£10 Million Collapse & Homeowners Left in the Lurch Again!

[@robgullen]

Love the inspecting woman with the red helmet and pink stileto heels - hopefully the ones with steel toecaps 😀

[@rajivvashm6046]

lets face it; onsite work comes to halt when she walks in :)

[@irenadler4723]

😂👏👏👏

[@peterwalton1502]

Totally agree with your comments Roger. Great advice about taking photos of the work as the build progresses 👏👏

[@WeAreTheTrueMedia]

As an ex contractor, I used to take photos of everything I did before it gets covered up, purely to cover my own backside.

[@sniffthis8555]

what in photos ?

[@Me-zo8yc]

😂 username checks out

[@andrewhead6267]

As a customer I took photos of things like where studs were, pipe and cable runs, so that I knew where things were. Also kept all the paperwork, like installation instructions. Even photos of packing that described the product. Like roofing tiles. So I knew the material and colour. Just in case we needed to put something up, repair something, etc. I sold the house and left some prints, all the paperwork and a memory stick with all the photos. I did this for myself, but passing it on to future occupants hopefully will help them in future years.

[@joytotheworld9109]

Smart, that photo could be what saves you taking the blame following a fire or other major issue.

[@eleanoralba5792]

My builder did this so wen LA building control said he had never seen the soak away and would cause issues to the project, he produced the photo of the guy looking at the soak away work.

[@rogerbraidwood7611]

Good tip ...Take photos !!!!!!!!!!!

[@sa3kes111]

Great advice, never mind building regs - when you need to fix something, you can refresh your memory on what everything looked like/consisted of.

[@ashleyrowe2681]

The private inspectors that used to be with PWC i use are now with Alpha Building Control, they have asked us to use a photo App that shows job address and longitude and latitude on the images taken...Great for proving the works were carried out at the job address.

[@skiiddy]

We’re doing the PM on our current home and using local BC for a major extension and refurb and started using a date stamp app with geotag. We’re only at trench fill but must have taken 30 photos already!

[@georgelfc1]

Just use the council they ain't going nowhere

[@skiiddy]

@@georgelfc1 Apologies meant local authority. I have known the head of ours for 25 years. Good people and always happy to advise and help. I do not see the point of private BC.

[@georgelfc1]

@@skiiddy totally agree ,I don't like the idea of some signing of work that is relying on You for business conflict of interest for me

[@timstradling7764]

As a general builder i have always gone with the LA building inspectors, never been seduced by discounted price private companies. Sow the breeze , reap the whirlwind.

[@fredbliggs996]

Thanks for covering this Roger; we were ready for final sign off from PWC when we discovered the liquidation. Local authority want twice our pwc fee to certify. Liquidators are in the process of setting up a system for clients to get access to their PWC records, for a fee plus vat and we don’t know what quality those records will be. Luckily our team took photographs all through project! Still going to be a mammoth task to sort through them to put together files for LBC. Good luck to all the orhers in similar situation.

[@richardaskham2154]

I work for a LA as an inspector and i have been waiting for something this to happen, i feel for the homeowners caught ip in this.

[@MikeReeves-d5j]

Thanks for the update Rodger. We’ve been caught up in this. Did everything right, got planning, structural engineering survey. Gas and Electrics signed off. Just needed to finish off a bathroom before getting PWC in to sign off. Our builders were amazing and I’ve taken loads of photos. But paying for more inspections, plus as you said they may want to dig things up to look. Stuff that, I’ll just pay the £500 indemnity insurance if and when we sell. Keep up the great work 👍

[@richardharvey1732]

Hi Roger, thank you for doing this, the advice you are giving to people having work done on their property makes a lot of good sense, for the last few years I have argued that trust is no substitute for knowledge and knowledge is based on information. I do think it is sensible to keep your own records of the work in progress but it should not be held secret from the workers, it should in fact be one of the specific conditions to be accepted by all parties at the outset. For many years I have argued that all local authorities should have a properly funded building control department responsible for ensuring proper standards on all sides including the design and financial aspects. this to establish the financial status of the protagonists, that the contractors have the means to do the work and the clients the money to pay for it. I do understand that to have these services properly set up and operational would add a considerable amount to the total costs of works but given the total costs of disasters like what you describe the overall cost to us all would be less and the anxiety and stress vastly reduced, prevention better than cure. Cheers, Richard.

