Weathertight remediation: Builder information for projects receiving FAP assistance

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To qualify for the FAP, home owners will need an assessor’s report on their home which will identify the weathertightness damage to the building, and provide an estimate of the scale and cost of the work needed to repair it.

Note that the assessor’s report will not identify non-weathertightness issues with a dwelling, such as structural problems arising from the original work, although these may also need to be addressed in order to obtain a building consent.

Repair plan
The recommended scope from the assessor’s report forms the basis of the repair plan and consent documents. Once the repair plan is agreed, the owner will seek quotes from at least two, preferably three, builders.

The home owner’s preferred quote must be submitted to the Building and Housing (B & H) Group using the quote template found on the B & H Group’s web site.
It must include an invoicing schedule specifying the expected amount and timing of invoices. The invoicing arrangements are a matter between the builder and home owner, and are not necessarily linked to the B & H Group payments to the home owner.

Quotes must be fully priced, but rather than include very large sums for contingencies, builders may be better to price certain activities such as removal and replacement of timber by an hourly or per lineal metre rate.
FAP assistance only covers work needed to reinstate the building to an acceptable level of weathertightness.
Any building work beyond this is called “betterment”. It can be undertaken, but is not eligible for FAP contributions. The builder needs to quote separately for any betterment, and also needs to identify betterment in any invoices.

Builders will need to include with the quote a signed contractor’s statement. This statement includes various undertakings in relation to:
• site access for the B & H Group and council staff,
• payments, variations and scope changes,
• invoicing arrangements,
• record-keeping, and
• confirmation of your contractors’ all risks insurance cover. 

Buildings will be inspected by the B & H Group immediately following removal of cladding to confirm that the repair plan will address all of the weathertightness issues.
If there is significant change of scope then the owner will need to review their repair plan, and may need to update their quotes to include any newly-discovered repairs that are needed.
The B & H Group will pay contributions to qualifying owners throughout the repair process, following inspection and sign-off by councils at agreed milestones.

These inspections may occur at the same time as Building Consent Authority inspections, but they are conducted solely for the purposes of confirming that contributions can be paid to the home owner.

The final contribution payment will usually be made once the Code Compliance Certificate has been issued and copies of all invoices have been provided to the B & H Group.
Larger, more complex buildings will often need a customised and phased approach to the repair plan and building elements.
The home owner can still pursue other parties under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2006, and a builder could be asked to provide evidence in a claims process. Good documentation is therefore critical.

Also, remember that since March 2012, repairs to leaky buildings must be carried out by Licensed Building Practitioners or under the direct supervision of an LBP.

 

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