House extension finished, should I get guarantees?

[dicky113]

Hi

I have had a 2-storey extension built and final payment is due. What guarantees if any should I get? Should the dpc be guaranteed?

What should I get in writing from the builders? Should building inspector do a final check before I make the payment.

Sorry if these are naive questions but I just don't know!

thanks

[buildersmate]

No you won't get a 'guarantee'. In any case, such guarantees are only as good as the ability of the builder to stay in business and come back and rectify defects.
Provided you are satisfied with the quality of the finishes and all the components of work are completed, that's pretty much it.
Building Control are responsible for checking the key building components are put together OK (structurally, thermally, etc) - they do NOT check everything. You should not pay the final sum until Building Control have signed-off the completion (they issue a certificate). You could employ a chatered surveyor at your own expense if you wanted a second opinion about completeness.
Some contracts have a retainer of, say, 5% held over for say 3 months in case defects show a little later - if you didn't negotiate this as part of your contract upfront, you can't invoke it now.
The DPC is not separately guaranteed.

[dicky113]

Thank you for your quick answer