[@ndewhurst1007]

Hi Roger. We are Building Engineers and about 50% of our appointments are recovery related. We have taken on a significant number of PWC projects to assist clients reach compliance. It is very sad to see.

[@richardpreston4320]

Found your channel while trying to learn as many skills as I can for the first house we're buying...thank you so much for this information and everything else you put up here in KZbin! We're looking at building work and you've really made me think about recording the whole thing for myself as it goes! Thanks again!

[@burwoodbuild]

And taking photos also means you know where all the piping and cables are located before you drill any holes!⚡️💦

[@SkillBuilder]

That's right!

[@disklamer]

Here's a crazy idea, since they are dissolving, all the files, records and documents can be accessed by the auditor and sent back to the clients.

[@rickterry8148]

There should be some backup pot of money, compensation, something, for these poor people left high and dry through no fault of their own. Its ridiculous that a company can just liquidate and shit on good people.

[@Tom-zy6ke]

Reinstate debtors prisons for the company bosses?

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

....with a clearly marked tape measure and a proof of date añd print them out and keep all in a folder.

[@SA-vz7qi]

Photographs are a life saver. Not just from building inspection but also in thd future if there is something odd happening you have detailed records of what is not visable.

[@petemoring67]

Some Great! Advice there Roger .... Especially as a Safe-Guard against 'Cowboy Builders' ... What a Sickener?? 🤨🤔

[@lksf9820]

Phone cameras have revolutionised our lives, using them like this is such good advice. If i'm taking something apart to fix it I take pics. I'm currently insulating our house, I take pics of all the work I do for future reference for me and others. I can even get our EPC rating changed using them.

[@jamesparker2660]

Wow untrammeled privatisation, who knew that wasn't going to produce rigour needed?!

[@markbaldwin5455]

This is a terrible situation for the householders, costing them more time and money. Disgusting - no accountability. I know from experience, Councils lost many BCO`s to private AI`s.

[@steadfastandyx4947]

I agree ; take the photos as you go along. I do it when I'm building. This has happened to me and my customer when the inspection company went out of business. I have an idea. If the builder, me, swears, that his/her work is correct then would that be sufficient? One must swear to be truthful in court and it is accepted.

[@handsfree1000]

When I did my loft conversion, I put in the building notices in at the local council for building inspection. Each time they said just carry on as they had no one available to inspect. At the point where I was about to plasterboard and therefore cover everything over they dropped a bombshell telling me they currently didn’t have any inspectors. I had been taking photos but there was no one to show them to, subsequently I could not get a certificate from them to show the work had been done to building code.

[@johnhaydon4055]

Nice one Roger, this is something that needs sorting out asap. Have to say in my 30+ years as a small builder I have had some amazing encounters with the LABC, nearly all have been good and knowledgeable and more than willing to offer solutions to potential problems. The private firms taking on building control inspections........not so much, some barely even got in the front door. My comment based on working on private domestic works only, but some quite complicated projects among them., thankfully I am semi retired now, I think?? A T B from J and H Builders

[@PGAYouTube]

Yes photos 😊 however my recent experience of getting an EPC Energy Performance Certificate for my extension of 2-3 years ago meant photos were not acceptable as they suggested could be of any building 😢. My extension was signed off by southern building control partnership so they were involved from initial dig for foundations so all good😊 so for EPC should also "see"every thing e.g. insulation going in because of the above mentioned photo issue

[@blowduke]

I take photos on ever job to cover myself if all goes wrong

[@CLCLTD]

Always a good idea we do KZbin videos firstly so the customer can see how we done too

[@bodgitscarper5353]

Question: in a world where one can buy a scanner that can look behind walls and find studs, piping, and electrical wiring, maybe this helps in this situation.

