Socket height in outbuilding

[Rockomuir]

Morning all,

Just a quick one today. Do sockets heights in an outbuilding have to be 450mm from floor level. It is a new outbuilding. Customer wants the sockets at 300mm from floor.

 

[telectrix]

it may be a new outbuilding, but if fed from a main house, it's not a new installation, so fit them as customers preference.

 

[Andy78]

The building regs apply to new builds, extensions, major refurbishments, and changes of building use to dwellings. Part M will certainly apply in this case. Get the customer to have a word with the building inspector involved and ask for his preference to be considered. If the BCO is a reasonable guy he'll let it by, if he's one of the jobsworth types, no chance.

 

[Octopus]

The building regs apply to new builds, extensions, major refurbishments, and changes of building use to dwellings. Part M will certainly apply in this case. Get the customer to have a word with the building inspector involved and ask for his preference to be considered. If the BCO is a reasonable guy he'll let it by, if he's one of the jobsworth types, no chance.

Not sure I agree with this.....

 

[Andy78]

This has been the opinion of the BCO on every extension I have ever worked on, not that I've had to toe the line on every job mind you.

I've had to add mains smokes in single storey kitchen extensions, put sockets at min 450mm AFFL in living room extensions where the rest of the existing sockets are just above skirting etc

I had it explained to me years ago that any build that extended the footprint of the building was considered new build. However, with relaxation in planning laws and constant changes in building regs, I'm happy to concede I may now be wrong.

 

[Octopus]

I've always understood the Part M only applied to new builds - happy to be corrected if I'm out of date, but consistency in a home is better IMHO, so extensions can be at the "old" height

 

[Andy78]

I've always understood the Part M only applied to new builds - happy to be corrected if I'm out of date, but consistency in a home is better IMHO, so extensions can be at the "old" height

Yep, but I've often found myself at the mercy of over zealous BCOs. How they choose to define "new build" and how they choose to apply and enforce compliance varies immensely I have found.

 

[Rockomuir]

Interesting answers thanks very much, bco is coming down Monday so I will double check!

 

[tomspark93]

I thought mains smokes were only required on two story extensions?

 

[Octopus]

I thought mains smokes were only required on two story extensions?

LABC have the final say on that!