Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013

Gumbo

beyondpassive wrote: »

I've heard it said by a builder in Wexford, that they never knew building control officers left the office, but in the last year they have begun appearing on single house building sites. During the boom, The BC officer in one county used to do all his inspections in one day and meet his 13% quota, by visiting 2 or 3 developments, looking at a single house in a 200 house development from the road.

Interesting discussion on the BC(A)A at the Architects conference today, I'm folowing on twitter #riai2013

ive heard this too, during the boom, there were only 2 Offciers for Dublin City.
But you cannot meet your quota from a drive by viewing. You need to inspect various elements, request information on hardcore etc etc

Lazy comes to mind, and thats what i was trying to get across in one of my previous posts, hopefully that mentality has/will die out with the upcomming of fresher, younger, more eager staff.

4Sticks

beyondpassive wrote: »

The BC officer in one county used to do all his inspections in one day and meet his 13% quota, by visiting 2 or 3 developments, looking at a single house in a 200 house development from the road.

I do concede I may well have had such "visits" in my 18 years bp . Stealthy. "Ye won't even know we're here".

BryanF

completing a retro-fit with extension in Cork - the builder told me that BC visited "more than once" - its assumed that this is due to the type of mechanical ventialtion system , 200mm thickness of external insulation and general high specification that they were so interested..

cathal 1985

hello there, I have to do a project on how is this amendment affecting the professionals in the building trade. Where do I start and what is the greatest effect.

cathal 1985

I have just been given a project on this very subject, it's about how this amendment is affecting the professionals in the building trade? how do I start it and what exactly is the main affect? any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

Gumbo

cathal 1985 wrote: »

I have just been given a project on this very subject, it's about how this amendment is affecting the professionals in the building trade? how do I start it and what exactly is the main affect? any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

You could start with how the system runs currently, then explain the changes and go into detail on how you think the changes will effect the industry, standard of building, and what the end customer will get.

BryanF

cathal 1985 wrote: »

I have just been given a project on this very subject, it's about how this amendment is affecting the professionals in the building trade? how do I start it and what exactly is the main affect? any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

+1 kceire also read the riai, the x riai presidents, arch alliance & law opinions. there is a good linkedin page type in 'Arch tech'

mmcgarry

If planning is lodged prior to 1st March date am I under new or old regs???

kkelliher

mmcgarry wrote: »

If planning is lodged prior to 1st March date am I under new or old regs???

New as you need to have commencement cert lodged before 1st march

Open A

kkelliher is correct, all commencement notices from 1st of March will come under the new regulations.

There is huge concern among architects architectural technologists & technicians. What about engineers, surveyors, others?

kkelliher

Open A wrote: »

kkelliher is correct, all commencement notices from 1st of March will come under the new regulations.

There is huge concern among architects architectural technologists & technicians. What about engineers, surveyors, others?

As a qs we are becoming an ever increasing hidden entity where we don't figure in any form and don't appear to have any representation on the role of the profession going forward. I believe financial control of building is at the heart of why corners are cut by owners and builders and yet there is no mention of it, care for it or even taught put into this aspect. I personally think that the irish building industry is nearing collapse through the monopoly of vested interests over proper regulation

Open A

The biggest worry is that there is nothing in the current draft stopping the building contractor from appointing his own assigned certifer in-house. It is the ultimate in self-certification backed by professional indemnity insurance. Professional indemnity insurance only stands where the policy is still in place when a claim is made. Where is consumer redress when the assigned certifier has halted PI... or has died?

There is very little to ensure better building in SI80. Can we not learn something from the success of our H&S legislation. Whats wrong with LDI for consumer address (immediate address: let the insurers follow the individual players for redress through the courts) and independent inspection to ensure better building standards. The only way to ensure independent inspection is for it to be an arm of the state (employed or contracted out)

Open A

kkelliher wrote: »

As a qs we are becoming an ever increasing hidden entity where we don't figure in any form and don't appear to have any representation on the role of the profession going forward. I believe financial control of building is at the heart of why corners are cut by owners and builders and yet there is no mention of it, care for it or even taught put into this aspect. I personally think that the irish building industry is nearing collapse through the monopoly of vested interests over proper regulation

Is your view shared with other QSs? What does SCSI say about SI80?

kkelliher

Open A wrote: »

What does SCSI say about SI80?

I have not heard anything from them but then i am not a member for the simple reason that they do not in any way promote my profession to the wider public and i have no idea what they actually do. (Surly cpd should not be the sole reason they exist?)

