Getting Started
172 sources in the library on getting started, 40 on this page cited in a published note. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 1 of 5.
- very strong RN-2PCYXZ cited
Drinking Water Inspectorate
The regulator's account of lead pipework, useful for any period-property or plumbing note. States that before 1970 lead pipework was commonly used to connect properties to the mains, that its use has since been banned, and that a home built before 1970 may have lead pipes while one built after 1970 is unlikely to. Gives a homeowner identification test at the internal stop tap: unpainted lead appears dull grey, often with a swollen joint next to the tap, and is soft enough that a gentle scrape with a coin shows shiny silver metal beneath, with disposable gloves worn and dust not inhaled; contrasts copper as bright, hard and dull brown, iron as dark, very hard and possibly rusty, and plastic as typically blue, or grey or black if older. Explains that lead dissolves while water stands in the pipe, with concentration depending on standing time, pipe condition, temperature (more dissolves in summer and autumn) and water hardness, since harder water forms a protective scale. Notes that water companies dose with orthophosphate where a risk exists, and that a less common cause is the illegal use of lead-based solder on copper pipe, lead solder remaining permitted only in closed central heating systems. Warns lead accumulates in the body, with infants including unborn babies and children most at risk of effects on mental development, and adults at risk of kidney, heart and circulatory harm.
Cited in Renovating a 1930s House.
- very strong RN-UE5N0Q cited
GOV.UK
The government's licence page for skips. It says a skip on a public road needs a council licence and that the skip hire company usually obtains it.
Cited in Living Through a Renovation, Renovation Order of Works.
- very strong RN-CDLNT7 cited
Health and Safety Executive
The specific HSE information sheet behind the dust advice, with the numbers a note can quote. Names three types of construction dust: silica dust, also called respirable crystalline silica, from concrete, mortar and sandstone; wood dust from softwood, hardwood and wood-based products including MDF and plywood; and other general dust from materials with little or no silica, most commonly gypsum as in plasterboard, limestone, marble and dolomite. States that over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year, and that the main dust-related diseases are lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, most developing slowly though advanced silicosis and asthma can come on quickly. The legal framework is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and the three required steps are Assess, Control and Review. On damping down it corrects a common site habit: water needs enough supply at the right levels for the whole time the work is being done, and just wetting the material beforehand does not work. High dust levels come from high-energy tools such as cut-off saws, grinders and grit blasters.
Cited in How to Insulate a Loft (DIY), How to Insulate A Vaulted Ceiling In 5 Steps, How to Lay a Patio, How to Sand & Restore Floorboards and 4 more.
- very strong RN-D7GLU7 cited
Health and Safety Executive
HSE page (updated 7 October 2025) defining a domestic client under CDM 2015 as any individual having construction work done on their own home or a family member's home that is not part of a business. On a single-contractor project the contractor automatically takes on the client's legal duties; where there is more than one contractor the principal contractor takes them on, unless the client makes a written agreement for the designer to act as principal designer.
Cited in CDM Regulations 2015 for Domestic Clients Explained, Church Conversion Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Construction Law for Homeowners: The Complete Guide, Contractor vs Individual Trades: Which Should You Hire? and 3 more.
- very strong RN-KBNHMB cited
HM Revenue & Customs
HMRC's main VAT notice for building work, last updated 26 August 2026. Sets out that construction of a new building and work to an existing building is normally standard rated at 20%, with exceptions: 0% for new qualifying dwellings and for housing association conversions of non-residential buildings, and 5% for a 'changed number of dwellings' conversion (section 7) and for renovation or alteration of a dwelling not lived in during the 2 years immediately before work starts (section 8, conditions at 8.1.2 and 8.3). Cites the law: VAT Act 1994 section 30 and Schedule 8 Group 5 for zero rating, section 29A and Schedule 7A Groups 6 and 7 for the reduced rate. Also explains the developer input tax block on goods that are not building materials (VAT (Input Tax) Order 1992 articles 2 and 6) and points self builders to the DIY housebuilders refund scheme.
Cited in Average Loft Conversion Cost: Real 2026 Breakdown by Type, Barn & Outbuilding Conversions: Feasibility & Cost, Bedroom Extension Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Bringing an Old Building Price to Today's Money and 18 more.
