LABC’s extension guidance identifies checks at foundation, floor, drainage and roof stages, followed by completion. [1]
Prepare the site and confirm the starting information
Before work begins, ask the contractor to confirm the current drawings, approvals, site arrangements and outstanding design decisions. The construction phase plan must be prepared before the construction phase starts, with appropriate arrangements for managing the work safely. [2]
Where new construction is being positioned, setting out transfers measurements from the drawings onto the site. LABC identifies foundations, drains, services, walls and corners among the items located by this process, and makes clear that accurate setting out is the contractor’s responsibility—not building control’s. [3]
Build and check the concealed work
For an extension, the early work can include foundations, below-ground drainage and ground-floor construction. The building-control inspection plan should identify what needs to be seen before pouring, backfilling or covering. LABC explains that the checks depend on the actual ground conditions and construction. [1]
Ask for a hold-point schedule: an agreed list of stages where the next operation waits for an inspection, design answer or test. Beside each item, record who books the visit and what evidence is needed. This is a practical coordination tool, not a substitute for the building-control body’s requirements.
Coordinate structure, services and finishes
Structural and roof work must follow the coordinated design. England’s building regulations require contractors to ensure their work complies and to coordinate with others. A drawing change discovered on site therefore needs to reach the responsible designer rather than being resolved through an undocumented assumption. [4]
Use the programme to identify dependencies between trades and specialist suppliers. For example, Howdens’ templated-worktop instructions require the relevant kitchen preparation before measurement. The cabinet, worktop and finishing appointments need to fit together; they are not one interchangeable delivery date. [5]
Test, inspect and hand over
Towards completion, track the remaining inspections, tests, operating information and outstanding work separately. The handover package should explain the installed building and equipment and include the relevant records, rather than consist solely of product brochures. [6]
Practical completion is a contractual milestone, not another name for building-control approval. Record both and ask for a dated list of any outstanding items. A staged programme is most useful when it identifies what must be demonstrated at each milestone, not merely the week in which the builder hopes to reach it. [7] [8]