Most qs's that i would know feel very disinfranchised from the industry

strongback

I would have a different view on qs's role in the current climate. Many projects I am working on seem to be led by the qs particularly when it comes to contractors side. I see qs's slipping more and more into the project management role.

My first bosses hated qs's he thought they had gotten well above their station 20 years ago!

Open A

kkelliher wrote: »

I have not heard anything from them but then i am not a member for the simple reason that they do not in any way promote my profession to the wider public and i have no idea what they actually do. (Surly cpd should not be the sole reason they exist?)

Most qs's that i would know feel very disinfranchised from the industry

Seems like a common feeling among many players in the industry!

kkelliher

Open A wrote: »

Seems like a common feeling among many players in the industry!

Completely agree. I have being operating as a quantity surveyor for over 15 years and I have never once lost a project or had an issue for not being "chartered" or a member of the SCS. I really don't see what they have ever done for "quantity surveying" as apposed to the multiple professions of surveyors that they make-out they represent. There is still a minority in the country who know what we do and the value we can add to a project and therefore what the SCS do with the near €400 a year membership fees is beyond me.

Supertech

Do you have to pay a yearly fee simply to be on the register kkelliher ?

kkelliher

Supertech wrote: »

Do you have to pay a yearly fee simply to be on the register kkelliher ?

yes I have to pay €400 every year

joeirish

Sorry if I missed it but I am trying to find out if I am affected by the new regs. I am planning to build a house, I have planning permission and I have the commencement notice. i'm just waiting for my current house to be sold (got an offer but waiting for the buyers to sell their house in England) before I can start the works. Some posts seem to suggest that as long as the commencement notice was issued before March 1st 2014 I operate under the existing regs, others say that I would have to have a substantial part of the house built by March 1st otherwise I will be subject to the new regs. Can anybody tell me which is the correct view.

Thanks

BryanF

joeirish wrote: »

the commencement notice

submitted

before March 1st 2014 I operate under the existing regs,

Open A

joeirish wrote: »

Sorry if I missed it but I am trying to find out if I am affected by the new regs. I am planning to build a house, I have planning permission and I have the commencement notice. i'm just waiting for my current house to be sold (got an offer but waiting for the buyers to sell their house in England) before I can start the works. Some posts seem to suggest that as long as the commencement notice was issued before March 1st 2014 I operate under the existing regs, others say that I would have to have a substantial part of the house built by March 1st otherwise I will be subject to the new regs. Can anybody tell me which is the correct view.

Thanks

Hi JoeIrish,

So long as the commencement notice goes in before 1st March you are under the old system. However, you must commence within 28 days of giving notice to do so. So if you don't plan to start the work until the end of March or later, you would be under the new system.

joeirish

Ah, didn't realise I had to actually start within 28 days. I had the commencement notice two weeks ago now but still waiting for a contractor to give me a price and start groundworks. What happens if I don't manage to get started within 28 days?

PS Anybody know of a contractor who can do groundworks in the East Clare area?

Open A

Technically the commencement notice is invalid.. you gave notice to commence, but didn't actually commence..

Open A

By the way, a debate about all of this stuff is just starting online..

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bregsforum
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/BRegs-Forum/717318874946169?fref=ts

joeirish

Open A wrote: »

Technically the commencement notice is invalid.. you gave notice to commence, but didn't actually commence..

Thanks for the reply.

So does that mean I just apply for another when I'm ready to go and if it is still before March 1st next I can build according to current regs?

Open A

If you get it in before the 1st March, you should be fine

fclauson

joeirish wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

So does that mean I just apply for another when I'm ready to go and if it is still before March 1st next I can build according to current regs?

Get your own spade and turn a sod - that means you have started

joeirish

fclauson wrote: »

Get your own spade and turn a sod - that means you have started

Ha Ha. I wondered about that actually but I think I have do have done something substantial. But not sure what that would be. There's a 6m by 7m garage/shed on the plans. So maybe if I start with that it'll be OK. Can't afford to actually start building the main house until the sale of this one has completed.

Gumbo

joeirish wrote: »

Ah, didn't realise I had to actually start within 28 days. I had the commencement notice two weeks ago now but still waiting for a contractor to give me a price and start groundworks. What happens if I don't manage to get started within 28 days?

PS Anybody know of a contractor who can do groundworks in the East Clare area?

How did you lodge a commencement notice with filling in the builders details in the space provided for? Whose name did you put down as a site contact?

Sounds like you made a hash of the CN to be honest.