ᐅ Unexpected Changes to the Building Plans by the Structural Engineer
Created on: 28 Jun 2020 21:41
T
Thomas7
Hello everyone,
We have just started building our single-family house – the foundation slab is completed and the first row of hollow bricks has been laid. I thought trust is good, but checking is better, so I measured all the rooms and brick positions. Compared to the construction plan as drawn up by the architect and approved by the building authority (building permit / planning permission), I noticed several deviations and immediately informed my general contractor. He told me everything was correct – the structural engineer had only made some changes for structural reasons. Indeed, it seems all changes are due to structural requirements, but now many walls are 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick instead of 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) (the architect had previously specified some load-bearing walls with 17.5 cm (7 inches), but not as many). Overall, we lose 0.5 m² (5.4 sq ft), and some walls were shifted by 6 cm (2.4 inches) to avoid recesses.
This caught me off guard and is frustrating in some areas (for example, the narrower dormer – fitting a table was already tight in terms of width, and now we are short by another 12 cm (4.7 inches)). We were never informed that there might be changes, and even after the structural calculations, we were not told that definite changes would take place.
My questions are:
- Is this normal? Has this happened to you as well, or were you informed in advance?
- Do I have any claims for defects, or do I have to accept this? This is a bit general, but maybe someone has had similar cases? Losing 0.5 square meters (5.4 sq ft) roughly corresponds to about 1000 euros in construction costs...
Thank you very much in advance for your input...
We have just started building our single-family house – the foundation slab is completed and the first row of hollow bricks has been laid. I thought trust is good, but checking is better, so I measured all the rooms and brick positions. Compared to the construction plan as drawn up by the architect and approved by the building authority (building permit / planning permission), I noticed several deviations and immediately informed my general contractor. He told me everything was correct – the structural engineer had only made some changes for structural reasons. Indeed, it seems all changes are due to structural requirements, but now many walls are 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick instead of 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) (the architect had previously specified some load-bearing walls with 17.5 cm (7 inches), but not as many). Overall, we lose 0.5 m² (5.4 sq ft), and some walls were shifted by 6 cm (2.4 inches) to avoid recesses.
This caught me off guard and is frustrating in some areas (for example, the narrower dormer – fitting a table was already tight in terms of width, and now we are short by another 12 cm (4.7 inches)). We were never informed that there might be changes, and even after the structural calculations, we were not told that definite changes would take place.
My questions are:
- Is this normal? Has this happened to you as well, or were you informed in advance?
- Do I have any claims for defects, or do I have to accept this? This is a bit general, but maybe someone has had similar cases? Losing 0.5 square meters (5.4 sq ft) roughly corresponds to about 1000 euros in construction costs...
Thank you very much in advance for your input...
N
nordanney29 Jul 2020 10:26Stephan1807 schrieb:
I only buy any other product as described or agreed upon.... technical modifications reserved is very often stated.Images or drawings are really helpful for understanding, by the way.
OK, having the thing standing freely in the room is obviously different from some kind of boxed enclosure on the wall... you should have mentioned that right away.
Where exactly is this column located at the RH neighbors’ place, just as awkward? Did you change the standard floor plan (as proposed by the builder) so that the column now stands freely instead of being against a wall?
Where exactly is this column located at the RH neighbors’ place, just as awkward? Did you change the standard floor plan (as proposed by the builder) so that the column now stands freely instead of being against a wall?
S
Stephan180729 Jul 2020 10:55Scout schrieb:
OK, having that thing standing free in the room is of course different from some kind of boxed-in structure along the wall... you should have mentioned that from the start.
Where exactly is this column located at the RH neighbors’ place, just as inconvenient? Did you make changes to the standard floor plan (as proposed by the builder) so that the column now stands free instead of being against a wall? Sorry, I wasn’t clear. The support is boxed in along the wall and is not completely free-standing in the room. However, it is still there.
Stephan1807 schrieb:
Sorry, I wasn’t clear. The support is already boxed in against the wall and not standing freely in the room. Still, it is there. Okay, so it’s only against the wall. That’s not really a big issue.
Stephan1807 schrieb:
I have no idea how to quantify that, but for me it is definitely a disadvantage. I only buy any other product exactly as described or agreed. But you do need to know exactly what you want to claim. Are you considering withdrawing from the contract?
Structurally speaking, such a support is necessary; without it, you probably wouldn’t be happy either based on current standards. Right now, you’re just jumping around angrily... but that won’t help!
Here’s the way forward: put forward a claim, check its feasibility, send it in writing to the builder, and then enforce it. I fear, however, that nothing truly worthwhile will come of it.
Another option: ask for a meeting with the site manager to have them explain why and how this happened. Maybe your frustration will ease a bit then.
I would consider it a small stroke of luck if the construction company communicates directly with the buyer when working through a developer. Even though it’s not a disaster in this case, having information in advance is definitely a bit of an advantage.
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