- very strong RN-H7G3T3 cited
HM Revenue & Customs
The DIY housebuilders' scheme lets someone building a new home, or converting a non-residential building into one, reclaim VAT on building materials. Work completed before 5 December 2023 had to be claimed within 3 months of completion; work completed on or after that date must be claimed within 6 months. Only one claim can be made per person and the HMRC DIY enquiries line is 0300 322 7073.
Cited in Church Conversion Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Roofing Merchants & Suppliers Guide, Self-Build & Custom Build Basics, VAT on Home Renovations & the DIY Reclaim Scheme.
- very strong RN-Q24A2A cited
HM Revenue & Customs
HMRC guidance (published 5 December 2023, updated 6 November 2025) on claiming back VAT on building materials for a self-built new home. Claims must be made no more than 6 months after completion for builds completed on or after 5 December 2023 (3 months for earlier completions). Sets out what a VAT invoice must show, including the customer's name and address on invoices over £250, and gives processing times of 3 weeks for online claims and 6 weeks by post.
Cited in Self-Build & Custom Build Basics, VAT on Home Renovations & the DIY Reclaim Scheme.
- very strong RN-GLZAMU cited
HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
The SDLT band table for a single residential property: zero up to 125,000 pounds, 2% on the portion from 125,001 to 250,000 pounds, 5% from 250,001 to 925,000 pounds, 10% from 925,001 to 1.5 million pounds and 12% above 1.5 million pounds. A 5% surcharge is usually added on top of these rates if the buyer already owns another residential property. HMRC's worked example gives 4,750 pounds on a 295,000 pound purchase (0 plus 2,500 plus 2,250). New residential leaseholds pay SDLT on the lease premium at these rates, plus 1% on the portion of the net present value of rent above the 125,000 pound threshold; this does not apply to assigned leases. This is the moving cost that has to be set against an extension or loft conversion budget.
Cited in Does a Loft Conversion Add Value? UK Data & ROI, Extension vs Loft Conversion vs Moving House, How to Renovate a House: The Complete UK Guide.
- very strong RN-9KXRWL cited
HM Revenue and Customs
The section that kills the persistent claim that work to a listed building is VAT free. With effect from 1 October 2012 the zero rate for the first grant of a major interest in a substantially reconstructed protected building was withdrawn in cases where zero rating relied on three-fifths of the work, measured by cost, being approved alterations. The transitional relief that softened the change expired on 30 September 2015, and was only ever available where a relevant consent was applied for or a written contract entered into before 21 March 2012, or where 10 per cent of the substantial reconstruction was complete before that date. Zero rating survives only where the first grant of a major interest relates to a protected building substantially reconstructed from a shell. Defines a major interest as the freehold, in Scotland the absolute interest, or a lease of over 21 years, though not less than 20 years in Scotland. Ordinary alteration work to an occupied listed home is therefore standard rated at 20 per cent.
Cited in Reclamation Yards & Salvage: Buying Reclaimed Materials.
- very strong RN-ZYLCD2 cited
HM Revenue and Customs
The 5 per cent conversion rate and, importantly, what it does not cover. A qualifying conversion into single household dwellings arises where the premises after conversion contain a greater or lower number, but not fewer than one, of single household dwellings, and includes a property never lived in such as an office block or a barn, a bedsit block, non-self-contained living accommodation such as staff rooms above a pub, and a dwelling previously adapted in its entirety to another use such as offices or a dental practice. It expressly does not include the creation of living accommodation that is not a single household dwelling, naming most granny annexes and additional bedrooms at a care home, nor the renovation of living accommodation used for other purposes without adaptation, such as a flat above a shop used for storage, which is directed instead to the section 8 empty homes rate. Paragraph 7.3.1 makes clear that work unrelated to changing the number of dwellings cannot be reduced rated, and works three examples through a block of sixteen flats showing that parts of a building are examined independently. Goods that are not building materials, such as carpets or fitted bedroom furniture, remain standard rated along with their installation.
Cited in Church Conversion Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide, Who Buys the Materials: You or the Builder?.
