Some building owners are of the opinion that once they have obtained their Planning Permission and Building Regulation Approvals and they have their builder lined up to start, that the appointment of a building surveyor, or other construction professional, is unnecessary. In the case of small projects where the builder's capability is known and where the employer has some knowledge of building construction, this opinion may well be justified. However, for the majority of owners who have neither the knowledge nor the time to monitor the performance of their contractor, it would be prudent for them to employ an experienced Contract Administrator.

When Orpwood Associates act as Contract Administrators we:

• Check that the contract drawings, specification, and sub-contractors and supplier's quotations are sufficiently detailed and appropriate for the proposed works.
• Obtain prices for the work from the clients or our own approved list of contractors, either by competitive tender or by negotiation.
• Advise on the appropriate form of building contract to be used and the extent and nature of insurance cover to be provided.
• Monitor the work in progress to ensure that the work is being carried out using the correct materials and to the appropriate standard or workmanship, that adequate progress is being made and to answer the contractor's queries and requests for further information.
• The provision of cost control including the agreement and certification of interim payments, the vetting and agreement of extras and claims.
• To providing and issuing all certificates and other notices required under the contract, including payment certificates, and partial and practical completion certificates.
• To negotiating and agreeing the contractor's final account.
• To inspecting the work at the end of the defects liability period and issuing any necessary instructions.

The benefit to our clients in employing Orpwood Associates as Contract Administrator (particularly when combined with our architectural and design services) is that they save both time and money by having their involvement for the running of the project reduced to a minimum and can be confident that our involvement will ensure that the finished project meets their expectations and their budget.