BCS Approved Inspectors - Why Choose Us?
Fast
We specialise only in delivering a Building Regulation compliance service, fast, efficiently, effectively, from start to finish, with a consistency
that our clients really appreciate. A qualified surveyor will always respond to your call
Quality
We are a quality managed company offering consistent service standards, Approved by the Secretary of State England, recognised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as well as by other leading professional bodies.
We have a high rate of returning customers who have continuous enjoy the benefits of working with us.
Free
Our pre-application advice on projects leading up to planning permission consent is free when conducted one-to-one from our offices. Book Online now to discuss your projects with us.
We will provide a direct mobile phone contact to a senior highly experienced surveyor to assist you.
Building Regulations Simplified
Do you remember a time when you could only get a landline telephone from a single provider - from The Post Office actually.
Or what about the days you could only watch one TV channel - from The BBC if you recall.
Too young to remember ??
Well during those days, certain service providers dictated, HOW, WHAT, WHEN, and even IF you would receive their services, all on their terms. They had fixed inflexible costs, a record of poor service delivery, and long waiting times, which we all grew to accept simply because we had no other choice.
The Rise of The Approved Inspector (AI)
This UK Government’s preferred way of delivering public services is through user choice and provider competition.
Since about that late 90's the Government permitted two ways, for those carrying out legally notifiable building works, to obtain certified Building Regulation consents.
1. By using your local council
or
2. Using a private licensed company
The "Approved Inspector" commonly referred to as an AI is a private individual or company licensed by the Construction Industry Council following a rigourous interview process, to provide building regulation compliance checking services in a similar way to a local council. Most managers of these private AI businesses were ex-local authority building control surveyors with substantial building control experience gained whilst in the public sector.
AI's can check your building plans, inspect the building work, then issue a Final Certificate once the work is considered to be compliant. You must note that Approved Inspectors (AI) are not supervising your work on a day-to-day basis (like a clerk-of-works) , nor do they check the overall quality of the work completed.
The ultimate responsibility for carrying out compliant building work and to notify the AI when inspections are required remains the responsibility
of the person carrying out the work. An AI can cancel his/her involvement in a project if in his/her opinion building regulation compliance cannot be reasonably ascertained, or a key term and/or condition of contract has been breached which does not allow the AI to fulfil its function. The project will then be referred back to the local council for their intervention i.e. Enforcement Action if deemed necessary.
Usually before any cancellation of the involvement of an AI is processed the person responsible for the building work would have been given a Contravention Notice. The Notice provides a 3 month period during which any contravening works must be removed or altered or otherwise made to comply with the building regulations.
Unlike a local authority based building control service
Approved Inspectors are checked annually to make sure that they have :
1. Full comprehensive insurance cover
2. Adequate resources available
3. Staff that meet minimum qualification & competency levels
4. Technical staff that meet minimum yearly training obligations
5. Work strictly in accordance with the CIC Code of Conduct
6. Have a very high complement of Chartered status staff.
7. Meet Building Control Performance Standards
8. An independent complaints procecedure
9. Work and operate to a recognised quality management system
The introduction of the AI and competitive service provisions to the open market has already had the same effect on consumer choice as in other consumer sectors.
An ongoing improvement in the overall quality of the building regulation service provision that consumers benefit from.
The process of using an Approved Inspector
When you use an Approved Inspector, he or she will take on responsibility for plan checking and inspection of your building work.
The procedure requires you and the Approved Inspector jointly to notify your local authority of your intended building work on what is called an ‘Initial Notice’. Once this notice has been accepted by your local authority the responsibility for plan checking and site inspection will be formally placed on the Approved Inspector.
An Approved Inspector will:
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Advise you on how the Building Regulations apply to your work
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Check your plans
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Issue a plans certificate (if requested)
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Inspect the work as it progresses
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Issue a final certificate.
