Contracts Management — Construction Consultancy

Why it matters

A well-written contract is the cheapest protection you can put on your project.

Almost every dispute during construction comes back to what the contract did not say, or said badly. A vague variation clause. A payment trigger that means one thing to you and another to the contractor. A completion date without any real penalty. Once site work starts, you are negotiating from a weaker position, because the contract is the only leverage you have.

The cost of preparing a tight contract is small and paid once. The cost of a loose one shows up in every variation claim for the next 18 months.

What the contract must cover

Seven things your contract has to get right, before the first brick moves.

Each of these is a place a weak contract will cost you money later. We cover them explicitly, in writing, before the tender goes out.

A clear commencement date. Written procedures for when work officially starts, with the paperwork required at each stage. Nobody can later claim work started before the agreed date.

Variations priced by formula, not negotiation. Variation clauses that lock the pricing method at the outset. When extra work comes up during execution, the rate is already agreed.

Payment milestones with written triggers. Every milestone has a specific completion criterion. No room for arguments about whether the work qualifies for payment.

Termination grounds you can actually enforce. Suspension and termination clauses that hold up in practice, not just on paper. So if a contractor stops performing, you have a real option.

Named responsibilities for every party. The developer, consultants and every contractor have their roles written in. So no task is orphaned and no one can claim it was somebody else's job.

Completion date backed by liquidated damages. The deadline is paired with LD clauses and defect liability, not just a calendar promise.

Dispute resolution agreed up front. Arbitration procedure written into the contract itself, while everyone is still on good terms. So if a dispute does happen, you already know where it goes.

How we do it

Four steps from your drawings to a signed contract.

What changes from project to project is the level of customisation. A 1,00,000 sq ft retail build does not need the same contract as a 200-bed hospital, so we draft accordingly. We also work alongside your legal advisors when the contract involves unusual risk sharing or third-party agreements.

Bill of Quantities

Every line item quantified and priced before tenders go out. So contractors cannot hide margin in vague scope.

Tendering

The right contractors invited to bid, not just the loudest. Tender documents are structured so every bid can be compared on the same basis.

Contractor Selection

The winning bid has a documented reason. If anyone asks later why this contractor was chosen, the answer is on file.

Contract Awarding

The signed contract set is what your team refers to for the next 18 months whenever anything is disputed.

What you get from us

Three documents your team will use for the next 18 months.

Not documents that get filed and forgotten. Working references your project team pulls up every time something has to be decided or defended.

Your signed contract set

Vetted clause by clause, ready to govern execution from day one. When a contractor questions scope, you point to a page number.

Your tender comparative

Every bid received, laid out side by side, with a written rationale for who was chosen. If anyone challenges the selection later, the answer is already on record.

Your variation playbook

The reference your team uses every time a variation, payment certificate or dispute comes up during construction. No re-interpreting the contract under pressure.

Contracts Management.

A well-written contract is the cheapest protection you can put on your project.

Seven things your contract has to get right, before the first brick moves.

Four steps from your drawings to a signed contract.

Bill of Quantities

Tendering

Contractor Selection

Contract Awarding

Three documents your team will use for the next 18 months.

Your signed contract set

Your tender comparative

Your variation playbook

Where contracts work sits in the project lifecycle

Planning a project? Talk to us before you sign the contract.

A well-written contract is the cheapest protection you can put on your project.

Seven things your contract has to get right, before the first brick moves.

Four steps from your drawings to a signed contract.

Bill of Quantities

Tendering

Contractor Selection

Contract Awarding

Three documents your team will use for the next 18 months.

Your signed contract set

Your tender comparative

Your variation playbook

Where contracts work sits in the project lifecycle

Services that work alongside this one

Procurement Management

Cost Management

Planning a project? Talk to us before you sign the contract.