Hello everyone,
Unfortunately, the structural contractor has incorrectly positioned the basement slab by about 20 cm (8 inches). The building authority came to inspect and has now temporarily stopped the construction.
There are two possible solutions to this problem:
1. Tear down the slab including the two walls that have already been poured and have everything redone correctly.
2. Submit a variation request and accept the situation as is.
Option 1 would be an extreme measure, which we naturally do not favor for practical reasons. So, basically, option 2 remains.
How should we approach this? The 20 cm (8 inches) error is significant because there are only 4 m (13 feet) left until the property boundary, where a carport is planned. It still fits, but there is much less "space" remaining. What would be a fair solution here (e.g., financial compensation from the construction company?), since a correction is no longer possible without demolition?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Unfortunately, the structural contractor has incorrectly positioned the basement slab by about 20 cm (8 inches). The building authority came to inspect and has now temporarily stopped the construction.
There are two possible solutions to this problem:
1. Tear down the slab including the two walls that have already been poured and have everything redone correctly.
2. Submit a variation request and accept the situation as is.
Option 1 would be an extreme measure, which we naturally do not favor for practical reasons. So, basically, option 2 remains.
How should we approach this? The 20 cm (8 inches) error is significant because there are only 4 m (13 feet) left until the property boundary, where a carport is planned. It still fits, but there is much less "space" remaining. What would be a fair solution here (e.g., financial compensation from the construction company?), since a correction is no longer possible without demolition?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
H
hampshire21 Jun 2020 09:56Sometimes you just have to leave the mess where it was created. Compassionate people often find this difficult. I estimate your costs to be higher because you will have to live with a solution that causes you discomfort.
N
neutronbx21 Jun 2020 20:45Snowy36 schrieb:
Why does the building authority actually come? Our neighbor's house is set too far back, but until now no one cared and no one has inspected it...In our district in Bavaria, someone from the building authority always comes and checks quite early whether the dimensions from the building permit / planning permission are being followed.
Even if I didn’t care about the house’s position, I would still insist that they correct it. If someone messes up, they have to take responsibility—this isn’t about “being humane,” it’s about “doing the job properly.” You requested a service and paid for it (or will pay for it), so those gentlemen should do their job correctly.
You also mentioned that the 20cm (8 inches) bothers you. If you’re already aware of that now: just imagine how frustrated you’ll be in 10 years for not standing your ground. Aside from the fact that submitting a change request to the building authority (building permit / planning permission) takes time and may cause additional problems or costs. What do you think the shell builder will say if you pay them €10,000 less and say, “Oops, I made a mistake”—do you really think they’ll say, “Well, I’m bothered by the €10,000, but for humane reasons, I’ll give you a discount”?
They want to get paid for the work they’ve done, and you want the work you agreed to for your money. No way, I definitely wouldn’t agree to that.
You also mentioned that the 20cm (8 inches) bothers you. If you’re already aware of that now: just imagine how frustrated you’ll be in 10 years for not standing your ground. Aside from the fact that submitting a change request to the building authority (building permit / planning permission) takes time and may cause additional problems or costs. What do you think the shell builder will say if you pay them €10,000 less and say, “Oops, I made a mistake”—do you really think they’ll say, “Well, I’m bothered by the €10,000, but for humane reasons, I’ll give you a discount”?
They want to get paid for the work they’ve done, and you want the work you agreed to for your money. No way, I definitely wouldn’t agree to that.