- very strong RN-FX7S48 cited
HM Revenue and Customs
The section that carries the 5 per cent empty home rate, which most renovation budgets miss. A contractor may charge VAT at 5 per cent instead of 20 per cent on renovating or altering an eligible dwelling that has not been lived in during the 2 years immediately before the work starts. Paragraph 8.3.2 sets out what proves the two years: Electoral Roll and Council Tax records, utilities companies, or an Empty Property Officer at the local authority, and states that a letter from an Empty Property Officer certifying two years empty is sufficient on its own with no other evidence needed. Paragraph 8.3.3 lists occupation that can be ignored: illegal occupation by squatters, occupation by guardians installed to deter squatters and vandals, and non-residential use such as business storage, but expressly not occasional use as a second home, which defeats the relief. Paragraph 8.3.4 allows the reduced rate to continue on all the work even where people move in while the work is carried out, provided the two-year test was met when work started. Goods that are not building materials, such as carpets or fitted bedroom furniture, must still be standard rated including the installation charge.
Cited in Roof Repair Costs & Common Problems (UK), Who Buys the Materials: You or the Builder?.
- very strong RN-26FMBT cited
HM Revenue and Customs
HMRC's internal manual chapter on the approved alteration zero rate, whose very title fixes the date the relief ended: the rules it explains are those prior to 1 October 2012, so a note that still tells readers to claim zero-rated VAT on approved alterations to a listed home is out of date by more than a decade. Manual published 19 March 2016 and updated 4 August 2026. The chapter contents show what the old test required and remains useful for pre-2012 work and for understanding the terms still used: VCONST08100 the basic conditions for zero-rating, VCONST08200 whether the work is to a protected building, VCONST08300 whether the work is an approved alteration, VCONST08350 whether the work is approved, VCONST08450 the distinction between alterations and repair or maintenance, VCONST08550 incidental alterations, VCONST08600 structures in the curtilage of a building, VCONST08700 certificates, VCONST08750 services excluded from zero-rating and VCONST08800 apportionment.
Cited in Reclamation Yards & Salvage: Buying Reclaimed Materials.
- very strong RN-UY4LW2 cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The government's planning practice guidance on housing land supply. It explains that where a council cannot show a 5-year supply, the NPPF presumption in favour of sustainable development applies.
Cited in Self-Build & Custom Build Basics.
- very strong RN-B869UP cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The government plain-language map of the Building Regulations system in England, written after the Hackitt review called for the old manual to be revised, and split into Volume 1 (overview, chapters 1 to 8) and Volume 2 (further guidance, chapters A to F, plus key terms in Appendix I and references in Appendix II). It confirms that the Building Act 1984 sets the enforcement powers, that the Building Regulations 2010 contain 15 technical requirements in Schedule 1 each lettered as a Part, and that regulation 3 defines building work. Chapter 3 gives the list a renovation note can cite verbatim for when approval is likely to be needed: replacing consumer units or installing new circuits, new plumbing and waste connections, changing circuits near a bath or shower, installing ventilation or air conditioning, replacing windows and doors, replacing pitched or flat roof coverings, installing or replacing a heating system, adding extra radiators, removing a chimney breast, removing a wall (load bearing and sometimes non-load bearing) and creating a through lounge; it also confirms that new loft insulation unconnected to other building work is not checked by a building control body although it must still comply. Chapter 4 states that where work is done under a competent person scheme the installer or scheme operator notifies the local authority and issues a completion certificate within 30 days of completion, and that if work has already started or finished without notification an approved inspector cannot be used, leaving only local authority building control, which is not obliged to approve work already carried out. Chapter 3 also confirms courts can impose unlimited fines for non-compliance. Note the manual predates the Building Safety Act 2022 changes, so it still uses the term approved inspector rather than registered building control approver.
- very strong RN-N9YVG3 cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
NPPF (August 2026) policy GB7(1)(b): replacement buildings in the Green Belt are not inappropriate if for the same use and not materially larger.
Cited in Renovate or Rebuild? How to Decide.
- very strong RN-C20SVX cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
NPPF (August 2026) flood risk chapter: every development proposal in Flood Zones 2, 3a and 3b needs a site-specific flood risk assessment.
