other work is quiet or something has been cancelled. All things being equal I can see him getting it all done by the end of August if he pops in once or twice a week. 
 

I’m about to have the main bathroom plastered as I’ve been working to get it useable. I’ll call the BC and see if he’s happy to accept one self-report of the cabling and pipe-work that’s been put in, and then get him to visit six weeks’ time when the sparky has finished the cabling. 

[Conor]

Our BCO didn't care about second fix electrics, as long as cables either isolated or terminated..so fire on and get first fix done and do the minimum second fix as you need. Obviously your interconnected smoke alarms have to be working throughout.

[Dave Jones]

all BCO will want is a certificate from an approved body from the sparky proving test and passed following the pre-plaster inspection. Obviously need fans in kitchen, utilty, wc,s etc along with heat / smoke/ co2 as a minimum if needed to get signed off.

 

Cant see not putting on a few sockects and light switches will save much to be honest.

[BotusBuild]

Just recalled our BCO (Stroma) said next time he wants to visit if completion. No first fix had happened at that point 😁

[saveasteading]

On 22/07/2024 at 09:55, Kelvin said:

the only thing BC is  interested in re electrics and plumbing is the safety certs

That makes sense.  But only today I came across an old photo I took of a cable puncturing the vapour control, and not sealed. 

So it is quite  a good time for a bco overview.

 

Did I ever mention a project where our client's electrician issued apprentice completion certificates   (green versions of the full certificates, if I recall) . Nobody had pulled him up on it before.