Hugo Nebula wrote in message . ..
On 15 Jun 2004 01:35:53 -0700, a particular chimpanzee named
(Lobster) randomly hit the keyboard and
produced:

I had a slightly similar situation myself, in that I am doing my
current project under a building notice. The BCO has been round many
times to inspect, and on one visit, said 'did you put sound insulation
in those partition walls?' (she'd seen them previously, before the
plasterboard was fitted) 'Er, no, did I need to...'

Perhaps you should have just nodded your head and lied. It's a little
game we have to play sometimes, like, "Have you put a cavity tray in
above the new lean to roof?" "No, it's too fiddly and time consuming."
"Wrong answer, try again".

A BCO will make reasonable efforts to check aspects of the
construction, but we're not Clerks of Works; we can't be on site every
day, so we have to take peoples' word for what they've done. The
other side to that is that the BCO can abrogate responsibility for
something which was said to be done but wasn't.

However,
the experience did get me wondering what else might suddenly strike
her to check up on in future visits, before I get my completion
certificate. I did ask her at the time if there was anything else I
should be aware of - don't think so, she said.

Without full plans, neither of you can be certain that you've covered
everything.

Is this just a risk/side-effect of me being a cheapskate and not doing
the job on a full plan?

One of them, yes.

Had another similar BCO inspection today. She came round to look at
the sound insulation as agreed (see above!) which was fine. Then she
says, 'oh, how about smoke alarms?' 'Yes, I've got a mains-powered one
and am fitting it just here' (I point to hole in landing ceiling).
'Ah, well I'm afraid you need two. Interconnected.'

Bwahahah! And this is 24 hours after the plasterer has finished
skimming all the stud partitions which would have carried the
interconnect.

Oh well - took half the afternoon but eventually I managed to get a
mains cable to the planned location of the second alarm, plus an
interconnect cable in place via another route (anybody remember my
sound-proofed internal soil stack a couple of weeks ago?!). I think I
only need one more inspection for her to sign off (that's if she
doesn't think of anything else meanwhile)...

David