As the recession deepens and the housing crisis continues, more and more people are choosing to renovate rather than move.

And the building inspector is the person who has to sign off the building work before that all-important certificate of completion can be granted.

This film follows the work of some of the members of Birmingham City Council’s Building Consultancy. We watch Karl, David, and Sanjay as they encounter shambolic building work, frustrated and uninformed homeowners and cowboy builders, and somehow manage to retain a sense of humour in the face of it all.

Particularly contentious jobs are passed on to their boss, Mark, nicknamed The Sheriff. He’s always hot on the heels of the dodgiest builders, inviting them in for a cautionary interview if necessary. He’ll try to get them to change their ways, but if they persist, he’ll pursue them through the courts.

George is having awful builder trouble and is facing the prospect of using his life savings to repair the damage. Meanwhile he’s living in one room and sleeping on the sofa while the rest of his house remains a building site.

Steve and Lisa Valentine are expecting their fourth child and are building an extra room for the baby, but the work on their roof is shoddy, and leaks – will they finish in time for their new arrival?