Site Inspections
- Considerate Constructors Scheme
- The Inspection Process
- The Nine Stages of Work within the Inspection Process
- How can I contact you?
- What do I need to do as owner?
- Useful Links
Considerate Constructors Scheme
An Overview
The Considerate Constructors Scheme is a national initiative designed to improve the image of construction through better management and presentation of its sites over and above statutory requirements. Constructors must commit to an eight point Code of Considerate Practice that includes being:
- Considerate
- Environmentally Aware
- Clean
- A Good Neighbour
- Respectful
- Safe
- Responsible
- Accountable
All participating sites will be monitored to assess adherence to the Code of Considerate Practice. All sites must clearly display Considerate Constructors Scheme posters providing a project description with names and telephone numbers of participating contractors and the Scheme's administrative office.
The Benefits
Clients and constructors recognise that the promotion of good practice and public participation in the scheme makes good business sense. In particular, by improving:
- Your image
- Your relationships
- Your performance
- Future tendering opportunities
- The opportunity to win a national award of excellence
- Best practice on your site
- Dealing with complaints
Every construction site is eligible to join the scheme - at any stage of the construction process from inception to completion.
Further details can sought from: http://www.ccscheme.org.uk/
Or by contacting the administrative office for an information pack at:
Considerate Constructors Scheme
PO Box 75
Great Amwell
Ware
SG12 9UY
Tel: 0800 783 1423
The Inspection Process
To ensure that your building works comply with the Building Regulations, the Council's Building Control Surveyors carry out inspections of your work as it progresses.
What happens?
When you have submitted an application and you are ready to start work, you must notify us at various stages of the work. This will depend on the nature of the work being carried out. If you are unsure about which stages are relevant, please feel free to contact us. We have included our full contact details to help.
We provide a Notice of Commencement ( Blue coloured form ) for you to complete. This is provided either with your Approval Notice ( Full Plans Applications ) or alternatively with our acknowledgement letter ( for Building Notice Applications ) to notify us of your commencement date and who your builder is. This must be given at least two days before the work starts on site. After which a phone call to our 24 hour inspection hotline on ( 01628 ) 796885 is all that is needed for each subsequent stage.
A Building Control Surveyor may call on the commencement date, even though there may be nothing to inspect, to introduce themselves, briefly discuss the job and answer any questions. If the work is being done on a Building Notice, they will ask how the work is to be constructed, the type and size of materials etc. This will help to give some basic information in the absence of detailed plans. This doesn't mean that details cannot be altered later, but it does act as a basis for the design information and site inspections that will be required.
It is in your own interest to agree a specification with your builder and to enter into a formal contract prior to starting.
Progress inspections made during the course of the work, help to provide reassurance that your building works comply with the Building Regulations.
What do we do?
RBWM Building Control Consultancy is here to help you. If you are in any doubt over Building Regulation requirements or require further information, please telephone, email or call into the Building Control Consultancy to see your area Building Control Surveyor.
Remember, work may be shown on building plans to be in accordance with the Building Regulations, but it is the work on site, which frequently departs from the approved drawings, that is required to be in conformity with the Building Regulations.
For this reason, we place great emphasis on the inspection process and our Customer Commitment is based on carrying out all statutory inspections. We also undertake to carry out additional non- statutory visits whenever possible e.g roof level.
If you are a developer, we believe that it is in your interest that first class inspections of your property take place. This will ensure that any faults found are corrected at that time, rather than costly problems occurring later.
If you are a building owner, we also believe that we are acting in your interest to ensure that you do not inherit any problems, by way of major defects becoming apparent later.
What inspections do I need?
The following, Stages 1 - 9, are those at which notification should be given. This can be done either in writing or by telephone, fax or inspection hotline. Stage 6 is not mandatory but it is strongly recommended. Please note that failure to ensure that all the statutory inspections have been carried out by the Building Control Surveyor, will prevent the issue of a Completion Certificate. This may affect any future sale of the property.
You should also be aware that failure to give notice at each of the statutory stages is an offence under the Building Regulations, which is subject to a maximum fine of £5,000 per offence.
More than one inspection may however be carried out on one visit where appropriate.
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 the structure. In addition to these they may call at other times to check the work in progress.
And The Nine Stages of Work Are?
How can I contact you?
You may arrange site visits by any of the following means; either by direct dial telephone, 24 hour answerphone hotline, fax or email. If you request a visit before 10.30 am ( 10.00am for email requests ), we will call to see your building work the same day.
Tel : 01628 796870
Fax : 01628 796886
24 hour inspection hotline : 01628 796885
EMail : building.control@rbwm.gov.uk
Our Email Site Inspection Request Form is provided below, for you to complete and send in to arrange a site inspection.We believe our response times are second to none, and because we have a good communication system, we are fully responsive to the needs of our customers. We regard this service as probably the most important that we undertake. If you feel that our performance is less than it should be our Building Control Consultancy Manager would be pleased to hear from you. Please refer to our Customer Feedback section for contact details.
Or
Complete our Online Inspection Request form.
What do I need to do as owner?
It is essential that the Commencement and Completion Notices are given. You are recommended to take a personal involvement in the work by arranging to meet the builder and Building Control Surveyor together on site. This will ensure that any Building Regulation problems can be resolved before the builder leaves the site.
The purpose of these inspections is to establish that work complies with the Regulations, particularly work which is quickly covered up. Hence the need to give prior notice for inspection.
When the work is completed, please ensure that you notify the Building Control Surveyor, who will then arrange a final inspection of the work and issue a Completion Certificate. We recommend that any final payments to builders are only made after the Building Control Surveyor has carried out a satisfactory completion inspection.
Please note that Planning Permission may be required before work can start on site. Please check with our planning colleagues for help and advice on whether your proposals require consent.
Site Inspections
Our Customer Guide 17 will help explain everything you need to know about the site inspection process.
EMail Site Inspection Requests
Requests for Building Control Inspections can be made by telephoning the Building Control Consultancy on 01628 796870. Alternatively, please download and complete the form below, then e-mail it to building.control@rbwm.gov.uk . To ensure we can undertake the inspection on the day requested, any email notice should be received by no later than 10.00a.m. on that day, Monday to Friday (excluding inspection requests for 'Drains backfilled and ready for test' and 'Final Completion' where the statutory notice periods of 5 days should be given). Any received after 10.00 am will carry over to the following working day.![[External Link] Directgov - public services all in one place](/graphics/direct_gov_logo.gif){kind=logo}
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