Cited in Renovate or Rebuild? How to Decide.
- very strong RN-H36ZL1 cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Planning practice guidance (published 1 April 2016, updated 8 February 2021) on the Right to Build registers. Applicants must be aged 18 or over; authorities have 3 years from the end of each base period (which runs 31 October to 30 October) to grant permission for enough serviced plots to match register demand. A serviced plot is defined as one with access to a public highway and connections for electricity, water and waste water. Authorities may charge register fees on a cost-recovery basis only, and an exemption can be sought where demand exceeds 20 per cent of the land identified for future housing.
Cited in Self-Build & Custom Build Basics.
- very strong RN-ZUBQTC cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Planning practice guidance on conditions: councils can restrict permitted development rights by condition, which must say precisely which rights are withdrawn.
Cited in Renovate or Rebuild? How to Decide.
- very strong RN-RHM0XA cited
Office for National Statistics
ONS monthly bulletin on private rents and house prices. It gives average monthly private rent for August 2026: £2,332 in London, £1,459 in England and £788 in the North East.
Cited in Living Through a Renovation.
- very strong RN-Y19S87 cited
Office for Product Safety and Standards and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Names the Office for Product Safety and Standards as the UK regulator for construction products and most consumer goods, a role it took on in April 2021, funded by and acting on behalf of MHCLG. Confirms the enforced legislation is the Construction Products Regulations 2013 as amended by the Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which gave OPSS its enforcement powers. Records that the Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report was published on 4 September 2024, the Government response on 26 February 2025 accepting all 58 recommendations, and a Construction Products Reform White Paper on 25 February 2026 proposing reform of testing, certification, product information and enforcement. OPSS carries out product testing, site inspections and technical documentation reviews, responded to over 100 non-compliance allegations in 2023, and publishes construction product safety alerts, reports and recalls.
- very strong RN-6RE3SA cited
Planning Portal (MHCLG and TerraQuest)
Explains when demolition needs consent: any demolition in a conservation area needs approval, and full planning permission is required to demolish pubs, concert halls, theatres and live music venues, or buildings made unsafe or uninhabitable. Permitted development rights for demolition do not apply where the land is already subject to a planning permission for redevelopment. Stresses that consent to demolish does not carry any right to build a replacement.
Cited in Renovate or Rebuild? How to Decide.
- very strong RN-O7TO5H cited
Scottish Government (gov.scot)
SCOTLAND, with no England equivalent: a seller in Scotland must commission a Home Report before marketing, where an England seller commissions nothing and the buyer pays for their own survey. Introduced in 2008 to give buyers and sellers better information on property condition before offers are placed, to stop duplicate surveys and valuations, and to stop artificially low asking prices. The Home Report comprises three documents: an Energy Report, a Property Questionnaire and a Single Survey, and only surveyors registered with or authorised to practise by RICS may produce the Single Survey. It was developed with the Home Report Implementation Group, whose members included RICS, the Law Society of Scotland, the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the National Association of Estate Agents and Citizens Advice Scotland. A five-year review followed a December 2013 consultation and a January 2015 research report.
- very strong RN-9QKNW3 cited
The National Archives
Section 60 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. It lets a local authority serve a notice on construction works that can specify the permitted working hours and noise levels.
Cited in Living Through a Renovation.
- very strong RN-93V058 cited
The National Archives
GPDO 2015 Part 20 Class ZA: the demolish-and-rebuild right applies to a purpose-built detached block of flats or certain detached commercial buildings.
Cited in Renovate or Rebuild? How to Decide.
- very strong RN-W0DK4I cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
The provision that changed what a homeowner actually owes an insurer, and the correction to every article still saying you must disclose all material facts. Section 2(2) imposes a single duty on the consumer: to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer. Section 2(4) states expressly that this duty replaces any duty relating to disclosure or representations by a consumer to an insurer that existed in the same circumstances before the Act applied, so the old volunteered-disclosure regime is gone for consumer insurance and the burden shifts to the insurer to ask clear questions. Section 2(3) provides that failing to comply with the insurer's request to confirm or amend particulars previously given is itself capable of being a misrepresentation, which is what catches a homeowner who ignores a renewal notice after an extension or loft conversion. In force from 6 April 2013 by S.I. 2013/450, with section 2(5) omitted from 12 August 2016 by the Insurance Act 2015.
