Building Regs and SAP

[80BSY]

It's become apparent that the guy who's done my regs and SAP calculations really isn't up to the job, he's made just too many mistakes. So I need someone capable of doing them. 

I guess what I'm doing isn't especially straightforward, but it really shouldn't be a problem for someone that does this for a living. 

I'm wondering about the service Jewson offers, and wonder if anyone has any experience of it. 

Failing that, I'm in the Clacton / Colchester area of Essex, if anyone can recommend someone good. 

[epsilonGreedy]

12 hours ago, 80BSY said:

It's become apparent that the guy who's done my regs and SAP calculations really isn't up to the job, he's made just too many mistakes.

 

 

What Regs other than SAP calcs? I thought SAP calculations are typically done by independents working for you direct or indirectly through whoever produces your technical drawing for BC.

 

Part of the definition of "the job" is the subsequent verification of the final build and production of thermal performance certification.

[lizzie]

My SAP calcs were done (by architects) on a completely different house, didn't become apparent until EPC time.  

[the_r_sole]

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Edited September 26, 2019 by the_r_sole

[80BSY]

44 minutes ago, the_r_sole said:

We no longer prepare sap's and always farm them out to specialists, too time consuming for us - but you need to have good information to input into the system, what kind of mistakes has this person made (and what is their actual job? Energy Assessor, Architect, Technologist??)

If you've got building regs drawings there are hundreds of energy consultants who will do SAP calcs - having heard some of the advice dealt out in jewsons to builders on building reg compliance, I would be very wary, but guess they will just be farming it out too and skimming a bit off the top

They are the building regs side of an architects. Been established for years, and planning side was perfect. Building control picked up a mass of mistakes, relating to insulation, fire, etc, they didn't give me a list, just said there were thirteen mistakes. Theses are now resolved, but where he told me I had to have gas boilers, I'm fine with electric, and was told I needed it to be timber framed, which is only 100x50mm, which no one even wanted to built, turns out I'm fine with brick and block, which is what I wanted. Just can't trust what he says. 

[80BSY]

1 hour ago, lizzie said:

My SAP calcs were done (by architects) on a completely different house, didn't become apparent until EPC time.  

Reckon mine would be capable if being that bad, as my whole construction is wrong. 

[Jeremy Harris]

32 minutes ago, 80BSY said:

They are the building regs side of an architects. Been established for years, and planning side was perfect. Building control picked up a mass of mistakes, relating to insulation, fire, etc, they didn't give me a list, just said there were thirteen mistakes. Theses are now resolved, but where he told me I had to have gas boilers, I'm fine with electric, and was told I needed it to be timber framed, which is only 100x50mm, which no one even wanted to built, turns out I'm fine with brick and block, which is what I wanted. Just can't trust what he says. 

 

The choice of gas or electricity for heating and hot water has a fairly significant impact as far as SAP is concerned.  Electricity is penalised relative to gas by a significant factor, so where gas is available it would pretty much always be the better choice, solely in terms of complying with Part L1a.  Choosing to use electricity over gas would mean having to improve the fabric and also might mean having to install PV, just to be compliant.

 

No reason not to use brick and block, just means a thicker wall build up than timber frame plus brick usually, to get the same performance, so slightly smaller internal space for a given footprint.  Clearly the timber frame spec looks to be wrong, though.

[the_r_sole]

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Edited September 26, 2019 by the_r_sole

[80BSY]

5 hours ago, the_r_sole said:

 

Tbh 13 points is absolutely nothing, one local authority we work with gives you four points relating to the construction notification plan!

Building regs don't decide what build method you use or what heating systems are used, sometimes you need to tweak the design to account for things to make sure them comply but it's not the job of building control to dictate anything, their role is to confirm compliance with the regs

The issue with the build method was the fact it was fundamentally a very poor design, using a timber frame size that framing specialists refuse to build in (100x50mm) Technically, it's allowed, but in my mind far below the standard I'd want my house built in. Then to be told its the only way to get the SAP figures. Anyway, all that is by the by, as I've now got it done exactly how I wanted it in the first place, and it's compliant. Why they couldn't just do what I wanted in the first place is beyond me. I've got a detached bungalow to do shortly, guess who I won't be using. Now, armed with a good builder, and excellent building control, I'll break ground within the month. 

[the_r_sole]

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Edited September 26, 2019 by the_r_sole

[80BSY]

Even at the Homebuilder show, I asked every timber frame company there, and they all said the same. These will be long term rentals, unlikely to ever be sold, even if I could save a few quid with a 100mm frame, which is doubtful, I still wouldn't want it in that application. 

[the_r_sole]

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Edited September 26, 2019 by the_r_sole