Working with Builders: Tendering and Contracts

Give tenderers the same drawings, specification, schedules and relevant survey information. Identify the proposed contract, programme assumptions, site access, occupied areas and working restrictions.

State the treatment of kitchens, bathrooms, finishes, external works, statutory fees and specialist designs. Ask for exclusions, provisional sums and assumptions to be listed explicitly rather than hidden in a covering email.

Check that each tender covers the same work, includes VAT where applicable and has realistic allowances. Discuss large differences in structural work, glazing, preliminaries and completion time before deciding that one builder is cheaper.

Review relevant references, insurance, competence, capacity and who will supervise day to day. A past project photograph is not evidence of current staffing or financial capacity.

The appropriate form depends on the scope, procurement and whether a contract administrator is appointed. Seek professional advice on payment terms, variations, time, insurance, defects and dispute provisions before signing.

Define the contractor's design responsibilities and how they interface with the architect and engineer. Do not assume the designer is administering the building contract unless that service is included in the appointment.

Record proposed changes, their cost and programme effect, and the required design or consent review before instructing them. Verbal site decisions can create disagreement about what was authorised.

Use the agreed payment mechanism and relate payments to the contract, not just a request for funds. Keep a record of certificates or valuations where applicable and understand the basis for deposits, retention and final payment.

Identify CDM and building-regulations dutyholders and allocate temporary works, inspection booking, protection and site safety responsibilities. Occupied-home arrangements need particular attention to dust, access, services and escape.

Before completion, agree snagging, commissioning, certificates, warranties, final drawings and outstanding work. A building control completion certificate and contractual practical completion are different records; collect the documentation appropriate to each.