[@Darrida]

In civil engineering it is called BIM 4D. When you are adding time to blueprints.

[@howarddavies3744]

What a surprise, privatisation failing again, let's give building inspection to the lowest bidder, what could possibly go wrong? Defo take photos of everything you can and receipts are always a good plan.

[@douglascaulfield1756]

The Part L photographic report should cover some of these issues.

[@garethjudd5840]

When we had our extension built 12 years ago our building inspector came from the local council. It must be all privatised up north.

[@SkillBuilder]

No there is still a locacl authority building control but somebody who was hell bent of privatising everything decided it would be good for them to have some competition so we suddenly had all these private building inspectors paid by the buildiers to police their work.

[@flangemead]

Am I right in thinking after 10 years of starting the build a completion certificate is irrelevant anyway, thinking of doing a small kitchen extension at home but 150mm cavity gonna leave a step in the wall as the existing is 70mm

[@andljoy]

I would not rip down walls or dig up floors for some jobsworth in the government to look if i have the correct insulation. They can go pound sand.

[@michaelmacgillivray9497]

Don't think you would 😂

[@TheWebstaff]

No worries they will just take you to court.

[@lawrenceholden5716]

No certificate, no sale or mortgage, no choice.

[@andljoy]

@@lawrenceholden5716 i dont need any of them.

[@lazylad8544]

Ex government ministers to be held accountable your having a giraffe. Slimey slippery blaggers thats all they are. Taking pictures is excellent advice. Hope for the best and pray the worst dosnt happen.

[@rob5944]

As someone pointed out to me recently tere are certain industries that should remain publicly owned. Utilities, transport, and building standards being just a few examples. This needs to be enshrined in law, and hopefully it will avoid things like this. The post office scandal, and even worse, tragedies such as Grenfel.

[@robertbamford8266]

Private building inspection. Shudder. Ours (in US) are performed by government (City, County) employees. My experience has been good -with only occasional excessive diligence.

[@jasonclayton1405]

To add , all building inspectors should be sending out site notes to applicants every time they visit. If your using an AI insist they email them to you on a regular basis , this will help with revisions back to local authority.

[@Tracertme]

In some countries your not allowed on site while the contractor is building,, they fence it of and keep the owners out 🇦🇺 mostly because standards are so low.

[@bennyturnham9193]

My uncle whos a local builder (I'm a chippy) always used pwc for twenty years! There office was 5 miles away and this all happened last year with two jobs luckily pwc just signed the two jobs off! I'm doing my extension and using a national private building inspector called JHAI anyone had any problems with them recently?

[@rajivvashm6046]

Very unfortunate position to be in if a homeowner. Just wondering if the bankrupt company had public liability insurance ( or some kind of insurance in place / insurance product e.g. "key man type" ) that could either reimburse the homeowners or more importantly pay to get a skeleton staff back in to dish out the part filled inspections data back to the homeowners quickly. Surely that wouldn't take too long to pass on the data back to homeowners.

[@the1beard]

The UK is a Clown Show

[@petevito]

The photos thing great idea. Saved us a few years back. Loft conversion a few years back and had the same thing, private lot went bust and had to get the council in. We had taken lots of photos as it went along and it saved the client a lot of hassle. Still had to pay the council but the photos saved a lot of pulling down.

[@who-gives-a-toss_Bear]

Privatisation and PROFIT are the failing pair. All companies need to be partnerships not faceless entities with so many ways to escape any responsibility for there failing.

[@manxman8008]

Sad you need to check a builder for basic quality to codes of practice and standards.

[@gerrykelly2440]

When I was working the sites we all took photos, when did that stop?

[@SkillBuilder]

I am talking about customers taking them

[@igoraustin]

Also caught in this mess, LABC regularisation fees are robbery. Anyone using an alterative BC?

[@bield7]

Would never use private BC after the shoddy service we received. LABC all the way from now on.

[@ScoreGuru123]

Off topic....dry rods or injection cream to treat rising damp? Which is better?

