A new build - completely without building control

Here's an interesting job I've been asked to price. Two complete new build log cabin type detached properties.

They are going onto a residential static caravan park (mobile home park) in place of two static caravans.

The builders building them are adamant that as they are not permanent buildings, they are treated as far as planning and building control the same as caravans, so there will be no building control involvement at all.

Should be a breath of fresh air with nobody to poke their nose in and tell me what height I can and can't fit sockets and switches etc.

Here's an interesting job I've been asked to price. Two complete new build log cabin type detached properties.They are going onto a residential static caravan park (mobile home park) in place of two static caravans.

The builders building them are adamant that as they are not permanent buildings, they are treated as far as planning and building control the same as caravans, so there will be no building control involvement at all.

Should be a breath of fresh air with nobody to poke their nose in and tell me what height I can and can't fit sockets and switches etc.

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I'm sure LABC will not see that the same way. Also I would guess they are new circuits, so you will still need to notify for part P.

I'm sure LABC will not see that the same way. Also I would guess they are new circuits, so you will still need to notify for part P.

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No part P in Scotland.

I share your concern that these are not portable buildings, but pre fabricated buildings assembled on site. But the builder is adamant that they are still treated by building control as portable buildings and they are not interested in looking at them.

My only concern is the supply arrangements, which I won't know until I get on site in July.

Well in that case, not your problem wrt LABC. Hope the builders PI insurance is all paid up. At the end of the day, its down to the owner to ensure all Building Regs (including any notifications) are followed.

Lets hope when you get on site its an easy job. If its a 'caravan', shoudln't it have one of those little orange cables wiring it up

As I say, the supply arrangements will be interesting.

Most proper static residential "mobile homes" have their own individual fixed supply. Often that takes the form of the supply head and meter being in a separate box and fed by SWA to the unit. If the supply head and meter were installed directly into the unit, then it will need the DNO to move it over to the new cabin

I've done a bit of work on a couple of sites like these..

LABC are not involved at all.. they are indeed classed the same as mobile homes (re planning & building regs)

Normally these sites have some sort of central electric cupboard with a 3phase supply which then feeds the individual units via SWA and then a private meter (externally mounted).. sometimes they have individuall OCPD's at the supply and sometimes they have a shared OCPD - that all depends on the developer!

The latest one I've done work at is a bit of a bodge TBH (brand new) with 15 on 1 3phase switch fuse and 10 on another - each fed by 25mm SWA (I think) which splits off at each unit via an underground joint...

I've just been away for a weeks holiday, and since we were passing by the site where this is going, I called in to have a look.

There's a right mixture on site. There are in fact a few new proper houses which have had full planning and building control. But most of the site are static caravans. There seems to be a gradual plan to replace these with something a bit better, but still retaining the "caravan" status for planning and building control.

So what they are actually doing is taking old end of life static caravans, stripping them to the bare chassis, and then building a new "eco home" onto the old caravan chassis, thus maintaining the mobile (at least in theory) element for planning and thus requiring no building control.

They are timber framed and timber clad using sheeps wool as insulation, and lined inside with plasterboard, so inside will look and feel like a proper house (well bungalow)

Although built on a static caravan chassis with wheels, they will in fact be supported on piers of concrete blocks, but that's what happens to many static caravans anyway.

I couldn't find anyone to talk to on the site about the electrical supply, other than as far as I can tell each unit has it's supply coming into a waterproof box on a post at the edge of the plot, so I guess there's at least an isolator and hopefully MCB in there and I just connect SWA to the "caravan" All they did know was electricity on site was cheap as they have their own wind turbines so only have to buy from the grid to top up any shortfall.

Should be an interesting project.

We look forward to further reports and hopefully some pictures, assuming you are chosen to do the work Pro.

Doc H.

This project is starting right now. I'm just back from a site visit this morning.

As I type, the first old static caravan is being dismantled. Remember it's chassis gets re used for the new building to retain it's "caravan" status, (though whether it would actually be moveable is a debatable point)

So this morning I disconnected the supply from the old caravan. The supply box is about 50 metres away and I looked inside that with the site manager. They only give a 40A supply to caravans on this site, but there are no electric showers or anything so that should be okay. On this one I'll be re using the 10mm SWA that's already there for the feed.

