Check for the presence of services
Unless you are you sure that there are no services crossing the land, you should get a survey carried out to detect them before you start any excavations. Telltale signs of the possibility of services include:
- the absence of a pavement - any services will go underneath the road or under the land, or both
- poles carrying, usually, electricity or telephone cables sited on or at the edge of the land
- concrete markers identifying services below
Insurance
You should take out insurance that will protect :-- The public
- Your employees
- The building
- Public Liability - £1 to 2 million
- Employee Liability - £10 million
- Contract Works - dependant on the value of the build
View some companies that provide self-build insurance via our National Directory page.
In addition, you will need a structural warranty that will cover you for problems with the building once it has been completed. There are three main ways of getting this warranty:
- from a company specialising in self-build insurances
- from the architect
- from the NHBC