[@SkillBuilder]

The rods are more manageable but they do the same thing

[@ScoreGuru123]

@@SkillBuilder fantastic , thanks for your help. Sheisters charging £800 for two hours work! Doing it myself

[@matthewredpath-q2f]

Ive done an extension 100% finished on my property with PWC, all passed no problem, all the relevant certificates in place just waiting on the final inspection, obviously now I won’t be getting one. Hart council want £1240 to re inspect, even tho I have pictures of every stage, all important parts especially ( I’m in construction so know what they want to see) they still want holes in the floor, roof, foundations, walls ect ect. An indemnity policy seems more realistic to me rather than giving the council any money. Also, Pwc gave said there will be access to notes soon.

[@SkillBuilder]

Interesting to hear first hand from a victim of this nonsense. I suppose that the Locan Authority Building Control are not doing anyone any favours because they are a business and PWC were the competition

[@matthewredpath-q2f]

Very true, as after contacting hart council, when they got back in touch about regularisation it was from a 3rd party.

[@user-uq7io2os3r]

It could be silly question but since when you need certification for loft insulation??

[@nicolassales8679]

Part L of building regulations covers insulation for new builds and extensions including lofts

[@relobmit]

Never assume that any government "regulator" is there to do any real good; almost always, there are vested interests at work. The MHRA is a classic example.

[@knightbeat]

Why would anyone hire a private entity to do building inspections? I also came across this name when I was in the stage of planning our extension and renovations. But I didn't see any logic in getting someone other than the people from the relevant authority itself. By the way, I took photographs of everything for my own reference.

[@davidkelly455]

What a stupid world we now live in any wonder nothing gets done on time and it all costs a fortune

[@TheWebstaff]

If all else fails I know someone who can make you the pictures you need

[@FiscalWoofer]

It’s nuts, if I borrowed £10million, there is no way I’d default! How can they waste so much money…borrow big is all I can say don’t ask for 10k ask for 10million min!

[@kenkennedy5516]

Never pay until the job is complete……always use a credit card for protection on deposits…..🧐👍

[@michaelc821]

Theft

[@llamedosr7843]

Can you use a banana for scale?

[@philsmith5500]

Any investigative journalist after a big story should look into the likes of pwc, EY etc.

[@williamjrcartwright]

Unfortunately it's not sexy enough!

[@anthonybragg]

Correct me if I am wrong but these companies do the work instead of the LBC you would have thought that at every stage of the inspection would be put onto a government portal.

[@TheWebstaff]

You would but then you have at least half a brain.

[@williamjrcartwright]

Nope. The LABC body would only get the Initial Notice and Final Certificate for records.

[@alberttatlock5104]

Same old same old!

[@OldCharlieRum1903]

Always insist on an LABC inspection.

[@1x3dil]

Usually set up of people making money at the expense of people who are not aware of the situation that has been aloud to flourish under this quest for new house building . We never seem to learn that where large sums of money are involved , the less desirable members of society are eager to take advantage . Even those in the industry who are regarded as satisfactory , are in truth building property that will have a limited life span . Certainly far less than the 100 / 200 year average of days gone by . So as to the future I cannot hold much hope , but I worry for all those who have been taken in by this diabolical deceit . Regards from an old fool who has been long past his sell by date .

[@crunchinjelly]

If you’re selling and you’ve had work done, you will need all the documentation…

[@jeffhenderson9595]

Not necessarily, I sold a house last year and couldn't find any planning/building control documents for an extension (the work had been completed before I bought it) so I had to buy an insurance policy for the buyers to cover any future issues - it never stalled the sale.

[@tomasdevine7756]

As if pwc doesn't have the cash only a total idiot would believe that.

[@caspar2155]

I don't think they have anything to do with the firm of chartered accountants called PWC

[@jamesparker2660]

@@caspar2155 apparently this one has £5m turnover and £10m debts

[@ecospider5]

Fake construction worker stock video is always really funny.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

That’s shocking , it’s stressful enough without all that Extra hassle and worry . Take plenty of pics or start a KZbin channel and film it 😉😌🧱👍🏽