Building inspectors views. Key Building Consultants.

Hi all, I'm a licenced builder and qualified building and pest inspector. I would like to start up a conversation regarding my industry and more importantly the decline of standards. Ask your questions and lets see where this goes.

Welcome to the forum.
My sentiments are with you, it won't be long before, on standards, we shake hands with our sister states of the third world.

Hi Mate, Our society is building disposable housing. (disposable cars, disposable everything). I have European heritage and my grandmother (92) talks about washing a marble floor in a 400 year old home as a child. Our current homes are falling apart at 40 years. We could do so much better.

Agree. To build houses that last is a science in its own. People do not want to pay premium for quality building systems but rather prefer to spend this money on a good looking finishes (which in fact, are costing times less when ordered directly in China and generally have similar or better quality, sometimes even built on the same factory, sic!).

We are now discovering structural/damp problems with our house after 2.5. years. It is a part suspended single story build on steel supports.
When we have queried items with the builder that are not as described on our plans he is stalling us.
Instead of having an AAC concrete panel wall we find we have a rendered polystyrene one not as per plan and the wind bracing is 22% less than on the engineers drawings .
The answer to this is that they changed the figures BUT no application to council was put in to change plans
It is now almost four years and they propose to change the plans now rather than rectify the missing bracing
In your experience is this permittable, If this is the case it is no wonder that rogue and cowboy builders are allowed to compete with reputable builders .Its not a level playing field.

The short answer that the builder is not permitted to vary contract/building permit drawings without your consent unless a circumstances arise that are beyond builders control.
It seems it would be wise for you to get independent building report, what else was changed?

the sub floor of the building is built of AAC but it is laid contrary to manufacturers instructions i.e. it is laid vertically instead of horizontally. They are now in negotiations with the suppliers to get them to change the specifications as they are currently not covered by the manufacturers warranty.
These things all came to light as we noticed rising damp up these walls and the more we look the worse it gets.
The posts supporting the house are rusting as they have been installed below the ground and it is very wet .
We have a building complaint in with the QBCC but nothing seems to be happening and while we wait for an inspection they are patching up and covering over the defects rather than resolving the issues first
This post is supported by a pice of rotting compressed board and some broken bits of tiles. It is about 35 cms below the level of the ground and the adjacent path which the builder put in. they have sand blasted it now but not secured it to the concrete and painted it but it is still below the ground level

I would really appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction to find documentation supporting what you said about changing the plans/drawings without our consent.
I called the planning at council but they were useless and said they only are custodians of the plans they didnt approve them or the timing. I find it very difficult to believe any council allowing a building to change the plans four years after completion of the build.?
Thank you for your response.

Your independent building consultant will be able to guide you

The decline in standards has come about from various related areas, in an age where information has become more available than anytime in human history, it is shamefull that it has come to the current standards. For starters governments listen mainly to volume boys and builders reps, who help shape the law into the garbage we get today, we have most customers who visit a few displays and think, let's pick one now, so much more should be done before picking a builder, we don't use the information available to us anywhere near enough and allow only what our eyes can see to be valued, how many buyers ask structural questions, materials used you can't see.
Everyone's only worried about stone, floors, then sometimes skip a building inspector, a faital mistake, we could easily change the industry if over entitled buyers start doing some homework and wanting structural quality first, bad builders will always get away with what their customers allows them too, we must change and force poor builders out mainly through changing what we expect via knowing about more than just inclusions.

Agree, they get away with it because they can. Buying a project home has become like buying whitegoods, everyone is trying to do it cheaper, and they way they make it cheaper is by cutting corners and using the cheapest subbies. I know a lot of people who have built with volume builders and had no interest in any involvement in the process, or even getting their own getting inspections. They are fully trusting of the volume builder that they they will do the right thing. They think I am crazy because I visit my site just about every day and check up on what has been done (and take corrective action if needed)
People like the ones on these forums, who are more "aware", seem to be in the minority.

The structural drawing can be changed without your consent
The only person that can check & query the adequacy of those changes now is your own Structural Engineer
We accept people make mistakes on site if necessary they should be rectified.
That is your way forward
Goodluck

StructuralBIMguy writes

"The structural drawing can be changed without your consent"

Wrong!

The homeowner is protected by builder's warranties under the DBCA 1995ACT which states
"(2) The builder warrants that the work will be carried out in accordance with the plans and specifications set out in the contract;"
The Act further defines that any breach of warranties is a defect.

Standard building contracts also provide that builder cannot vary building works without owner's consent

The builders engineer will state that the work is not a defect but a mistake and that the Building inspector isn't qualified to assess the structural work. Goodluck with the court costs.
OT It is Victoria that is behind Queensland in building structural registration and assessments
Victorian Engineers Bill 2018

Its very discouraging that two highly qualified persons dont seem to agree on such fundemental issues.

it seems like it is still a lottery as to who you employ to help you through this minefield.

In our case there is no mistake, it is a deception. It was pointed out to them in December 2014 and again on our 90 day snagging list. I think they were banking on us never actually sighting the engineering drawings to be able to check . We had to request them through council at a cost of 400 dollars.

Another issue is that as well as the individually signed and certified building plans I have a recently signed certificate confirming the installation of AAC concrete wall .I queried it with the building supervisor who assured me I was incorrect just two months ago. Now we have uncovered the wall and it is rendered polystyrene.

I stand by my comments and I was quoting the law. Last I checked engineers (or anyone else) are not exempt from law.
In any case "mistake"= defect
It seems you are a victim of builder taking shortcuts in breach of contract and in breach of warranty and my comments are relevant to you.

Thank you for your information- much appreciated

It's not Black & White...... there are shades of grey
Deception & Mistakes Doesn't necessarily mean "Defect"
You can test that out in court if you wish?
"Caveat Emptor"

There is no hope for the transparency of the industry whilst we have guys telling us that shades of grey are acceptable
Are you suggesting that our only course of action would have to be court. the only ones winning in that scenario are the lawyers

Ii dont know whether I am misunderstanding you but you seem to be inferring that the examples I am quoting you are not defects. and that Deception and mistakes are acceptable.
Yes everyone makes mistakes and i would have been more that happy to accept the builder agreeing to rectify them and get on with it, but they are trying to alter the plans now to comply with the finished installation (surely it should be the other way round) If I purchased a car and on the spec it says it reaches speeds up to 200 km per hour and on delivery it arrives and it only does 100km you wouldnt expect them to be allowed to change the spec retrospectively regardless of whether you would ever want to drive at 200 or not.
My plans say the cladding is a certified AAC concrete fire wall. It is in fact a rendered polystyrene wall Are you suggesting that this is acceptable and they should be allowed to alter the plans now.
To have to refer this to the legals is outrageous, the regulating bodies should have more authority to clamp down , and this self certification that is going on is like marking your own exam papers.!!!!! No one is EVER going to say well actually i didnt do that according to AS standards or I used a cheap import from china instead of the agreed materials, and they shouldnt be allowed to hide behind a definition of DEFECT

Chuckle