Cited in Timber Frame vs Masonry (Brick & Block) Construction.
- very strong RN-LOJL3V cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
The statutory adjudication timetable, which is fast by design and is why builders and subcontractors use it against each other, though section 106 excludes contracts with a residential occupier so a homeowner cannot rely on it unless their contract adopts it voluntarily. A party may give notice at any time of an intention to refer a dispute, dispute including any difference. The contract must provide a timetable aimed at appointing the adjudicator and referring the dispute within 7 days of that notice, require the adjudicator to reach a decision within 28 days of referral or a longer agreed period, and allow the adjudicator to extend the 28 days by up to 14 days with the consent of the referring party. The adjudicator must act impartially and may take the initiative in ascertaining the facts and the law, and may correct a clerical or typographical error in the decision. The decision is binding until the dispute is finally determined by legal proceedings, arbitration or agreement, and the parties may agree to treat it as final. The adjudicator and their employees and agents are not liable except for acts or omissions in bad faith. Where a contract fails to comply with subsections (1) to (4), the adjudication provisions of the Scheme for Construction Contracts apply instead.
Cited in Adjudication for Home Building Disputes Explained, Builder Contracts & JCT: Protecting Yourself, Builder Disputes: The Complete Guide.
- very strong RN-M920CI cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
Article 4(1) of the retained Construction Products Regulation requires a manufacturer to draw up a declaration of performance when a product covered by a designated standard, or conforming to a UK Technical Assessment, is placed on the market. Article 4(2) makes the declaration the only permitted route for stating performance against essential characteristics, so a performance claim outside the declaration is not valid. Article 4(3) provides that by drawing up the declaration the manufacturer assumes responsibility for the product's conformity with the declared performance, and that in the absence of objective indications to the contrary the declaration is presumed accurate and reliable. The words designated standard and UK Technical Assessment were substituted for harmonised standard and European Technical Assessment on 31 December 2020 by the Construction Products (Amendment etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/465), Schedule 1 paragraph 6.
Cited in PIR vs Mineral Wool Insulation Compared.
- very strong RN-0KXQ9J cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
The statutory text of section 2A of the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015. It places a duty on councils to give development permission on enough serviced plots to meet register demand.
Cited in Self-Build & Custom Build Basics.
- very strong RN-37ODVX cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
Regulation 12(1) applies to anyone intending to carry out building work, replace or renovate a thermal element, change a building's energy status or make a material change of use. Regulation 12(2) requires that person to give the relevant authority either a building notice under regulation 13 or an application for building control approval with full plans under regulation 14. Full plans are compulsory where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies (12(3)), where the building fronts onto a private street (12(4)) and where paragraph H4 of Schedule 1 applies (12(5)). Regulation 12(6) exempts work done by a competent person listed in Schedule 3, work listed in Schedule 4, and work inspected by a Schedule 3A third party certifier appointed before work starts. Regulation 12(6A) still requires notification for Part P electrical work consisting of a new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, or any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location such as the zone around a bath or shower. Regulation 12(8) allows a building notice after the event for emergency repairs. Text is up to date to 7 September 2026.
Cited in Building Notice vs Full Plans Application, Building Regulations Explained for Homeowners, Extension Building Regulations: Homeowner Guide, House Rendering Cost: Whole-House Render Prices (2026) and 5 more.
- very strong RN-NUL2UK cited
Welsh Government (gov.wales)
WALES. The Welsh Government publishes its own Approved Documents, and this collection page, last updated 19 June 2025, lists them with their current dates so the right edition can be cited: A structure 3 April 2017, B fire safety 19 June 2025, C site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture 3 April 2017, D toxic substances 3 April 2017, E resistance to the passage of sound 13 April 2022, F ventilation 7 April 2026, G sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency 10 May 2023, H drainage and waste disposal 3 April 2017, J combustion appliances 6 January 2025, K protection from falling 19 March 2025, L conservation of fuel and power 7 April 2026, M access 20 March 2025, N glazing 5 April 2017, O overheating, P electrical safety, Q security and R volumes 1 and 2. Wales still has a live Approved Document N on glazing safety, opening and cleaning, which England withdrew in 2013 when its content moved into Part K, so an England-based note that says Part N no longer exists is wrong for Wales.
