How to get a cert of compliance and do I need retention permission?

Domane

Hi folks

I've recently gotten divorced and we are selling the house that was built in 2006. We never got a cert of compliance from our Architect at the time as he walked off the job when I confronted him about charging us for site visits that he never made (long story). I reported him to the RIAI at the time but they didn't want to know. As we funded the build from our own finances, we didn't need the cert for a mortgage drawdown.

So fast forward to now and our house sale. The estate agent said I need this cert of compliance before I can sell it. Now the house was built in accordance with the planning received in 2006. However since then, we converted the attached garage into a bedroom and added on a room out back of the house in 2008. The floor area for both is 32sq metres. Do I need to seek retention on these even though from what I can gather I am allowed to convert an attached garage to living accommodation without planning and you are allowed to,add on sunrooms etc at the back of your house without seeking planning?

Ive rang the Council twice seeking advice and I was told I'd be called back and I'm still waiting. My job takes me all over the country and I can't afford time off to go into the Councils offices to ask in person.

So my questions are:
1. Do I need to seek retention and
2. How do I get a cert of compliance and what are the costs approx?

Thanks

Calahonda52

You also need a BER if you don't have one.
Did you alter the front of the garage when doing the bedroom?
Does it meet the habitable room requirements, typically a ceiling height issue.
Any concealed steel/concrete beams over opes in the house [sunroom work]?
These will require opening up and repair as part of the certification: this is typically €750 plus vat for a stand alone retro certification.
This requires a structural engineer sign-off so that might point you to who might do the rest of the certification.

Domane

Calahonda52 wrote: »

You also need a BER if you don't have one.
Did you alter the front of the garage when doing the bedroom?
Does it meet the habitable room requirements, typically a ceiling height issue.
Any concealed steel/concrete beams over opes in the house [sunroom work]?
These will require opening up and repair as part of the certification: this is typically €750 plus vat for a stand alone retro certification.
This requires a structural engineer sign-off so that might point you to who might do the rest of the certification.

The BER s being arranged for next week.

The external alteration to the garage was to remove the door, build up the wall and place a window in situ. It has the standard 8 foot floor to ceiling height

With regard to the sunroom, we removed the existing French doors to create an ope to the new sunroom. There was already a steel beam in place above the doors to,support the roof. I presume this means that I don't need a structural engineer to sign off on this then?

So no need to apply for retention as my alterations are within guidelines? Do I need an architect to do the cert of compliance or an engineer? Just need a steer here as the Councils planning dept is useless and I havent got the funds to be paying all sorts of professionals following the court case.

Thanks

Calahonda52

I am not a planning expert but my sense of it, from experience, is that you only get one freebie, i.e. exemption.
That is certainly the case with extensions, you can't roll out 2 or 3 by 39 sq m extensions!!
With the garage, you changed the profile so assuming it is out front and visible from road then its not exempt, IMO.
So you may have to go for retention on it, so include the sunroom and be done with it, it will appear on drawings anyway.

You don't have certification for the beam as you don't have one from the build so its a problem, IMO
An architect cannot give you the structural sign off on the beam, you need a structural engineer who does this stuff.
Some, but not all will do the other stuff, which is compliance with planning and building regs as they were in 2006,
so my guess is find a structural engineer who will do all three.
The beam will require opening up unless you want to take a gamble on having to drop 10 or 15k if it comes up as a price reduction point.

Its tough market out there now, even still, so I would bite the bullet now.

893bet

A cash buyer may overlook the issues (but will expect leeway on the price).

Sounds like planning retention needed for the garage conversion assuming it is to the side of the house.

Gumbo

Domane wrote: »

Just need a steer here as the Councils planning dept is useless and I havent got the funds to be paying all sorts of professionals following the court case.

Thanks

Just to note that the council cannot make a judgement on whether you need planning or not by your description. They are not there to provide this service, nor should they.

That's what section 5 applications are for, you lodged it and a planner will issue a report stating whether it is exempt or requires planning.

OP, engage an Engineer / Architect / Surveyor to view the property, study the grant of permission from 2006 and to view the additions. They will make a recommendation during a face to face meeting.

www.engineersireland.ie
www.riai.ie
www.scsi.ie

all of these sites give you an option to select someone near you for a quotation.