6-7. Construction; Use & Aftercare

It’s always worth having a contract with your builder and we can advise you on the most appropriate one - contracts come in different shapes and sizes and the right one for you depends on the size and complexity of the job, on whether you want to engage directly with your builder or whether you would prefer us to administer the contract between you and the builder.

Using a traditional building contract administered by an architect is the best means of keeping control over costs, quality and programme - there is a clear framework for incorporating late changes to the works; the legitimacy of claims by the builder for more money or time can be assessed according to agreed criteria; the procedure by which payments are made to the builder is clearly set out; and there is a mechanism for penalising the builder for late completion of the works.

Builders tend to charge more for doing work under architect-administered contracts because of their extra administrative costs. However, bearing in mind the inherent complexity of the building process and the potential for nasty surprises that lurks in every building, the increased peace of mind that using an architect-administered contract brings almost always justifies the additional cost.