Ber Assessors

Independent

Hi, i am building a house in Donegal and was wondering is it worthwhile employing the services of a Ber assessor at the design stage and how much would it cost, Thanks.

topcatcbr

Absolutely. Get your design done then hand over to a BER assessor who also happens to be an architect or architectural tech to sort out the insulation and appliance specification and Provisional BER which will last 2 years.

As for cost it shouldnt cost much more than €400 + Vat

No6

Topcatcbr he dosnt need a Provisional BER, thats for houses for sale or rent, he does need to get an Assessor in at an early stage to assess / reccomend any changes to the specifications etc etc..Independant look for quotes is the best bet.

topcatcbr

No6 wrote: »

Topcatcbr he dosnt need a Provisional BER, thats for houses for sale or rent, he does need to get an Assessor in at an early stage to assess / reccomend any changes to the specifications etc etc..Independant look for quotes is the best bet.

I never said he needed to. What i said was he can get it done (from the plans) which would last 2 years.

Getting the provisional cert would go a long way to proving the work you asked to be done was done.

It is best done at the design stage as improvements can be specified and incorporated into the dwelling before construction starts.

Independant- Check the list http://193.178.2.42/SearchAssessors.aspx for an assessor near you.
Ask what construction qualification they have. Do not accept just the BER assessors FETAC Cert on its own. Assessors were required to have a construction qualification however the training providers were not enforcing this and thus anyone without qualifications could and did do the course.
(be warned there are assessors who have no professional construction qualification)

Ask do they have Professional Indemnity Insurance.

Explain the service you require

Then ask for price guide.

Independent

Thanks topcat & No 6, A friend of mine hired a guy locally (a Ber assessor)who was a former carpenter and has alot of construction experience, he is very happy with him and is getting him to manage his build as well. Do you guys think somebody with his background could do a proper job as a Ber assessor. Surely he must of passed an exam of some kind? Thanks.

No6

He'll have passed his Training Providers FETAC exam after his five or six day course. He could be very good as he has a lot of site experience but a lot of stuff is done on site because it says so in the homebond manual, so you don't know, If your friend is happy thats a good start but has his BER assessment been published by the SEI, how do you mean magage his build, is he also the site foreman or project manager too. Possible conflict of interest there!! Ask a lot of questions as per topcatcbr's post!!

Independent

No6, I take it he will act as a project manager, i thought this was a good idea as he would make sure things were done correctly. How do you think it would be a conflict of interest? As for architects i dont trust them, leave them in the office to the drawing. I am 60+ and have built a few houses back in the day. Way before all this Ber business, which i think is great and very interesting.

ardara1

These guys will have trained to understand the process of energy efficiency in new build and how a house is scored to result in an energy label - if you want an ASSESSOR - call him in when the job's completed. If you want him to advise during the design/build - he's not an assessor - he's a consultant. Might cost you €1000 or so - but money better spent than spending it on insulation that's not specified/installed properly. You'll get the money back in the long run.

Independent

I think the assessor in question does consultancy work as well. I would be thinking he should know the types of insulation etc. to obtain a good rating.

topcatcbr

Independant- I understand you employing a carpenter as a site manager. Probably the best person for this job. However a carpenter is not the most qualified person to advise (consult with) on elemental design issues. This is the remit of an architect or architectural tech (more so an architectural tech). Your carpenter probably has a better understanding of some aspects than an architect or tech but will probably not have the overall understanding required to make the most informed decisions regarding your energy requirements. Remember it is not all about insulation.

He will most likley be more than able to do a BER cert.

Ps. I used to be a carpenter.

This service should not cost near €1000. Probably closer to half this.

badolepuddytat

I don't agree with you topcatcbr that it should be an architect/ tech for energy requirements. It could be a civil/ Mech eng. It could be a construction professional.... I know a good few experts in EE in resendential and none of them are arch/ tech. In fact the arch /tech's that i know ask others (BER Consultants) for help.

I do agree with all you other posts, and that a BER consultation type service should be in the region of 500.

topcatcbr

badolepuddytat wrote: »

I don't agree with you topcatcbr that it should be an architect/ tech for energy requirements. It could be a civil/ Mech eng. It could be a construction professional.... I know a good few experts in EE in resendential and none of them are arch/ tech. In fact the arch /tech's that i know ask others (BER Consultants) for help.

I do agree with all you other posts, and that a BER consultation type service should be in the region of 500.

I think we will have to agree to differ on this one.

Slig

I'm sorry but down to basics here.
Engineer - Structure/services
Architect - Design/project management
Arch Tech - insulation and waterproofing

(I know these arent the full duties of each but they are the most relevant)
make your own assumptions about whos more appropriate

motherfunker

Do loads of research on the internet about different types of insulation, build materials, talk to people, ask on forums like this one. Dont pay one of these BER cowboys €500 to tell you something others will tell you for free.
If you do need a ber cert, do as topcatcbr says and research your assessor and his background well before hiring them.
These training providers would have taught a dog off the street if he had €1500 to give them.
Dont trust anyone who does not have a decent construction/engineering background.
I know there are loads of well qualified BER assessors out there but it is up to you guys to demand an end to this crap before the whole thing blows up.

rayh

Another perspective;

Engineers - Good and Bad
Architects -Good and Bad
Arch Techs- Good and Bad
BER Assessors - Good and Bad

Will our society best develop an Energy Thrift society from an Elite Group of Good and Bad BER Assessors or a Diverse Group of Good and Bad BER Assessors

motherfunker

Engineers and Arch Techs had to spend 4 years in college, architects had to spend 7 years i collegs, BER assessors had to spend €1500 on a course most of them were not qualified to do in the first place.

My faith in the whole BER system will never be much until the SEI or whoever is meant to be monitoring it all has a complete review of the people who have completed courses so far and punish the companies who are teaching the get rich quick cowboys who have invaded the industry so far.

aobenergyassess

Hi All,

I'm an energy assessor in England, Mother, you have hit the nail on the head; it's the same over here.

So far as best energy saving for the property, there should be a certain rating built in at design time. To improve, you need to look at the most effective heating and hot water system for you and your circumstances.

While the house is in design mode, you can do all sorts of things.

Sorry to butt in, but I'm interested in energy saving subject.