Now the builders have left site doesn’t mean that we have forgotten about you and your project. It seems that no one is regularly now on site, you might see the odd subtrade to finish off the last few things, it’s all gone rather quiet. But have you finished? Nearly, you will find that we are still in contact, and might pop in, but our weekly meetings and catch ups are now a thing of the past. Instead, we are working away in the background on getting your paperwork ready and some of those other wrap up jobs that we have to do.
Here’s our LC Designer Homes guide to help you understand the end of the process and the jargon that goes alongside it.
Practical Completion
This is the point where all the building work is completed, in accordance with the contract, and the house is reasonably fit for occupation. So, if you have moved out during the work, now is the time to move back in. It does not include certain non-critical or aesthetic features or minor omissions or defect that are yet to be rectified. Therefore signing-off is a contractual matter and is nothing to do with the Councils final inspection, nor the CCC. The date at which this sign off takes place is the date the contract ends.
Final Inspection and CCC
It’s the building owner’s responsibility to get council sign-off for a building project. You as the owner, should notify the Council when work is completed and apply for a code compliance certificate (CCC). The Council will then make the final inspection and issue you with a CCC if satisfied on reasonable grounds that the completed work complies with your building consent.
Before you book your final inspection, ensure that you have completed all the pages at the end of your consent document. You will also be given paperwork from us which includes all the documents you require for compliance. We have been loading them into Buildertrend for availability for your CCC. You will need to be able to provide a hard copy of these at the time of the inspection. Making the booking for this inspection is done through the council website.
If the inspector is not satisfied, you will be issued with a notice to fix, which lists what items must be corrected before a CCC can be granted. This could either physical changes to the building, or additional paperwork. You are legally required to make sure the items on the notice are rectified and advise the council when everything is done. You may be required to get some additional work done to meet CCC (we endevour to cover everything). The council will inspect and consider whether or not a CCC can be issued
If the inspector is satisfied, you will have your inspection form (in your consent pack) signed off and you will now be able to submit everything to Council. The inspector does not take all your documentation with them on the day. Take your consent pack and all supporting paperwork into the local Council office. The Council now has 21days to issue with a CCC.
Defects
We will send you a document outlining defects- The liability period, what is a defect, what is not a defect and Halo insurance. This will give you a clear understanding around any remaining work and includes a link to the ‘guide to tolerances, materials and workmanship’ and shall try to capture as much as possible in 1 visit (again we hope to have addressed as much as possible by now i.e. snag list
Deposit
If not already released and used, your deposit (or any remaining part of) will now be returned to you.
Halo 10 year Residential Guarantee
We will be completing the forms required for your 10-year guarantee to start, this is based on the date of practical completion and not the date of your final inspection nor CCC. The 10-year period to make legal claims against those involved in designing and building the house begins once the work is signed off as being completed. You will receive a certificate and documentation from Halo reflecting this, keep it all safe, just in case!
Insurance
Get in touch with your insurance company, it’s now time to cancel your ‘Contract Works Insurance’. While you are talking to them, check on the dollar amount your home is covered for, as the value of your home is now likely to have increased.
Maintenance
As the building owner, you are responsible for the ongoing maintenance of your home. We will provide you maintenance information relating to any products used within your build. Things like decking, roofing and spouting all require ongoing work to keep them in the best working order possible and ensure they last their expected lifetime. We use a cloud-based system to enable us to provide you all this information in one place and you receive notifications when maintenance is required.
Celebrate
Well done, you have reached the end, or nearly. Enjoy a celebration! Building projects are not easy and can be very stressful at times. We really hope you are pleased with the outcome and enjoy your home for many years to come.
