Two Tips for a Successful Construction Project

Posted on: 15 May 2017

Share

Carrying out a major construction project requires a substantial investment of time and money. Given this, it's crucial to do everything you can to ensure your endeavour is successful. Here are two things you can do to make sure your project goes off without a hitch.

Take steps to avoid overspending

Going over budget could wreak havoc on your construction project, particularly if you don't have the means to cover the additional, unexpected costs. It can result in lengthy delays and make the entire process extremely complicated and stressful. As such, it's essential to take steps to prevent this issue from occurring.

One of the main causes of overspending is getting inaccurate quotes from contractors. They may accidentally omit some expenses (for example, they might forget to account for the cost of obtaining certain building permits) or might underestimate the number of labourers that they will need to hire to carry out the work. To avoid this situation, you should request an extremely detailed breakdown of the quote they provide, which lists all of the expenses and labour costs. Read through this information carefully; this should help you to spot and rectify any inaccuracies before the project begins.

Poor supervision of the project can also lead to overspending. Labourers who are not closely monitored are more likely to mistakes which you will then need to pay to have fixed. A lack of supervision could also result in the project falling behind schedule, as subcontractors may become lax in regards to meeting deadlines if there is no-one around to oversee their work. Delays of this kind will increase your labour costs.

This is why it's vital to visit the site on a regular basis (ideally, every day) and request updates. Your building contractor and consulting engineer should also be present on the site; this will go a long way towards ensuring that the work gets carried out correctly and within the given timeframe.

Hire an experienced, reputable consulting engineer

One of the main factors that will determine whether or not your construction project will be a success is the skill level of the consulting engineer you hire.

Consulting engineers have several extremely important responsibilities, including, but not limited to, liaising with the local authorities and the architects, drawing up the plans for the project, creating the project schedule, overseeing the subcontractors' work, and making sure that the construction work itself is done to a high standard and is compliant with the relevant regulatory requirements.

If you hire an inexperienced individual and their lack of knowledge leads to them making a mistake, it could result in delays, increased costs and even legal issues. As such, it is important to do as much research as possible before you decide who to hire; in addition to arranging interviews with your potential candidates, make sure to thoroughly examine their portfolios and check their references before making your selection.