Inspection of Building Works
To ensure that your building works comply with Building
Regulations and other relevant associated legislation, the Councils
Building Control Officers carry out inspections of building work as
it progresses.
Once you or your builders have decided when to start, you must
give at least two days notice to the Council in writing. A Building
Control Officer will call on the commencement date even though
there may be nothing to inspect. He will introduce himself, discuss
the job and answer any queries. If the job is being done under a
Building Notice, he will discuss the proposals with your builder
and arrange to carry out periodic inspections. He may require you
or your builder to submit further details for consideration.
Mandatory Inspections
Commencement is the first of up to nine mandatory inspections.
(Not all nine are relevant to all jobs.) Stages of work to be
inspected are listed below:
- Commencement
- Excavation for foundations
- Foundation constructed
- Damp proof courses laid
- Over site ready for concreting (with damp membrane laid
if appropriate)
- Drains laid and visible for checking layout and
construction
- Drains backfilled and ready for testing for water
tightness
- Occupation
- Completion of work
More than one inspection may be carried out at one visit.
Inspections one and two often coincide, as do four and five, and
seven and nine.
Once written confirmation of commencement has been received,
all other inspections can be arranged by telephoning the Building
Control Office. Often same day inspections will be possible
following telephone calls before lO.00 am.
To avoid unreasonable delay the Council must carry out
inspections two to six within one day of being notified.
Extra Inspections
These inspections are not necessarily the only ones your
Building Control Surveyor will make. Some jobs will require extra
specific inspections such as reinforcement of concrete structures
and fire protection to a structure and often you will be asked by
your Building Control Officer when you intend to plaster or line
the ceilings so that he may call to inspect beforehand. In
addition, he may call unexpectedly at other times to check on the
work in progress.