Here is a problem.
I have project managed fire upgrades and have no issue with anything regulation wise re this.
Re waterproofing we are transferring a scheme suitable for large multi storey buildings onto small low rise buildings including older (up to 100 years old) buildings.
It is not a simple “sign off”. I have to find a registered architect or engineer in the first place. Then they must produce a set of documents and lodge them on the portal.
In my case I have had no defects / claims in 25 years. I have recently had to re do repairs on a smaller building detailed and supervised by one of the biggest remedial engineering companies in Sydney. I have also had to convince another body corporate that the repairs specified by an engineer where not required. They were attempting to fix a problem that didn’t exist rather than one that did. I could have easily done the work and collected the money but that is wrong. So often the so called experts in remedial works do not understand these small blocks.
I’ll give an example of a issue on a building right now as in January 2023. We have a rising damp issue in a unit in a building that is about 15 years old. There are also a few other issues to fix. This if for $40K’s worth of work. Now the waterproofing component is about 10% of that. We will now have to engage the engineer or architect to draw up the area and lodge the plans on the portal. They will also need to sign off on my scope of works. My colleague who is about the best in Sydney has done this sort of project between 500 and 1000 times. So suddenly we need to involve someone with little experience in this and in the process add 10-15K to the bill. This is if we can find anyone.
I have another one to do on another building. The cost is only $15K total. Exactly the same process is required for this unit. The cost just went up by 50%.
I have exacty the same issue on another building.
The owners are hard pressed enough on these projects without the additional costs of this red tape.
From my point of view my business model of investigating these older buildings and coming up with solutions is done / finished it is now too clumsy.
A worrying thing is we are critically short of quality experienced contractors in this feild and should be doing everything to keep those (like me) we have. Fair Trading should leave these laws to the dodgy build concrete hi rises and if they insist on getting into my area at least talk to us first.
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