Browse Forums Building A New House 1 May 16, 2008 10:30 pm Hi,
We've just received our stage invoice for lock up. Exciting, I hear you say? Well, I'm not sure that we're actually AT lock up. Thought someone might have an opinion. We're building double story, with a couple of small extensions to each side on the first floor (for dining room and pantry). These extensions don't have the roof on yet, and in my view, this means we're not at lock up. All the rest of the roof, external cladding etc is done, but the scaffolding for upstairs is still in place, and as it goes through the extensions, the roof can't be put on there. Surely incomplete roof covering = no lockup? What do you think? I must say though that their billing process works very well - the renderers were still working at 2pm today, and we managed to get the stage payment invoice at 5:20pm. If only it was that quick to get a response to MY questions!! Thanks for your help. I guess God didn't use subbies... Re: Lock up?? Or not? 3May 17, 2008 9:21 am HIA Victorian New Homes Contract says in "Constructions Stages applicable to (Method 1) progress payments":
Lock up stage means the stage where a home's external wall cladding and roof covering is fixed, the flooring is laid and external doors and external windows are fixed (even if those doors or windows are only temporary). Re: Lock up?? Or not? 5Aug 21, 2008 9:50 pm My understanding is that if its on stump/piers, it is just the particleboard flooring (not the finished flooring surface). Basically has to have the entire house envelope secured, even if the final products (eg doors, windows) have not been installed. I guess God didn't use subbies... Re: Lock up?? Or not? 6Aug 21, 2008 9:53 pm We've been in a similar situation MrT, and I would say that NO you're not at lock up! We had one set of external doors left to put in (which were sitting in the garage for weeks) and they sent us a lock up bill, which we said we would happily pay once the place was actually AT lock up. If the lock up conditions aren't met, it's not at that stage - no roof cover, no payment!........they put those doors in today!!! Solidarity, not solidity.......The Lexicon of Life Re: Lock up?? Or not? 7Aug 22, 2008 8:42 am You will find that they need the scaffolding to finish upstairs exterior work. I saw this on a 2 storey house being built next door. if everything else is done, I would not hold up payment, as it will take an hour or so to put the roof on those rooms. Remember they need to put in downpipes etc, which will be why the
Put simply, I would pay that stage, and hold payment on the next until the roof was done. Adrian B Re: Lock up?? Or not? 8Aug 22, 2008 8:20 pm You have to check your 'lockup' definition in your contract. You have to go with that otherwise they can claim interest. If your contract says something different to where the builder is at, then put it in writing. You have to notify the builder in writing that the house is not at lockup as per the contract definition. Often the accounts staff don't talk to the Site Supervisors. I rang mine as I had lockup issues and accounts said "no worries, just pay it when you think lockup is complete." So I did, no problems all good. Re: Lock up?? Or not? 9Aug 22, 2008 10:19 pm I would hold off until it's completely locked up. Our builder keeps sending the stage invoices and I refuse to pay them until its a completed stage. They warn us of interest etc... but it never happens(thank god). They have sent us a stage 4 bill, but the house is nowhere near the end of stage 4 which is basically completely done, so I'm holding off another week
Yes, i am cutting a thin line, but why pay for something that's not done, they generally want the cash ASAP. Re: Lock up?? Or not? 10Aug 23, 2008 1:15 am Thanks all - an update. I did pay the stage payment. In hindsight, I should have held out for the additional bits of roof to go on, as this took quite a while. However, they did keep on doing work on the house in the meantime (eaves, external painting, electrical roughing in etc), but they ended up being held up because they couldn't get the tradies in to complete the roof for a month...
Now we're well past the fixing stage, with all the fiddly, slow progess internal fitting out going on. So to all of you using everyone else's experience to get it right - make them finish each stage properly!! At least I know to hold out now on the handover payment... I guess God didn't use subbies... 1 4695 The HIA contract, in the term & conditions section states that "Commencment" is deemed when the drainage is started or the piers are dug or the slab is formed up (incase… 2 6177 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair But if it is a ground level open pit, then it is not a charged system. No surprises there. The pipes have obviously been altered and there would be a reason for this.… 3 31280 |