From outline design to overseeing the builders.

A typical project would involve the steps below.

• Inception

You may have thought a great deal about your project before you approach a surveyor or architect. You may have know exactly what you want, or you may be looking for ideas from your consultant. Whatever your situation we always suggest that you discuss possible alternatives with us. Having clear vision and focus at the outset will greatly increase the chances of a successful outcome.

• Outline Design

We will take your vision of what you want and produce outline drawings so that you can see clearly what your alterations or extension will look like. We can even produce alternative schemes so that you can compare and contrast before making a final decision.

• Planning Permission

Throughout the process we will have been advising you of the likely impact on your proposals of the need to obtain planning permission, listed building consent or conservation area consent. By this stage we will be ready to produce all of the drawings and details required to make the necessary applications.

• Detailed Designed

At this stage we will be looking, with you, at the detail of the structure, materials and the practicalities of actually building what you want. We will work up drawings with sufficient detail to enable them to be submitted for approval to your local authority building control department. It is sometimes necessary at this stage to involve a structural engineer. We can either work with an engineer you choose or we can suggest engineers we have worked with successfully in the past.

• Building Regulations Application

By now we will be ready to make your building regulations application. On most of our projects we recommend that a full plans submission is made as this, once approved, provides a good deal more certainty for you than the alternative. However, with smaller, simpler works where speed is essential we can omit this step and use the building notice procedure. This latter procedure enables the building works to commence two days after notice has been given, but the building inspector may insist on changes whilst the works progress.

• Pre Tender Documentation

The preparation of a specification and tender documentation is an essential stage to ensure; that the work is done at competitive prices, that insofar as possible disputes are avoided, and that if disputes arise there are fair mechanisms for dealing with them without the need for disruption of the works. For example it is in this documentation that the quality of the work is defined. It is now that we will discuss alternative procurement routes and contracts with you and explain the risks and benefits of each. The choice of contract terms is yours, but we will advise you which contract is most suited to your requirements.

• Tendering the Works

The drawings and specification are sent to builders asking them to price the works in competition with others. The choice of which builders are invited to tender is yours, however we can help in the selection of likely candidates if you wish. We are happy to introduce you to builders who we have worked with successfully in the past, but we do point out that we do not "recommend" builders to our clients.

Once the tender documents are returned we will analyse them and report back to you. As the whole point of the exercise is to obtain the best price for the work you will normally want to engage the most competitive builder. However, our analyses may highlight issues that cause us to recommend one of the other builders. If this is the case we will explain our reasons to you. In any event the choice of builder is entirely yours.

• Supervising the Works

Really this is a misnomer, surveyors and architects do not actually supervise the building works, that is what you are paying the building company to do. More properly what we do is administer the contract. That means that we visit periodically to check the progress and quality of the works to ensure that the builder is doing what he agreed to do in the contract. If he isn't we will instruct him to do so.

Administering the contract involves us wearing two hats. Firstly we are your professional eyes and ears, looking to ensure that you get what you want, when you want it. It may involve issuing instructions to the builder to make changes that you require. There are other matters in which we are required by law to act fairly and impartially. For example we will value the works as they progress and certify payments that you must make to the builder. There are however benefits to you in this impartiality. Many reputable builders having experienced working for difficult residential clients simply won't do work for residential clients unless an architect or surveyor is to supervise the work. Conversely there are few cowboy builders who would be interested in being supervised by a professional, because poor work will be legitimately rejected and not paid for.

• Completion and Inherent Defects

When we think the works are, for all practical purposes, complete we will issue a certificate to say so. However, it is the nature of building works that some inherent problems may take a little while to materialise. For example plaster may shrink during the first few months and cracks appear even if the works were done properly. For this reason most contract define a defects liability period during which some of the builders money is retained by the client and during which such defects may be remedied by the builder. In practice this normally means that for 6 months after the work you retain some money. Near the end of that time we will talk to you and inspect the works for any final matters that need to be dealt with. We then instruct the contractor to deal with them and authorise his final payment once he has done so.

...It isn't compulsory for the client to lay on champagne at practical completion, but we never object to a glass or two to celebrate another successful project.