Building Control - Inspections

muffler

Im just trying to gauge the level of inspections carried out by the Building Control people around the country. Here in Donegal they will carry out an odd spot inspection and on certain occasions they would be forced to inspect as a result of a complaint.

In a ratio of inspections per building starts I would estimate that a figure of 10% would be the max. here.

Whats it like elsewhere?

smashey

I had a discussion about this with an architect in Derry recently and we both came to the same conclusion. As a lot of new builds are signed off by architects or engineers or indeed are covered by homebond, we got the impression that building control seems to rely on this rather than inspecting the buildings themselves.

ardara1

I believe there are 3 Buildng Control Officers in Donegal - I don't know how many new build there were last year in the county - say 3000? - they's have to do about 4 a day to reach them all - once!

I have heard that 0.7% of all new builds in Ireland are inspected. Architects are to sign off the building for the lending institution upon completion - the contracts alway read 'substantially in compliance with' building regulations.

i was speaking to a friend recently in Co Down who put an extension on their house - Building Control visited 7 TIMES!!!!!


Apparently there are over 30 Building Conrol officers just for Belfast 20 for S Down and over 15 for derry - 6 in Cork - but then again building rates have been slow in the South!

In Roscommon, I have not had any visits from the BCO, in the UK the inspections are manditory,

Builders are given a "pack of cards" and must submit a card to buildings control at specific stages, eg before pouring concrete foundations, etc; you send in the card a few days before you need the inspection and arrange everything around the inspection.

It is illegal to proceed with the build without the BCO's consent.

I think the inspections are at:
1, digging out of footings, before concrete pour
2, rising walls & sub floor
3, drains, tested before covering.
4, Installation of DPC, DPM & Radon barrier (if needed)
5, Main structure
6, internal fixtures & fittings, plumbing, electrics, insulation etc
7, can't remember this one

My engineer has been on site only three and on one occasion he never even got out of the car!

I wonder how many houses built here are any way near regulation standards.

sakigrant

I finished building in West Cork last year and I never saw anyone from the Council. I saw my engineer once through the build - when the house was just about completed - although he billed me for three inspections. I guess the planning department are relying on the engineers to sign off that everything is ok with the build. I was glad not to see anyone as I changed the pitch of the porch roof, put in french doors in the kitchen where there should have been a window and moved velux windows. My engineer still signed off that it had been built to spec.

jeffcolley

I've picked up quite a bit of information on this issue as it relates to energy performance of building. <edit> On several occasions over the last couple of years I've asked senior Department of the Environment and Sustainable Energy Ireland officials if they can refer me to one example in the history of the state of anyone--a builder, developer, architect or engineer--being prosecuted for a building's failure to comply with the minimum insulation requirements under Part L of the Building Regulations. Every time I've asked, they've dodged the question, because there hasn't been a single prosecution.

We've published several articles in this area such as this one:
www.constructireland.ie/articles/0213deadheat.php


And I can tell you with great confidence that well over 90% of current new build housing doesn't comply--in other words it doesn't even meet the standard of the worst house that is legally possible to build.

In light of this, many people in the industry are disappointed but not surprised that the government has chosen to make the new energy ratings for buildings purely based on calculations--on how energy efficient your house would be if it were actually built as per the plans--rather than on auditing the finished house.


Jeff Colley
Editor

Construct Ireland
www.constructireland.ie

muffler

Was there not a change recently in relation to the timescale for introduction of the new energy rating regs - January 2008 for all new builds commenced from that date


Edit: Forgot we were already in 2007 - the above should have read 2008