As above, we are thinking of adding a full width, single story extension to the back of our house. Fairly standard in shape/design, and all interior finishing will be done by myself and 2 mates, ones an electrician and one a plasterer.

Any of you self managed a small project, and anything I should look out for? Not wanting to sound too confident but it doesnt look too difficult... (famous last words, but you get what i mean)

I'm in the middle of one now - however, I'm renovating the entire house as well, so am in rented until it's all done which gives me a bit more flexibility on the mess front & also timings are slightly less critical.

The only real variable is the foundation depth as the building control inspector can make them dig deeper as happened to me, but after that it's fairly straight forward.

I've gone full width, but the house is 2 rooms wide if that makes sense - so one room opens completely into the new extension and the timing of that steelwork going in was the only critical piece, otherwise I was frustrated but somewhat relaxed about delays in progress.

I had some trades covered, but got plenty of recommendations & have been very happy with the team so far.

I decided to go with a SIP construction rather than brick & have been happy with my decision - it goes up very quickly and seems very well built

None of it is hard, it’s just about knowing the order things fall and making sure stuff is there on time.

It’s also about finding the right people, word of mouth and recommendations are worth 1000 online reviews!

Basic order.

Ground investigation/fond depth.
Strip
Dig
Footings concrete
Footing block work
Sub floor stone, insulation and membrane
Floor concrete
Walls
Lintels
Walls up to 1st floor
Floor
Walls to roof
Roof
Windows
1st fix joinery
Internal 1st fix fit out (wiring and plumbing)
Plasterboard and skim
Second fix joinery, plumbing and wiring
Decorate
Final fix.

That’s the order it goes in, stick to that and you won’t go far wrong. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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Hi

As a person working in the construction industry on the management side I have lost track of the number of folks who catch a cold trying to manage their own project. Its not that people don't have the capability to project manage its just that people don't realise what an involved and sometimes very frustrating time it can be.

I can guarantee 4 things, People will let you down. People will not phone you back. Extras will be incurred and your other half will change the layout half way through!!

A good starting point is to get a bank of good tradefolk behind you. It sounds like you already have a sparky and plasterer. The former being second most likely to let you down after a plumber so your off to a good start. Plasterers can also be a bit picky when it comes to skimming others boarding so again a good start if he is a mate and you are doing all the finishes. I assume you include boarding in that.

There are also two ways of getting your shell built. 1 employ a builder / contractor to do the lot and give him the worry of making sure all traders do their bit correctly on time etc or 2. get all the trades in yourself. The later can be a bit of a headache but at least doing a shell bit by bit does not have significant scheduling issues. i.e. you can get someone in to excavate and pour concrete plus get the brickwork up to DPC and cast the floor slab. Then you can get brickies in, then chippys, then roofers etc. As long as you can manage the schedule and allow for someone letting you down it should be rewarding and cheaper way of doing things. Scheduling materials is no big deal nowadays unless you have complex or unusual components such as big bi-fold doors (which are the big thing at present) or similar.

Do get fixed prices not day rates.

Clearly define what stages you expect trades to go to and include for.

Don't rely on Building Control to manage the project or indeed check on quality. They are only there to make sure the building regs are followed. Building reg requirements are performance based therefore something can look totally crap and still perform.

Excavation depths are determined (95% of the time) by two primary things 1. ground conditions in association with trees and 2. drainage depths. Founds need to be deeper than any existing drainage normally within 3m of your footing lines. In clay soils founds need to be at least 1m deep and then the effects of trees nearby can increase that depth. If your local council offer a pre-app site visit service its well worth it but make sure you have dug a meaningful hole where your footings are going to be so they can see what you will find.

Make sure you have consent from the local water authority of you are building over or within 3m of a shared drain. Any shared drain since 2010 is classed as a public sewer since 2010 so you need their consent unless you are at the head of the run i.e. not part of the shared bit. This is normally a straightforward prior notification form and a costs around £60-£100. Many folks forget or ignore this and it bites them later in the processes or when the sell. Ditto Party Wall consent from your neighbour if required. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance

Make sure you have both planning consent and a building regs application submitted. You may well not need planning permission as 'permitted development' allowances have been relaxed for a few years now to help kick start the industry again
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/2001...permission but be aware that jobs taking advantage of the relaxed rules should be completed within certain timescales so 'self build' projects could be caught out.

Building Regs applications take two forms either 1. a Full plans application where you have all the plans / structural calcs prepared etc which you want checked for compliance and approved or 2. a Building Notice where you just want to get on with the job straightaway and sort things out as you go. You can actually start 48 hours after a valid submission whichever route you go down.

I would not recommend private sector building control. I used them once and they are driven by profit not service. Councils (for all their faults) generally offer a sound building control service driven by public accountability with your interests at heart not the bottom line. They also tend to come on site and check things instead of replying on photos or not coming on site at all!. Silly as it sounds they are often cheaper than private sector too.

If you are getting one body in to do the shell I would strongly recommend a simple contract is in place. These don't have to be complex documents, there are plenty of simple forms around, it just makes life so much easier when things go tits up. All the contractors I works with don't take a penny off the client until walls are coming out of the ground which installs a confidence in the job and starts the project off on the right 'footing' if you will forgive the pun. Any builder who wants £1000's up front can walk. They don't pay for any materials for at least 30 days so why should you? If they can't fund the job for the first week then I wonder why.

Finally virtually all the contractors I work with are booking in next Autumn onwards! Things are definatley picking up in the industry.

I hope the above is enough food for thought for now.

Good luck!  405 AB exec seats Baltic and Cirrus
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Remember it's easier to get forgiveness than permission!

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Last edited by ajac8 on 29th Dec 2018 1:16pm. Edited 5 times in total

Now that’s exactly why I love this forum , great detail all free of charge.

