Professional General Contractors in Fort William

The package price depends on which type of package you choose. For example, you may wish to choose a supply and erect package rather than supply only. The base prices shown on our website are for supply only, this price excludes delivery, any steel required within the kit (determined by project specific engineering and is informed by the housetype, design amendments, ground conditions, and wind loading), external finishes and any added options such as internal joinery pack, kitchens or bathrooms. The VAT rate payable also depends on which package you choose. Our base package (supply only) is normally standard rated (20%) for VAT. The VAT element can be reclaimed from Customs and Excise upon project completion. Where there is an installation element (i.e. our supply and erect service) the package will normally be zero-rated for VAT. The rest of the build will be handled by the contractor of your choice. Alternatively, you may wish to 'self-build', where you arrange the rest of the build yourself. This involves arranging the various trades and materials required, possibly even with an element of your own labour.

A planning application must be lodged with your local authority as part of the normal process of receiving permission to build a house. Contact your local authority for guidance and confirmation of the level of fee required. Scale drawings of the proposed house/development must be submitted as part of the application. These must show the exterior elevations of the house as well as sections and floor plans. If you proceed with Hebridean Contemporary Homes Ltd. these drawings will be provided for your submission. You will also require a site and location plan which HCH does not provide. Your agent - or a local architect, surveyor, draftsman or technician - can draw these up. The planning authority also occasionally request sections through the site and landscape proposals. Again these should be organised locally. If your house cannot connect to a mains sewer, your local authority may ask for details of your sewerage arrangement as part of your planning application. Again, seek advice from your agent or local planning officer. Once your application has been approved and you have received Detailed Planning Permission you are ready to proceed to the Building Warrant stage.

A modern mortgage such as the Buildstore Accelerator mortgage could be the solution. This award-winning self build mortgage is very flexible and can provide up-front funding for the purchase of land in advance of the build.

If you are not able to connect to a mains sewerage system, you will be required to install a private septic tank or treatment plant. The run-off "grey water" from the system is often discharged in to a specially constructed percolation pit, known as a soakaway. A more eco-friendly alternative to this is to construct a reed bed. In order to obtain consent for the above, you will be required to carry out a percolation test. This is a test to examine what the ground conditions of the site are like in terms of drainage. It is important to know this so that the correct arrangements can be made for dealing with surface water, soakaways from septic tanks etc. Local authorities require evidence to be submitted along with Planning applications showing that this test has been undertaken. The test must be undertaken by a consultant approved to perform such tests. The approved consultant will charge a fee for this service. Check the internet or Yellow Pages for Drainage Consultants in your local area.

After obtaining full Planning Permission, but usually before proceeding to build your house, you require a Building Warrant. You will have to apply to the building control officer at your local authority for this. As with planning applications a fee will have to be submitted when you apply otherwise your application will not be processed. The level of this fee is usually based on a sliding scale and depends on the size of the proposed house in square metres and the likely construction cost. Detailed drawings must be submitted along with this application. This large set of drawings shows the detail of the house construction, allowing the building control officer to decide whether the proposed development meets all building regulations. The construction drawings provided by HebHomes will form the majority of the Building Warrant application drawings. However, your agent will have to arrange other drawings such as block plans showing the sewerage, parking arrangements and any further information requested by Building Control. We can liase with your agent and provide electronic versions of the drawings to them if necessay.