Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jun 09, 2010 1:25 am Hi everyone We have a small issue at present . Our builder are telling us it's too late (or maybe too hard) to change a small item on the house (structural - but not load bearing brick piers modification) because it's after contract and bricking is almost finished. Does anyone know what my rights are here. They are building from the plan correctly however, i've changed my mind on something minor they won't let me do it. Are there any strategies that may help? Building in the Maples, Laurimar. Follow our blog at http://newhousemapleslaurimar.blogspot.com Currently nearing completion Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 3Jun 09, 2010 8:11 am They are quite within their rights to decline a variation at this stage I would think. If they were doing something incorrect then the plan you would have a shot but if they are doing everything to the correct plan then they are in the right. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 4Jun 09, 2010 8:22 am Bit late to notice something when they are nearly finished? I think you will need to live with it, as others have already stated. Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 5Jun 09, 2010 9:11 am I didnt think you could change anything structural after the council has ok'd it and a building permit issued? you would have to get you plan approved again and its a bit late for that when the bricks are almost finished. you can only change things that are superficial like cupboard colous and power point locations etc... Lauren and Tony: Building our first home in the Vaucluse estste, Doreen, Melbourne http://laurenandtonyshouse.blogspot.com/ Quote of the Day: "I know what you wanted but I did it this way becausee I thought it would look better" Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 6Jun 09, 2010 10:09 am Thanks for the replies, We wish to reduce the height of two rear half brick piers to about a quarter high to expose more wood post. The area looks a bit busy when half bricked up. I would have thought the job involves removing about 5 layers of brick. It is more cosmetic rather than structural as the post is not load bearing. All the builder would have to do is pull the plans and make the change. It's so minor. Is this really a structural change? Can anyone confirm that using bricks for athetical reasons is structrual? It's never too late to change anything, just depends if the builder is willing to do so and get past the politics. Building in the Maples, Laurimar. Follow our blog at http://newhousemapleslaurimar.blogspot.com Currently nearing completion Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 7Jun 09, 2010 10:17 am "It's never too late to change anything, just depends if the builder is willing to do so and get past the politics." No you are wrong - it is sometimes too late. In our local council area if you wanted to change something on the facade / outside of the home it would have to be re-submitted to council (or complying authority) for their ok. You may not like it but at the end of the day the builder is quite within their rights to say no to your request. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 8Jun 09, 2010 10:28 am Ah, but if you take it through the right channels, anything is possible yeah? I'm not sure if it's a requirement in our area to resubmit something like this to council. Is there a difference between a structure and 'structural'. If it's not load bearing, is it still called structural? It also depends on what area you are in and what council we're talking about doesn't it? Why can't this be resubmitted to council then. Are you saying that I don't have any power at all to change my own house? Surely not. Building in the Maples, Laurimar. Follow our blog at http://newhousemapleslaurimar.blogspot.com Currently nearing completion Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 9Jun 09, 2010 10:50 am Volume builders make their profit by having minimal changes to their standard floor plans. If you want the flexibility to make changes as you go the best bet would have been to go with a custom builder. If you think it is only a minor change why don't you have it done after handover then it is at your cost and no drama with the builder?? Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 10Jun 09, 2010 11:13 am I'll answer the question and say no it's not structural. A pain in the *** to remove something that has been made, yeah but if you say "look, if you can do this I'll throw a couple cartons of beer over to you" then you maybe able to get somewhere. Like you said, nothing is impossible. They are working to a tight schedule of finishes and timeline to make a profit so that also needs to be considered. Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 11Jun 09, 2010 11:43 am JamesandElisha Are you saying that I don't have any power at all to change my own house? Surely not. Unfortunatly thats the way contracts work, once you have agreed - its set in stone unless BOTH parties are happy for the change. In this case it appears that the builder isnt happy with the extra work which is their right Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 12Jun 09, 2010 12:09 pm We have found that the ONLY way we can change anything is to either pay the contractors directly to make some minor changes, to organise them to be done afterwards, use extreme logic (which our SS isn't particularly good at), or to make it the builder's fault that it is in error to start with. Anything outside of those parameters and our SS just says "if it's not in the contract it doesn't happen". Many site supervisors WOULD let you if the contractors were willing to do the works, but in our case our SS hates me so he just plants his foot (as is his right to do so). Regardless of how big or small the requested change is, or how unreasonable him saying no is, that's the way they roll. We've just changed our floor tile for one small section of the wet areas because the tiling place that we had to use for our selections didn't have what we want, so we went direct through the tiler to get his permission to supply him with other tiles at our own cost - so we've effectively bought two lots of tiles for this area. The SS showed up yesterday and said we can't use the new tiles. Upon asking why he ummed and ahhd and came up with "because we can't get the fall right using 600*600 in wet areas". I asked him if that was the ONLY reason, and he ummed and ahhed again and said yes, I said "So if I were to supply those tiles in a 600*300 format (which is what the supplied tiles that were going to be installed are) then it wouldn't be a problem?". He tried coming up with other reasons why we can't, but I got him to admit in the end that it makes no difference to the tiler's ability to lay the floor within their tolerances if we supplied a different colour tile, therefore it shouldn't bother him at all if we supply the tile we want in a 600*300 format and just keep the original tile as surplus stock. He finally agreed (very unhappily), so I bought the new tiles yesterday and they're on site waiting to be laid. BUT, the point I was getting at is that he was saying no just because he can, and finding another way around why he shouldn't stick to the no is all that works. Tiles are certainly not structural, and they haven't even been laid yet, yet they're still within their rights to say no. Personally, I think yours is one for afterwards. It might cost more, but you will still be able to get the look that you're after. Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 13Jun 09, 2010 12:33 pm I think you're right 'somewoman' about having to do it after. It's just a pity that simple and small modifications cannot be done at the time with approval from the SS. I'm willing to pay for a VO so I don't see the big deal if it's not structural. It's not like i'm asking for another room to be plonked on the end. Why upset a customer who can potentially bring more business by good recommendation. Doesn't make sense to me. Contract or no contract, it's the customer at the end of the day that keeps these builders in business. I think they forget sometimes. Building in the Maples, Laurimar. Follow our blog at http://newhousemapleslaurimar.blogspot.com Currently nearing completion Re: Unflexible volume builders - Variation Order not allowed 14Jun 09, 2010 2:21 pm JamesandElisha it's the customer at the end of the day that keeps these builders in business. I think they forget sometimes. Ain't that the truth. Although I'm not sure they forget so much as conveniently ignore in favour of the theory that they have you by the short and curlies, and all your hopes and dreams and finances are in their hands. They know you're at their mercy. For our guy it seems purely power trip. Most likely because we're both a whole lot younger than him and our house is probably bucket loads better than his I'd also bet because I'm female as he treats me even worse than he treats my husband (and that's saying something as he's pretty revolting to both of us). Good luck with it. Re: Inflexible volume builders - Variation Order now ACCEPTE 15Jun 10, 2010 4:38 pm Horray for the change!!! The builder has agreed to change the height of the piers. I thought something like this could be changed as it was so minor and not structrual. Never say never especially when it's YOUR house! So, this is a reminder to those who aren't persistant enough that you have to push for what you want and not to accept a NO from a builder! It's also a big credit to the builder who isn't as inflexible as I thought. Building in the Maples, Laurimar. Follow our blog at http://newhousemapleslaurimar.blogspot.com Currently nearing completion Re: Inflexible volume builders - Variation Order.....ACCEPTE 16Jun 10, 2010 6:26 pm That's an awesome result guys! Good for you to ask... I know what they're like... I've dreaded asking for things because 9 tmes out of 10 I've been given a flat out NO as the answer. Very happy that our builder has come to the party with our whole range hood issue we had Haven't been passed your place for a few weeks, probably worth a visit down that neck of the woods. Re: Inflexible volume builders - Variation Order.....ACCEPTE 17Jun 11, 2010 8:23 am Good work! Did it end up costing you anything? Building Standards; Getting It Right! We are building on a zero-lot. 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