Permitted development vs Planning permission is another consideration.

Mine was a little complicated, so I decided to go the planning route - but I did all the drawings myself with a pen & a ruler - nothing fancy, it's all straight lines. The planning department were really helpful and I had to make a few minor adjustments, but got the permission without needing to employ anyone else to draw square boxes for me.

Brilliant idiots guide ajac8 - and beautifully written .

As is yours Northernmonkeyjones albeit on a different level !

One very important aspect to remember is that under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Domestic properties are now covered under the regulations, and any construction project that lasts over 30 days. 500 man hours or has 20 persons working on the project at any one time is notifiable to the HSE under the regulations. Projects that are not notifiable still come under the regulations in terms of health and safety compliance. If you are carrying out the work yourself and are the homeowner, you would assume the duties under the regulations of Client, Principal Designer and Principal Contractor.
These changes were brought in to include domestic properties so as to reduce the number of cowboy builders and to reduce the excessive amounts of accidents and injuries that occur from residential construction work.
So for example if you were doing your extension and completing the roof, you would need to ensure compliance with the Working At Height Regulations 2005. The Work At Height Regulations 2005, also apply to excavations!
Nothing's ever easy is it! Tony
You're always in the ........it's just the depth that varies
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Interesting , I suppose there is now a new kind of consultant who would be able to discharge that responsibility on behalf of the householder ?

Would you know their fee structure BB R44ROV ?

I am looking to progress some major works in the spring 2019 and would need to have said consultant on board .

PM sent. Tony
You're always in the ........it's just the depth that varies
2011 5.0 Autobiography Fuji White
2019 Audi Q2 in White
04 SL55AMG

Gone:
07 4.2 SC in silver.
06 4.2 SC in black RSE
RRS 4.2 SC in Black RSE
52 4.4 Vogue in silver
04 Mercedes CLK 320 Conv
03 4.0 V8 ES Disco in Silver
00 TD5 90 County
98 4.6 HSE in Epsom x3
97 3.9ES Disco
93 L 4.2 LSE in black
too many classics to mention !
V8 Lightweight
Too many series to mention !
IID for L322

The CDM regulations aren’t difficult to comply with. They are there simply to ensure accountability, and safety on site. Most site safety is down to common sense, PPE and good practice. There’s nothing particularly onerous.

A lot of the H and S waffle that you hear is implemented by individual companies trying to limit their liability. The HSE themselves generally have a more sensible approach. It’s worth reading some site safety docs before you start so you can identify the potential pitfalls.

Site registration is super easy via the HSE website, using their F10 form, is free to do and takes a couple of minutes.

While safety is important and it is a big part of the project and important to get right it is not THE project. Managing the build making sure it moves forwards smoothly is the main thing.

I agree with the comments above that Local Authority building control is the way forwards. They offer an impartial service, and while some of the things they will suggest may seem a bit detail oriented it’s generally to ensure that your build will comply. I also find that they are happy to offer advice on how to resolve a problem.

If it’s your first project then it may be wiser to employ a general builder rather than individual trades at least to get the shell of the build up. This way you can see how it all fits together and they will have the responsibility for workflow. Once you have a watertight shell then you can take it from there in terms of internal joinery, wiring, plumbers, plasterers, decorators, flooring contractors etc.

It’s always cheaper to employ trades on an individual basis as you remove the cut the builder takes. Materials however may be a different matter and sourcing through the builder may or may not be the cheapest option. The builder will benefit from trade rates at the merchant. Which can mean hefty discounts for them over list prices. These will not all be passed on to you and is one way they make profit. So it’s worth pricing the materials directly with several merchants. Explain to them the size of the project, and many even offer a materials take off service where if you send them plans they will work out quantities and price the Job as a whole. This is Handy, you will get a reasonably accurate list of what is needed to do the project, and you can then use this as a benchmark at other merchants. Most main builders merchants will stock timber, however you may find your local timber merchant is cheaper same with the plumbers merchants, electrical wholesalers and plasterboard/insulation stockholders. So it’s worth doing the homework to save a few pennies.

Alistair - it’s unusual to find a helpful planning department. I agree the need for detailed planning drawings isn’t always there. A simple extension done in pen and ink can save a heap of money. I have seen people spend thousands on needless architect plans, none of which were technically required. A good set of building plans is a great idea to work off and essential as a guide for the shell construction, but again not technically required. A local authority will be happy with an extension being built on what is called a building notice. This is a regs application where the inspector doesn’t get a set of plans, and relies on inspections to determine compliance, this is opposed to a full plans submission which is what it sounds like!

Neither of these will preclude having to do engineering calcs if there is a significant amount of steelwork involved, however most building inspectors will be happy to use load tables for shorter (<3m) spans so again bear this in mind if you have an opening which is 3.1m....... as at sub 3m there is a general rule of thumb that an 8 x 4” steel will do!! (Not always the case but generally it will, and in general a Calc will not be required..). There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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you may need to inform your insurance company , and they might get about your contract with your builders.

Good luck

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Excellent summary guided by many years of experience I presume northernmonkeyjones .

Socialrover - Been around building all my life as my old man built several houses when I was a kid, I’ve been building houses as a job for 20 years now and have built around 50 new builds to date, am also an MRICS chartered surveyor and am currently building me and the family a 5000sqft new house near derby. So I have a decent perspective on it I think.

Bill is correct, notifying your insurer is always a good idea.

Whoever you employ you will also need to check their insurance. Check their Public liability, employers liability and contract works insurance and that it has sufficient cover levels for the project and any damage that could potentially be caused. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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My yearly insurance is about £2000 to cover houses small plant and men on site........my dad been in building all his life dont think he would do it now to much red tape