What services do we offer?

Our services are complemented by a range of flexible charging systems. Services include (but are not limited to):

Building Surveying / Building Pathology (Structural survey inspections)

wall-butt-crackSurveying your property to diagnose and inspect defects or symptoms. Typically these can be cracking to the internal or external envelop, cracking to ceilings, timber beam inspection, defective chimney supports etc.

Though we do not undertake surveys directly for purchasing for mortgage/ insurance/ valuation purposes (there are specialist surveyors we are happy to recommend)

We are able to offer a specific defect survey, which will undertake to view specific defects or issues brought up during your mortgage / valuation survey, to inform you further, please feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements.

Within this package, we will try to establish causes, and or areas for further investigations, which we can manage on your behalf, or alternatively liaise with your insurance company. Where possible we will try to give an indication to remedial actions and works. We can specify remedial works and temporary works to support the property to reduce further damage.

Areas that affect properties can be ground water seepage, Local trees, neighbouring excavations, poor construction detail, defective supports, beams and lintels, land movement and subsidence.

Planning Permission / Permitted Development

We prepare drawings to be carried out to your specification, along with design ideas that we may introduce, for the purposes of planning, along with necessary documentation and application of your proposal.

Many domestic works fall under permitted development (P.D.)

See link for further information

We always suggest that you apply for permitted development, as there may be restrictions on your property due to article 4 restrictions, being in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB), be in a conservation areas, or have certain permitted development rights withdrawn. The best way to ascertain this is to make a ‘Lawful Development Application’ (LDC) Works that lie within this, or outside of permitted development rights are generally planning applications, this included domestic properties that have been converted from certain commercial premises.

Please note that the Notification for Prior Approval of a Proposed Larger Home Extension, has been extended to end of 30th May 2019 (correct at the time of writing) Again, there are strict criteria that generally needs to be complied with, other items that you may not be aware of that license granted to undertake these larger extensions are not a Lawful Development Certificate(LDC). Again we always suggest that you apply separately for a LDC.

More information can be found here

Building Regulations and Building Control

building-controlAfter planning the next process would be defining the works to comply with building control and their requirements, often including structural engineering detail and calculations. Where necessary we also deal with Heat loss calculations or SAP (Energy) requirements extension with highly glazed walls/roofs to prove that it meets building regulations.

There are generally two schemes that you have to comply to for Building Control, either for smaller works 48hour notice, and for larger works, fullplans approval.

Please note, there is a requirement for more stringent building insulation, and you may find that a SAP calculation is required for your proposed works.

We can advise on this once we have assessed your scheme.

We are able to undertake retrospective building control detail and works (Known as regularisation) this would be where works to the house were undertaken without building control or Approved Inspectors site visits and sign off.

Typically these are very important if you wish to put your house up for sale, as they are often requested by solicitors. (it is prudent to have these undertaken prior to placing the house on the market.)

We always suggest that you obtain building control approval for all notifiable works, either by the Local Building Control (LABC) or an approved Inspector (AI)

Your local building control department can be contacted at your local authority. Some local authorities have the facility to submit details on line via the submit-a-plan webpage. See below for further information.

https://www.submitaplan.com/

https://guidetorenovatingyourhome.co.uk/sussex

We are not Building Control Officers or Approved Inspectors, and cannot sign off any works undertaken.

Types of Works

We cover all aspects of domestic to small / medium size commercial works, including change of use and lawful development certificates.