As the high-rise building world adjusts to the gateway system implemented by the Building Safety Act, the needs of warranty providers can still threaten a successful gateway 2 submission going to site.
While the gateway system requires builders to have their designs approved by the regulator, alongside experts that may include a Local Authority Building Control team, there is no specific consideration for warranty in the gateway system.
As a result, an otherwise successful gateway 2 application could be held up if a warranty provider can’t cover specific materials or details, or if there are other warranty-related issues with designs.
This could mean months in costly delays as the designs are changed to be made warranty-compliant then submitted to the regulator for approval again.
Early engagement offers security
LABC Warranty has always encouraged developers to start the conversation around a project as early as possible. What was once just our guidance is now the standalone Early Engagement consultancy service.
Henry Quinn-Smith, technical coordinator at The Hill Group, comments: “Having LABC Warranty involved from the early stages of the design process at Joyce and Snells Estate has provided a significant benefit. This collaboration gives the client confidence that the design is aligned with current warranty standards, while also giving us, as the main contractor, assurance that build quality is embedded from the outset.
“As this is a gateway project under the Building Safety Act, it is vital that products and materials are approved by LABC Warranty ahead of the BSR submission, helping to avoid costly and time-consuming changes later on.
“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with such an experienced warranty provider on this important development.”
With no obligation to take up a warranty after the consultation, LABC Warranty will assess designs against their warranty requirements, collaborating with your teams to ensure designs will meet the needs of a warranty provider’s ten-year view of materials and details.
As a result, a developer and designer enjoy confidence that their plans will be fit to proceed to site after a gateway 2 submission, removing the potential threat of doubling delays at this crucial step.
In addition to the confidence that designers and developers enjoy while preparing a submission, developers could potentially also enjoy cost and material security.
With the warranty-compliant designs nailed down ahead of time, developers can race ahead of inflation to secure materials with the confidence they’ll be used on your site.
Combined, developers can ease financial burdens on their work while simultaneously safeguarding against costly and frustrating delays in the gateway system.
Start today for the biggest benefits
Read more about the details and the process of the LABC Warranty early engagement service, or make an enquiry about the service, below.
Learn more about early engagement today
Additional guidance on successful gateway submissions
Life under the Building Safety Regulator has been an adjustment, but there is help out there for builders, architects, and designers beyond LABC Warranty’s Early Engagement service.
That includes guidance from the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), which has made a broad suite of information available on how to assemble a gateway 2 submission with the greatest chance of gaining approval.
The guidance was assembled by the CLC in collaboration with a number of industry stakeholders, including some from Local Authority Building Control, LABC Warranty’s exclusive building partner.
“This guidance will come as enormous help to designers, architects, and developers to navigate the gateways and hopefully avoid delays on their projects,” said Martin Taylor, executive director of Local Authority Building Control.
“LABC is proud to have contributed to this material, and we encourage anyone involved in preparing a Gateway 2 submission to make full use of the guidance to prepare submissions to the regulator.”
The guidance covers a broad panel of submission subjects, from background information on the Building Safety Regime all the way up to the strategy of an application, with much more in between.
This comprehensive guide to the second gateway is available at no cost to a builder, architect, or designer and can always be accessed online. Read more about the guidance here.
Read more about the guidance here - Leadership body issues Building Safety Regulator application guidance
See more projects from LABC Warranty’s major projects service
Read more about the design certainty and consultancy your next project can incorporate through the LABC Warranty Major Projects Service here