- strong locally RN-L0K2XD cited
Spelthorne Borough Council
A council page illustrating local practice on building noise. It recommends no noisy work outside 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm Saturday, and none on Sundays or bank holidays.
Cited in Living Through a Renovation.
- strong RN-F7IWDS cited
BRE
RdSAP 10 Table 24 default window values used for EPCs: single glazing of any age is 4.8 W/m2K in wood or PVC frames and 5.7 in metal frames.
Cited in Renovate or Rebuild? How to Decide.
- strong RN-445W51 cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
The accessibility code of practice that Approved Document M sits alongside. Paywalled, so only the catalogue page is public; it confirms BS 8300-2:2018, published 31 January 2018, status Current, and that it is part 2 of a two-part standard, with BS 8300-1:2018 (also published 31 January 2018, also Current) covering the external environment including parking, setting-down points, access routes and approaches to entrances. Part 2 covers external features affecting external access routes, and building interiors including entrances, reception facilities, horizontal and vertical movement and building facilities. Crucially for a home renovation note, the catalogue page states plainly that BS 8300-2 does NOT apply to individual dwellings; its residential scope is nursing, residential and care homes, student accommodation and the COMMON PARTS of blocks of flats. It also confirms the recommendations apply largely to new buildings but can be used to assess and improve existing ones, and that the extent to which they apply to listed and historic buildings is decided case by case.
Cited in Bathroom Storage Solutions, Choosing Paint Colours: A Practical Guide.
- strong RN-25YUC4 cited
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The RICS professional statement that defines the three survey levels a homebuyer is offered, and the standard a note should cite instead of describing surveys loosely. Page updated 17 June 2026. The 1st edition was published in 2019 and became effective in 2021; it sets mandatory requirements for RICS members and regulated firms in the UK delivering residential property surveys, and it replaced and harmonised the earlier RICS residential survey publications. It defines four report products, RICS Home Survey Level 1, Level 2 (survey only), Level 2 (survey and valuation) and Level 3, and a member needs a Home Surveys Licence to produce any of them. The old report formats were permitted only during a transition period from 1 March to 31 August 2021, and the new reports have been mandatory since 1 September 2021. The standard is currently under review: a public consultation on a 2nd edition ran from 19 August to 14 October 2025, informed by a survey of 325 members and a UK consumer survey of over 1,400 homeowners, with proposed changes covering AI and drone or camera-pole technology, greater clarity on survey levels, optional valuation at all levels, guidance for additional risk dwellings, and retrofit assessments. RICS states members should continue to use the 1st edition until the 2nd edition takes full effect, so any note dating the change should say the 2nd edition is not yet in force.
- strong RN-K45EY4 cited
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The rulebook behind every professional cost per square metre figure, and free to download as a PDF from RICS, which makes it directly citable rather than paraphrased. NRM 1 is issued by the RICS Quantity Surveying and Construction Professional Group as one of a suite of three (NRM 1 order of cost estimating and cost planning, NRM 2 detailed measurement for building works, NRM 3 order of cost estimating and elemental cost planning for building maintenance works), all reissued in October 2022 as practice information having been published in October 2021 as guidance notes, with no material change to content. NRM 1 covers quantification of building works for cost estimates and cost plans, and also how to quantify the items that are not measurable building work: preliminaries, overheads and profit, project team and design team fees, risk allowances, inflation, and other development and project costs. It sets out the floor area method for order of cost estimates and defines the terms a note should use precisely: cost per m2 of gross internal floor area (cost/m2 of GIFA) is the unit rate which, when multiplied by the gross internal floor area, gives the total building works estimate, and gross internal floor area (GIFA, also gross internal area or GIA) is defined in Appendix A with reference to the latest edition of the RICS Code of Measuring Practice. It also distinguishes GEA (gross external area) and NIA (net internal area). This is the source to cite for why a cost per m2 figure is meaningless without stating which area basis it uses.
