IF YOU CAN DREAM IT - WE CAN DESIGN AND BUILD IT
IF YOU CAN DREAM IT - WE CAN DESIGN AND BUILD IT

Most everyone has heard of Building Regs and Building Control - but just what do they mean in a new build.... 

 

Building Regulations are great tomes of rules that must be complied with when building a permanent structure.  Drawings are usually completed to show how these regulations are being met on your build - although it is up to you to communicate what insulation, ecological considerations, types of window etc that you want to have to the person drawing your building regs drawings if you want something more than standard compliance.   If you don't yet have your building regulations drawings, get in touch with us for a very competitive quote - or see the Drawings & Planning pages.

 

Building Control is provided by an organisation which checks your building regulations drawings to ensure that they comply with or exceed legislative requirements and they also provide the manpower to check that these regulations have been applied by coming out to site to check your build at predetermined stages. 

 

It is no longer only the Local Authority that can do the Building Control - this is now a privatised part of house building; so look around, ask questions and get quotes.

 

SAP/EPC, Air, Water (and all that jazz!) In Cornwall, the SAP has to be submitted for PLANNING.  A nuts idea as who knows how they will be building their home if they dont even have planning permission yet - or what the Building Regulations will be by the time they do start building if they get the planning permission.  But there it is.  Cornwall Council want the pre-build SAP with the planning application; and even if that SAP is and A pass of over 102 environmentally, it will still have to pass the test of their own Excel spreadsheet.  And if it doesn't they won't accept the planning application.   This basically means you HAVE to include either air source or ground source heat pumps no matter how over priced they are or how noisy and/or ineffective  they actually are (this is the opinion of the author). 

 

Before building, you must have the build details of your new home interpreted and analysed to make sure the house will achieve a suitable SAP EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).  This is where your overall U value, air tightness, heating, ventilation etc are number crunched to produce an EPC outlining the energy efficiency of the building. 

 

Do not confuse minimum Building Regulations requirements wtih SAP requirements.  The former will often fail the latter.  Indeed many buildings don't pass first time and the SAP Assessor will make suggestions to improve results - more insulation, solar panels and batteries, air/ground source heat pumps have all been cited.  

 

Here is a chance to save money as in most circumstances, the same organisation you choose to do the Building Control can do the SAP/EPC, water, air tightness and even building warranty checks.  This could well be your Local Authority - but there are many independent companies out there.

 

 

Your Building Control Officer is the qualified surveyor that does the checking of your build as it progresses. 

 

No matter what you may have heard from any other source, this person should be befriended - at the very least treated with respect and as an incredibly useful font of information - this is a professionally qualified person who knows his/her stuff. 

 

He or she is interested in helping you build the house you said you would, in compliance with the regulations that apply. 

 

My emphasis is on the word "helping" - we have never met a Building Control Officer who is intentionally obnoxious.  Work with him/her and you will have no issues.

 

Timber Frame - Design & Build Ltd

Holmbush Woods, Stoke Road

Kelly Bray, Callington

PL17 8RA

T: 01579 388800

contact@timberframe-dab.co.uk

VAT GB387379534

Company Number 13010500

Open Invitation

We are delighted to welcome you to our offices to enjoy a cuppa whilst we discuss your aspirations - don't forget the biscuits!

Wilf & Flora (our dogs) will likely be here too - so, if you don't like dogs, let us know and they can stay home.

Factory & Office hours

Monday - Friday 9-5pm

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