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Building Tectonics Process

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1. Feasibility Scheme      – how we go about capturing your requirements

2. Scheme Acceptance   –  proceeding with your chosen scheme

3. Planning Application   –  applying to the Planning Authority

4. Building Regulations   – preparing the Building Regulations application

5. Project Management   – project managing your scheme to completion

 

 

1.  Feasibility Scheme

We start projects with a Feasibility Scheme at a fixed fee. This involves visiting your home at a time that suits you, listening to your requirements. The visit takes about two and a half to three and a half hours.

Following the visit and survey we will produce a number of schemes for your perusal. There may be variations that should be considered or even some entirely different approaches. We feel that it is important to get the best possible scheme before commencing the next stage. We normally get these back to you about 4 to 5 weeks after the visit. Once you had a chance to evaluate our schemes and give us your thoughts, we can then further explore a particular idea and alter it as necessary.

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For a ground floor extension, it would be prudent for us to carry out a so-called asset enquiry, we will check whether any sewers run under your property, as this may prohibit the building work you require. The water authority now charge for this information. If you wish us to carry out an asset enquiry, there is a fee of £70.

If we have any reasons to believe that there is no solution to what you are looking for, we will warn you so you can decide whether to go ahead with the project.

 

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2.  Scheme Acceptance 

Once a scheme has been agreed and you wish to proceed with the next stage, we will:

• Advise whether or not we think you need planning permission and/or building regulations

• Give you a quote for more detailed plans that are needed for the relative stages.

Because the unforeseen sometimes happens, we make it clear that you can cancel at any stage and that all we charge for, is the stage which we have commenced.

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3. Planning Application

In the past it has been normal to send your approved scheme to the Planning Department for an informal view, a so-called Pre-Application and sometimes we still do this. However because there is no guarantee that Planning Permission will ultimately be forthcoming and because of the time taken to get comments from the Planning Department, you may choose to skip the Pre-Application stage.

Building Tectonics will be pleased to discuss and agree the best approval with you once the feasibility stage is complete.

Once you have asked us to go for planning and send us our fees together with local authority fees, we will send a formal application to the Planning Authority. We will assess what further costs you will incur in order to proceed. We can obtain an approximate build cost from a competent builder if you wish. We can also obtain any structural engineering costs from a Structural Engineer, which may be required in order to move to the next stage.

The Planning Process generally takes between 8 and 12 weeks from lodging the application. We will advise you of the Planning Officers’ comments and if favourable, your project would move to building regulations stage, at which point our next fees become due.

 

 

4. Building Regulations

Once you have asked us to prepare the building regulation application and send our fees together with local authority fees, we will commence this part of our work

A building regulations application requires considerable technical input on our part. For most domestic work, it takes us 2 to 3 weeks to prepare the application. Included in our quote is dealing with the queries from the Building Control Department.

 

 

5. Project Management

Once commissioned, we can project manage your scheme to completion. It is our policy that you should be free to continue with your lives with the minimum of disruption to your home. There is no secret here, a coherent design is the key, together with selecting an appropriate building contractor. Good communication is also essential so that everyone knows what is expected of them.

Full supervisory services may not be appropriate and you may form a relationship with your builder whereby the project is satisfactorily completed without our on-site involvement. However, we would strongly recommend that the project is very carefully planned and the builder carefully selected. Building Tectonics is happy to assist in this process.