Cited in Quantity Surveyors for Homeowners: Do You Need One, Quote vs Estimate: What's the Difference.
- strong RN-3UXQIL cited
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The RICS scope table for a Level 1 survey, useful for a note explaining why the cheapest survey misses things. A Level 1 is a visual inspection less extensive than Level 2 or 3, with no tests of building fabric or services, no detailed advice on repairs, and RICS states it is better suited to conventionally built, modern dwellings in satisfactory condition. Concretely: windows are opened at a minimum of one on each elevation; in the roof space the member will NOT remove secured access panels or lift insulation, stored goods or other contents, and inspects only what can be seen from the access hatch; floors are inspected at the surface only with no lifting of carpets, floor coverings or floorboards, no moving of furniture and no hatch lifting or inverted head and shoulders inspection, although a heel-drop deflection test is still done; and inspection chamber covers to drains and septic tanks are NOT lifted. RICS advises the client to consider upgrading to Level 2 or 3 before the service is undertaken if more detailed advice is needed.
- strong RN-098KFI cited
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The RICS scope table for a Level 3 survey, which lets a note say exactly what the surveyor will and will not do rather than repeating marketing copy. For every level, the member inspects roof space no more than three metres above floor level using a ladder where safe and reasonable. At Level 3 specifically the member enters the roof space and visually inspects the roof structure, lifts small corners of thermal insulation to identify its thickness and type and the nature of the ceiling below, and repositions a small number of lightweight possessions where permission is given; attempts to open all windows where permission, keys and safety allow; lifts the corners of loose and unfitted floor coverings and assesses all floors for excessive deflection by a heel-drop test, carrying out an inverted head and shoulders subfloor inspection and entering the underfloor area where safe; lifts accessible inspection chamber covers to drains and septic tanks and observes the drains in normal use; visually inspects all visible parts of the service systems, operating a sample of lights and extractor fans and asking the occupier to operate the heating; and performs a comprehensive inspection of the grounds. Services are never tested, only observed in normal operation, and the member does not perform or comment on design calculations. Appendices A and B of the Home Survey Standard are the benchmark tables the levels are built from.
- fair RN-IED4GG cited
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice sets out six steps for a homeowner before work starts: check if you need permission or approval, find good traders, get quotes before deciding, check that you and your trader have insurance, get a written contract, and know what to do if there are problems. Advice applies to England, with separate versions for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It names the professional registers to search: a planning consultant on the Royal Town Planning Institute website, a surveyor on the RICS website and an architect on the Architects Registration Board website. Warns that without the permission or approval needed you might be fined, prosecuted, made to put things right or undo the work, and may have problems selling later. Confirms planning permission is usually needed to build something new such as an annexe, to make a major change such as an extension, or to change the use of a building.
Cited in Building Contracts: The Complete Guide, Cowboy Builders: Warning Signs Before & During a Job, Day Rate vs Fixed Price: Which to Agree for Building Work, How to Brief a Builder: Writing a Scope of Works and 4 more.
- fair RN-MMRYZC cited
Citizens Advice
Explains the two card claw back routes for a deposit paid to a trader. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act applies where payment was by credit card or buy now pay later and the single item or job costs more than £100 and no more than £30,000; paying only part of the price on the card still lets the whole amount be claimed, so a £50 deposit on a £250 job supports a claim for the full £250. Chargeback covers debit cards and sub £100 credit card spends, and only recovers the amount actually put on the card. The £100 threshold is judged per item, not per basket: a £105 order of an £80 phone and £20 headphones fails Section 75. PayPal disputes must be opened within 180 days of payment.
- fair RN-UP9X4N cited
Financial Ombudsman Service
The three step complaint route and its clocks, used for buildings insurance, subsidence and home improvement finance disputes. Step one is to complain to the financial business itself, saying what happened and how it should be put right. Step two: for most complaints the business has up to 8 weeks to consider it, cut to 15 days for complaints about fraud and scams, payment services such as bank transfers and direct debits, and electronic money. Step three: the complaint must be brought to the Ombudsman within 6 months of the date on the final response, or at any time once the business has run out of time without replying. The service is free and no lawyer or claims management company is needed; a family member or friend can help instead.