Footings disaster

Hi everyone, I poured my strip footings on Friday nearly 50 cubic metres . Today I had the same surveyor come back to survey for the brickwork and we found that the front left strip footing is in the wrong place. The surveyor says that his set out pegs for the front are taken off the second story because he couldn't work out the front left side from the plans as he says they are lacking detail. Anyway the brickwork at the front is on dirt by around 10 centimeters. He says he hasn't done anything wrong because he has a disclaimer on the plan saying that the builder should check all dimensions. I cant see how this is possible, we have been working from his set out, which is wrong and also it is on a sloping block. It looks like I will have to suck it up and underpin it, at my cost of course! Any ideas anybody

Would it be easier and cheaper to just take 10cm from the width of the house? Just a few cm from each room?

alan62 not trying to be a smart arse or anything but you should review every ones work. Keep this in mind as you continue on your build.

Even if it is his faulty it doesn't matter as its always going to be difficult to fix and prove it was moved etc.

10cm is not much. It would probably be best to wear it and build it as it is. Just make sure everything else matched (including truss)

I thought about making the room in question smaller though this just creates complications elsewhere as we have a tight set of stairs already. This has also created a problem for the front door which is also out. I understand about checking peoples work you cant trust anyone at there word. I don't know how the surveyor has got the brickwork as he couldn't do that when he set out. Should I get another surveyor to check this ones work ?

Are you an owner builder?
Normally setting out is builder's job but you talk about a surveyor which tells me you are the builder.

Or, if the plans aren't detailed enough to start with then you will run into problems before you even turn the first sod of dirt.

Stewie

Hi Alan62
There would be a lot of houses on sloping blocks that are out by +/-100mm (Facebrick width)
and most people wouldnt know... I wouldnt be too hard on yourself if you poured the footings
If 100mm is critical try reducing say 4 rooms by 25mm you wont even notice it.
IMO I wouldnt even consider underpinning.HTH

I Dont think I have any choice but to underpinn where the front door is because there is a set of stairs that go up to the next level, these are already tight and this footing is out by at least 15cm. I am an owner builder who employed a builder on a casual basis to do the set out.

Well things aren't getting better it looks as if the surveyor has inclued the verandah eaves of 45 cm in his set out and now the rear of the house is 45cm too long. I don't know what to do now.

I might be prudent to also check the set out of the sub-floor plumbing pipes (assuming you have raft foundations)

Hi Beetaloo its bearers and joists. The only slabs are downs stairs garage, media and foyer. I can work with the pipes that are through the strip footings thankfully

Maybe time to call in some expert help to assist you in making the best of this and reducing any costs.

Ok, can you give me guidance to which expert in particular. I have looked at changing around the front and it doesn't work as there are stairs that go up to the next level 90 cm from the front then there are stairs going down to the garage underneath these stairs so pushing them back doesn't work. I have thought about a solicitor as this surveyor is negligent, in my opinion, though this maybe a waist of time and money. So I again come back to doweling a strip footing to this one ? Anyway on another subject I hope everyone is having a nice Christmas I appreciate members help.
Al

Perhaps put up a floor plan? And clearly note what the now altered measurements are, what can and cannot change?

Some free eyes might see a solution.

This is a photo of how the front is supposed to look. The footings in question are the front left media room out by 10cm and the front door footing out by 30 cm both are too far in. If I change the size of the media room, by 10 cm it will affect the roof where the landing is. If I change the front door it will mean there is no room for the stairs going up and down. Also just to complicate things further the steel for the underneath of the garage shown in red has been prefabricated already. These footings need to be double bricked to have infill raft slabs. I am still leaning towards doweling another footing to these ??

After seeing your floorplan with all the dimensions I'd say your builder has stuffed up. There is enough info on them for him to be able to set out the footings quite accurately. It is also hardly a steeply sloping block - slightly sloping maybe so they can't realistically use that as an excuse either. We've set out three storey houses on 30º slopes and been able to get them right for all the dimensions.

Stewie

I agree, though the builder has moved on and denies wrong doing. He blames the surveyor who intern blames the builder. Anyway I have to move on, employ another builder, get engineer to come and give his opinion. And get these slabs poured.

Al

I doubt that a disclaimer on a drawing is enough to absolve a surveyor of his professional obligation to do his job properly. If it were me I would have it rectified and drag both of them into court for the cost of fixing it. Both should have insurance and both would not want to have a potentially career ending judgement against them so most likely their insurers will settle. It depends on what state you live in but in some cases, if under $10k you can do it yourself at magistrate court level, very cheap and no lawyers allowed, but can take some time before you get heard. They wont have a counter claim so if you can avoid lawyers fees you have nothing to lose. If you engaged 2 professionals then one or both of them is at fault, not you.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.