Project Management
Someone holding the programme, the budget and the contractor to account — so that what was drawn is what gets built.
phases
Getting it priceable
Drawings and specification finished to the point where a contractor can quote without filling the gaps with assumptions. Overruns are mostly written into a loose specification long before anyone sets foot on site.
Tender and appointment
Two or three builders quote against identical documents, so you're comparing prices rather than three different interpretations of your kitchen. We read the returns together, I point out what's been left out of each, and the programme is agreed before the first day of work.
While the work runs
Site meetings at a set rhythm, questions answered quickly enough that nobody downs tools waiting, changes priced before they're authorised rather than discovered afterwards, and a running budget you can look at whenever you want. Deliveries timed to arrive when there's somewhere to put them.
Snagging and handing over
A written snagging list, chased line by line until every one is closed. Then the final styling, and a folder holding paint codes, guarantees, care notes and supplier contacts — so whoever next touches the house knows what they're looking at.
to work
On Call
You or your builder run the job; I stay available. Drawings and queries answered, a site check every fortnight, decisions made before they hold anybody up.
Procurement
Every order placed and tracked, with deliveries, storage, damages and replacements handled. The part clients most reliably underestimate, and most gladly hand over.
Full Management
All four phases, tender through handover. One person holding the programme, the budget and the contractor to account, so that what was drawn is what gets built.
enquire
Questions worth asking
Which of the three should I choose?
If you have a capable builder and mainly need questions answered, On Call is enough. If the ordering is what's keeping you awake, take Procurement. Full Management is for projects where the programme, the trades and the budget all need one person holding them.
Do you employ the contractor?
No. You contract with the builder directly; I manage them on your behalf. It keeps the lines clean and it's the arrangement your contract should reflect.
Can I add this partway through a build?
Usually yes, though the later it starts the less of the budget it can protect. The most valuable moment to bring someone in is before the work is priced, not after.
Is there VAT on top?
No. The studio isn't VAT registered, so the figure quoted is the figure you pay.
What does the percentage apply to?
Procurement is a percentage of the goods value. Full Management is a percentage of construction and goods together. Both are agreed in writing against a stated budget before anything starts.
Bring me in before it's priced. That's where the money is saved.
Tell me the scope, the rough budget and when you'd like to start, and I'll tell you which level of management the job actually needs.