[BanziBarn]

Hi,

Question.....

I have a conservatory which wouldn't qualify for building regs exemption under the current rules because it's not separated from the house by external doors, just internal ones. (apparently it didn't need building regs when it was built in 2003 according to the previous owner).

I need a new roof on the conservatory and am thinking about getting a lightweight tiled roof which are specially designed for conservatories - since 2010 these have been allowed as I understand it.

I want to get building regs sign off for this work, or confirmation that it's exempt for when I sell the house.

My question is - as long as the roof meets all the heat loss criteria etc, would the council sign it off based on the fact that the roof in isolation meets the criteria, or would they likely make me change the doors separating the conservatory to house too?

I guess, if they make me put the doors in, then the roof becomes irrelevant as the room becomes exempt.....

What I'm basically worried about is that by getting the roof and telling the council, it'll cost me another few grand for some bi-fold doors which I don't really want (to make the room exempt), or to get sign off, make me carry out costly improvements to the house's insulation to compensate for heat loos from the conservatory.

I hope this makes sense!

Thanks!

[doughboy]

They will only sign off what you ask them / pay them to look at, they don't look elsewhere to try and catch you out.

Also, what do you mean "according to the seller"?? When you buy a house you can't believe a word the seller tells you, your solicitor and surveyor should have checked all that out (what you pay them for!!). If in doubt the seller should have been made to take out an indemnity policy so you could sue him later on if it turns out to be an illegal building.

You need to speak to your local authority buildings approval dept. Get them out to look and show them what you want to do.

It's the only way, you'll get all sorts of BS of tradesman and suppliers.

Go straight to the horses mouth, at least you'll know for sure then.

[BanziBarn]

Thanks for the reply.

In hindsight, you're totally right about what the sellers told us. Too late now I guess.

With regards to them only signing off the bit we ask about, I read somewhere that a person who went for a new glass roof but didn't have the external doors then had to get extra insulation in their roof to compensate. I guess though that's because the roof wouldn't have complied on it's own. The new solid ones have very good thermal ratings so I believe.

So yes, I should call the council. But then there's another issue. If I call them they will then know about the conservatory (assuming they don't already) - once they know doesn't that mean you can't get an indemnity insurance any more? I think I read that these are only valid if the council are unaware the structure is there?

So, I could get them to sign the roof off, but the rest of the building wouldn't have sign off (for example the widening of the door way into the conservatory), and then not being able to get an indemnity would mean this could cause an issue later if I sell.

All very confusing!

[doughboy]

Are you confusing planning permission with building regs approval?

Provided it doesn't need planning permission, then having the structure in place but not yet signed off doesn't matter until you come to sell. Its not illegal to not have BR approval it just means there's a risk to a buyer that it may have to be fixed or altered later to comply. Them knowing or not makes no odds to indemnity, in fact to stipulate withholding facts from BR would be illegal in itself.

Afaik any conservatory would need BR approval, or an approved industry self cert like FENSA in lieu.

You need BR since April 2004 to even fit a single new door or window, but if a FENSA approved contractor fits it they can sign it off.

If not you have to pay BR to come out and do it.

[creepy coupe]

What sort of roof did it have? if polycarbonate, make sure the footings and frame are up to the extra weight.Even going from PC to glass can overload things.

[BanziBarn]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Are you confusing planning permission with building regs approval?

Provided it doesn't need planning permission, then having the structure in place but not yet signed off doesn't matter until you come to sell. Its not illegal to not have BR approval it just means there's a risk to a buyer that it may have to be fixed or altered later to comply. Them knowing or not makes no odds to indemnity, in fact to stipulate withholding facts from BR would be illegal in itself.

Afaik any conservatory would need BR approval, or an approved industry self cert like FENSA in lieu.

You need BR since April 2004 to even fit a single new door or window, but if a FENSA approved contractor fits it they can sign it off.

If not you have to pay BR to come out and do it.

Nope, I'm not confusing planning permission with regs. I have no idea if it has planning permission (nothing on the council website for my address) but as it's been there since 2003 I'm not worried about that. Also, that puts it before your 2004 cut off too.... does this change anything?

So, is an indemnity about planning permission, not building regs then? From what you say it sounds like it.

If it's not illegal not to have building regs, why would it put a buyer off? Would it simply be that they can't be sure the structure is safe?

Back to planning permission, I guess I need to check for sure that these new tiled roofs are indeed allowed from a planning point of view - I believe since 2010 they are.

I currently have a poly roof - agreed that it's important that I determine that the structure can hold one of these roofs.

http://www.diyconservatoryshop.co.uk...nd-Fitted.html

This part is interesting, although I'd not take anything writen on the net as gospal! "Guardian roof system has recently been registered as an acceptable roof replacement for your conservatory with the LABC* ( Local Building Control )"

[doughboy]

You can't indemnify against not having planning permission as that would mean it is an illegal building, you can't insure against that!

A buyer would (should) be very wary about a structure without building regs as the consequences could be serious. i.e. it may have to be demolished / effect the rest of the house etc.

One good example is double glazing fitters that removed structural wooden windows and replace them with shit UPVC ones, then a few years on the bay windows start to collapse under the weight. That wouldn't pass regs of course, so the house would have to sell without regs on the new windows.

If you bought that house the subsequent repairs would be at your cost unless you had an indemnity from the seller. Your house insurance wouldn't pay because you knowingly bought the house without regs on those windows.

Basically the ONLY place to get good advice about planning and regs is

a) to pay a local architect to tell you
b) deal with Planning and Building Control yourself

On borderline things, the only proof that something 'didn't need building regs' is a letter from Building control themselves.

[BanziBarn]

OK - cool. Thanks a lot for your advise.