CDM vs Building control sign-off / completion certificate

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

We’re part way through our build and we have a builder currently nominated with BC as principal contractor but anticipate this may change later on.

 

Background:

The timber frame will be supplied and installed by a separate timber frame company (chosen during the design process and prior to selecting the builder as our PC), and the windows and external doors supplied and installed by another company. This will take us up to being wind and watertight. Beyond this point we hope to be in a position to do a lot of the internal building work ourselves.

 

I’m trying to understand how we get the BC completion certificate sign-off done and understand there is a principal contractor signature sign-off at the end? Is this correct, and what will the BC require to be signed at the end / by who?

 

I’m asking here before I go to discuss it with our approved inspector as I don’t want him potentially mentioning it to our builder before we know what we want to do.

 

I’ve read the CDM rules inside out (plus ChatGPT queries), but I’d rather hear from people who’ve done similar. It feels like we may need to have our PC (potentially) sign-off for the phase of work he was responsible for (lets say up to wind & watertight), and then take on responsibility as PC ourselves for the later activity.

 

I equate this to builds where people start with one builder and for one reason or another they have to change builder part way through. The second one can’t (surely) be asked to sign-off work they weren’t responsible for.

 

I know this group will have an answer from those who have walked this path before.

 

(Our builder is excellent and if money were no object I would love to have him do it all - but unfortunately money is, actually a fairly big object)

 

Thanks in advance…

[nod]

No you don’t need any kind of sign off from a builder or anyone else In order for BC to sign you off 

Many of us arnt using a building contractor 

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

43 minutes ago, nod said:

No you don’t need any kind of sign off from a builder or anyone else In order for BC to sign you off 

Many of us arnt using a building contractor 

@nod thanks - our principal designer said they were now being asked to sign-off by building control at completion stage and think I was assuming there was an equivalent for PC too.

[LnP]

Is this to do with the new requirements for roles under the Building Safety Act 2022 and Building Regs?

 

Confusingly, we now have Principal Contractor and Principal Designer under both Building Regs and CDM and the roles are different - four different roles. None of this was written with self builders in mind, but there's guidance out there for how self builders can manage CDMPD and CDMPC roles. I'm clear how I'm going to do CDM, but I'm not at all clear what I have to do about the BRPD and BRPC roles. 

 

Has anybody seen good guidance on BRPD and BRPC roles for self builders?

[nod]

31 minutes ago, Great_scot_selfbuild said:

@nod thanks - our principal designer said they were now being asked to sign-off by building control at completion stage and think I was assuming there was an equivalent for PC too.

I’ve not heard of that

Weve just had our second build signed off 8 weeks ago 

we did most things ourselves BC never asks who’s done what Only that they have worked to building regulations 

 

If this was the case It would kill off self building 

Edited Thursday at 10:33 by nod

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

53 minutes ago, LnP said:

Is this to do with the new requirements for roles under the Building Safety Act 2022 and Building Regs?

 

Confusingly, we now have Principal Contractor and Principal Designer under both Building Regs and CDM and the roles are different - four different roles. None of this was written with self builders in mind, but there's guidance out there for how self builders can manage CDMPD and CDMPC roles. I'm clear how I'm going to do CDM, but I'm not at all clear what I have to do about the BRPD and BRPC roles. 

 

Has anybody seen good guidance on BRPD and BRPC roles for self builders?

@LnP exactly this. I’ve lost track of the hours I’ve spent reading up on this. ChatGPT was fairly good at trying to explain the difference, but can never match getting feedback from those who have ‘walked the walk’ and done it. 
 

My Principal Designer has (only since this year) started to be asked to sign at the completion stage. I’ll go back and clarify what exactly this was and will update this thread. 

[Great_scot_selfbuild]

57 minutes ago, nod said:

I’ve not heard of that

Weve just had our second build signed off 8 weeks ago 

we did most things ourselves BC never asks who’s done what Only that they have worked to building regulations 

 

If this was the case It would kill off self building 

@nod my thoughts exactly! 

[nod]

1 hour ago, Great_scot_selfbuild said:

@nod my thoughts exactly! 

I’m installing a treatment plant for a neighbor today BC are coming tomorrow to sign it off 

I’m not a contractor and the only experience I have is installing TPs  on my own builds 

I think your designer is confused 

[WannabeBob]

We put our names as BRPC on the BC submission as they now require you to list BRPC and BRPD, and haven’t had any issues from building control.

 

We’ve justified this as OK because the BRPC does not need to be an expert in every field but can rely on sub contractors’ expertise. 

Edited Thursday at 13:11 by WannabeBob

[LnP]

24 minutes ago, WannabeBob said:

We put our names as BRPC on the BC submission as they now require you to list BRPC and BRPD, and haven’t had any issues from building control.

 

We’ve justified this as OK because the BRPC does not need to be an expert in every field but can rely on sub contractors’ expertise. 

Good to know thanks. Who did you put down on the BC submission for BRPD?

[WannabeBob]

1 hour ago, LnP said:

Good to know thanks. Who did you put down on the BC submission for BRPD?

Our architect, but they did lead the entire design so it was obvious they would have to be the BRPD