House plans

Never a good idea to use the builder's engineer.

Bally3. The consultant should be retained by you to design and certify the construction works, to be completed by the builder also retain by you.

DOCARCH

Yes I agree with retaining an Architect Technologist.

Whom ever you retain, get a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurances.

Do not allow a builder to include a P. C. Sum for anything in his Estimate.

Every Item can and should be costed fully, so that the builders Estimate and Final Account are similar.

Whatever Professional you retain get them to work for a fixed fee for professional services.

Gumbo.

The clients must decide on their Fitted Kitchen at some stage. Go to a Kitchen Company, pick out a Kitchen, get the cost and your building professional, can get the builder to include for this amount for the kitchen company to ‘supply and fit’ as a P C Sum. If the clients change their minds and get a different Kitchen the difference in cost can be adjusted in the final account.

The same applies to Laminate flooring. The clients pick out a Laminate. Clients professional can include the cost of supplying the laminate as a P C Sum. The builder must include in his estimate for supplying the underlay and fitting the laminate and NOT as part of a P C Sum. If you purchase a different laminate then an adjustment can be made with the purchasing invoice of the laminate.

Painting & Decorating.

Clients pick out the brand of paint they wish to use. Builder gets a price from a painting contractor to paint the house. If the clients decide on a different paint, then the difference in cost of the paint invoice only is adjusted in the final account. Builder gets nothing extra for Painter to apply the paint.

Your building profession should specify all of this in the Specification of Works, which is a Contract Document together with the Drawings and Builders Estimate/ Quotation.

Builders are notorious for keeping P C. Sums low, in order to secure a Contract. This is why you must retain a building professional to protect your interest and to ensure that the builders estimate, before commencement is similar to the final account, on completion.

I never allow P C Sums in domestic building Contracts

Everything in a house must be picked out and decided on at some stage. It is best if the clients do this before obtaining quotes from builders.

Building Contractors are entitled to charge Overheads and Profit on all Sub-Contractors. The minimum is 5% Overheads and 5% profit.

You mentioned you are confused. Building Contracts are very complicated and confusing. This is why Clients should retain a Building Professional, who have the Education, Training, Knowledge, Expertise and Experience, to ensure that their Building project is completed to:- Costs and Standards within the Contract Time.

There's no issue with PC Sums, but they should just be agreed and approved in advance and form part of the contract sum. The building professional engaged should ensure the PC Sums are reasonable.

You're a bit out of touch regarding PC sums.

Not irrelevant at all but it is generally accepted that you should engage the services of your own engineer in such a situation.

You do realise that you still ended up paying for the engineer (and possibly a little bit added to his bill for beer money for the builder) so why you wouldnt elect to have your own engineer carry out inspections and issue certs is beyond me.

Not all builders can be trusted.

If all builders could be trusted we would not have had a Priory Hall or any of these 60 developments.

Or indeed any of these issues

For small jobs some engineers will provide a design and sign off on the basis that the builder has supervised the installation.

We're back to trusting the builder.

If you trust your builder fine.

If you just want a Cert fine.

Personally (and hands up I'm an engineer) for something small like a beam I'd do as you did and be quite happy to use the builder's engineer.

But for a complete extension or house build I'd pay for my own architect or engineer, sitting my side with my best interests at heart.

The client has H&S duties under the legislation. Another reason to have a professional on your side.

Avoiding the hassle doesn't get you out of the court date.

Appreciate that.

After the Tiger we saw lots of issues due to the self-regulated building and short supply of quality workers.

We have a serious skills shortage again. Quality is suffering. Regulations have improved for buildings under BCAR.

For small works (and I would include right up to one-off-house) your main protection is some kind of word of mouth. But wouldn't skip checking their paperwork. A builder who worked for someone you trust and left with a good final product. In my opinion you should then have a professional in your corner. Architect or engineer.

For very minor works - knock out a wall for open plan. I'd be happy to use their engineer but I'd want to see them on site inspecting the work before it's closed.

Most Builders have no professional qualifications and therefore cannot obtaining Professional Indemnity Insurance. Therefore their certification is not acceptable to lending institutions.

Their signed self certification is worthless when you go to sell your property.

Think he's misreading your first sentence

"in general, its best that the professional singing off on elements of your build works for you rather than your builder."

As if your builder would be signing off.

Rather than a professional signing off for your builder.

You hit a note with that quote 😁