There are lots of components to any Build, regardless of the size of the project. Our clients frequently ask us what they need to consider prior to starting works, and the main things to tick off your list are Planning Permission, Party Wall Agreements, your Thames Water Application, and Building Control. Building Control ensure that safety and compliance are met on site.
The good news is we are here to help. Planning Permission and Party Wall matters are all covered within our Fixed Fee Design Service. You don’t need to think about Thames Water and Building Control until you have a build start date booked in, but as soon as you do we recommend getting these out of the way.
What is Building Control?
Your local council will offer a service which is called Building Control. Once you apply, you will get a Building Control Officer to oversee your Build. The cost of Building Control varies council to council but generally sits at around £700 – £900 for a ground floor extension. Your assigned officer will check in at various stages throughout the build to ensure compliance is being met onsite.
How can we help?
If you choose to use our Build Service, then we can take care of everything for you. We offer a fixed fee service, which varies in cost and is dependent on the size of your project. We use a private company which means your assigned officer is called an Approved Inspector, rather than a Building Control Officer. Both Building Control and an Approved Inspector have exactly the same accreditations, the only difference is Building Control is the council, and an Approved Inspector is a private company.
If you use our Approved Inspector service, we will take care of everything for you. Your Project Manager will stay in close contact with your assigned officer and ensure all of their queries are satisfied in full. They will attend regular onsite meetings with your assigned officer and will ensure compliance is being met throughout the Build.
Why is an Approved Inspector better for me?
Local Councils are frequently busy, and as such, they do not make themselves contractually obliged to meet deadlines. For this role, it is critical to meet onsite at very specific points throughout the build, for example for checking the installation of the steels. We find that Local Councils can be inflexible and slow at arranging these onsite meetings which has led to delays onsite. Our Approved Inspector offers flexibility which is critical for a building site.
To learn more about our Design and Build Services, contact us by either emailing us at hello@buildteam.com or calling us on 0207 495 6561.