This is being built on an ultra tight timescale. The old 'van will be stripped to the chassis this week, and all next week the mostly prefabricated new wooden building will be erected. The following week is when I and the plumber first fix at the start of the week, the unit will then be boarded out and second fixed at the end of the week all in one hit.

It's nearly 60 miles from home, so I'll be staying on site for this one.

I'll try and take some pictures if I remember my camera.

The second unit will follow shortly afterwards. That one is already an empty plot, though looking around it I couldn't see an existing supply so might have to be trenching and laying in a new cable for that one.

Thanks for the update, don't forget that camera, sounds like a nice job.

Cheers Steve

I'd like to see some piccies too please Dave as sounds interesting and I'd like to say thanks again for the business plan you sent me about 3 months ago it really helped me out. Your a star mate.

I wired a log cabin in a London garden a few years back. It did not need Planning permission or building control as it was classed as a shed. It Came as a kit and the owner and friends put it together over a week

This is being built on an ultra tight timescale.

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Probably so when LABC find out they are less likely to have it ripped down rather than turning up on site half way though.

Probably so when LABC find out they are less likely to have it ripped down rather than turning up on site half way though.

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No, I don't think there's anything underhand like that.

Simply that the occupants of the old caravan who have just moved out, have 3 weeks temporary accommodation in a friends house while they are on holiday, so need to be back in their new "caravan" before the friends come back from holiday.

That house 5 minutes away is where we are all crashing while working on the job.

I'm just back from site having completed this job. I'll talk you through the photos.

The first shows the site supply cabinet. The supply to this unit is the bottom left meter. Perhaps that photo belongs in the black museum.

Next is the CU and some of the wiring. This is to illustrate the building construction. It's a timber framed building with the void insulated with sheeps wool and covered in tyvec. Note the horozontal battens onto which the plasterboard will be fitted giving a 40mm service void for pipes and cables. Having the battens horizontal means no studs to drill through.

Note the strip of OSB fixed around the whole building for all the cables to fix to without penetrating the tyvec and destroying the buildings seal. All circuits run on this OSB in a safe zone at socket height. Where cables need to come up the wall e.g light switches, the cables tuck behind the battens between the battens and the tyvec. Roof construction is similar.

The third shows the outside of this "portable" building. Cladding still needs completing and there are no windows yet. Make up your own mind how portable it really is.

And the last photo from across the site shows how this building towers over it's neighbouring caravans.

This in reality amounts to a modest sized 2 bedroom bungalow with a total of 60 points. I wired it to virtual completion in 43 hours this week, being three very long days and 3 hours this morning. That works out at about 45 minutes per point, less than my usual average of 1 hour per point. But this is a bit like an industrial install where someone has been before you and installed the cable trays. In reality the whole thing was wired in 3 very long days, and the few hours this morning was the final testing and wiring the pump for the solar heating system.

My aim had been to complete first and second fix in one go. I mostly achieved that with the builders following me around fixing the plasterboard as soon as ready, then I went back and fitted the accessories. While all the accessories are fitted, wired and tested, I will have to go back again to wire things like the immersion heater (no tank fitted yet), heated towel rail, final kitchen, bathroom and wall lights etc and the shed that will contain a potters wheel and 5KW kiln (they forgot to mention the shed originally)

It's taken 12 days to get from the start of construction to this stage, and they hope to complete the build on time by the end of next week, if the windows arrive. At the moment all that's keeping the rain out is plastic sheeting over the window apertures.

The site management raised concern at the height, and for the next one are going to stipulate a maximum height above the ground.

The same builder is hoping to do another 5 of these next year (in addition to the other one this year already under way) and hopefully I will be wiring them all.

And before anyone criticizes the location of the CU so low down and tight into a corner, it was constrained by using the original SWA feed to the old caravan, it would only reach that corner and that's as high as it would reach. But remember no BC to complain about things like that. The customer is happy with it there.

There not log cabins, they are posh wooden sheds.

Just back from first fixing the second of these "portable" buildings, but like a twit I forgot my camera. This one is being done a bit different, more like a conventional timber framed building, so first fix took a bit longer as more stud drilling etc and no ready prepared cable duct.

Following the site problems with the last one, this one is set much lower to the ground, and to avoid complaints from the neighbours they have imposed restrictions on working hours as well.

I'll be going back in just over a week to second fix it, again different to the last one, this one seems to be a much slower build.

The builder just told me he's got the contract for another one on the same site, but this time it will be a proper house with proper foundations and planning and building control.