Project Management Consultancy

Project Management Consultancy

What is Construction Project Management?

In a sentence we define project management as the specifying and monitoring of construction work and everything else needed to make a project run from start to finish.

A project manager takes the stress away from a client.  The client will get the expected level of finish and someone with expert knowledge protecting their position at every stage. Not to mention that a chartered building surveyor carries professional indemnity insurance for design and consultancy services. This ensures that you are fully covered.

Why use A J Hodge Associates?

Construction project management is a key area of expertise at A J Hodge Associates. We undertake new build, extension, repair and refurbishment on residential, commercial and industrial properties.

Our directors have managed residential works costing less than £10,000 as well as work costing in excess of £500,000 on 200,000 sq ft industrial units. We have experience of them all. To us the size doesn’t matter. Providing the best possible advice and service does!

You are guaranteed that your project will be undertaken by a director who has encountered and overcome most of the problems and technicalities that you are ever likely to come across. This means that you will save considerable time, stress and most importantly money by getting things done right first time, every time. Our experience helps us anticipate contractor’s extras and prepare our specifications to try and avoid them. We also deal with stage payments to ensure that you only pay what is justified.

In effect, we’ve seen it and done it all. We don’t believe that you’ll find greater expertise or knowledge from any other organisation and testimonials reinforce that view. Give us a call for a free consultation.

Download: RICS Extending your Home Consumer Guide

Do I Need a Surveyor?

For a small repair it might not be beneficial but for anything more substantial it could save you a vast sum of money. Would you trust a builder, however well regarded, to police their own work for quality and cost, particularly if there’s no contract? Are you sure that extras are valid and reasonably priced? Have they considered all legislation and more importantly do they understand it? A one stop design and build solution might get promoted by the builder but an experienced project manager would monitor all these aspects and act in your best interests not the builder’s! Ultimately we know that we’ll save you money for a fee that would be wrapped up in the contractor’s quote and outsourced anyway.

We have extensive knowledge of building contracts, planning, building regulations and The Party Wall act 1996. You need not appoint separate companies. We can do it all and what’s more, we guarantee that the same chartered building surveyor will be your sole point of contact. This creates a rapport and more importantly trust with no opportunity for excuses!

We understand how buildings go together and consequently how they deteriorate. We consider maintenance and life cycle costing because not only do you want to construct something that looks great but you want it to last!

House Survey

Services

  • Measured Surveys
  • Project Feasibility
  • Project Drawings
  • Specifications
  • Planning & Building Regulation Submissions
  • Principal Designer
  • Office Relocation and Fit-Out
  • Space Planning
  • Preparing Contract Documentation
  • Standard JCT Contracts
  • Design & Build Contracts
  • PPC 2000 Partnering Contracts
  • Party Wall Advice

What’s involved? – The Detail

At A J Hodge Associates we are highly experienced in managing construction, alteration and refurbishment works. Acting on behalf of clients commissioning construction projects, be they new build offices, industrial units, house extensions or loft conversions as well as full scale refurbishment of commercial and residential properties our Chartered Building Surveyors assemble and manage selected teams of consultants and contractors throughout the building process.  A detailed understanding of construction processes, sequencing of works and their possible impact on the outcome of a project are required in order to achieve the optimum result and careful co-ordination ensures successful completion of a project in accordance with pre-agreed cost, time and quality criteria.  The process includes consultation and discussion regarding the client’s project requirements, preparation of a detailed specification to go out to tender, planning and building control advice, party wall advice if necessary, monitoring of construction works on site and administering the contract aspects of the project if employed to do so and not undertaken by other representatives. These aspects are explained more fully below.

Through our experience we can add value from the outset; advising on design, preparing detailed technical specifications for pricing and managing the procurement process. Once the contract is in place we will monitor the works against the project plan and budgets, ensuring quality of work and deadlines are met.

A large proportion of clients who undertake construction work wish to employ a professional representative to provide a complete service administering the project on their behalf, using a specific expertise in the area, which the client may not possess.  The representative is usually appointed to administer a JCT Form of Building Contract between the client and contractor, specific to the works to be carried out, and in this regard, the representative is referred to under the Contract as the Contract Administrator.

The Contract Administrator’s main tasks can be summarised as follows:-

  • Inception – Assessing the client’s requirements including timescales and financial limits.
  • Feasibility – Determining the feasibility of the client’s requirements.  Advising on the need for Planning Permission or Building Control Approval.
  • Scheme Design – Developing a scheme design from the outline proposals and submitting Planning and Building Regulations Applications if necessary. Once the client has approved the design, a full technical specification detailing each item of work is produced.
  • Product Information and Bills of Quantities – Preparing information including drawings, schedules and specification in sufficient detail to enable a contractor to prepare a tender.
  • Tender Action – Inviting tenders from approved contractors; appraising and advising on tenders submitted.  Alternatively, arranging for a price to be negotiated with a contractor. Where time allows, we recommend competitive tendering to ensure the best value for money is obtained. However, where time constraints preclude the tender process, we can negotiate direct with contractors, ensuring that costs agreed reflect market prices. When a price has been agreed, we produce formal contract documentation for signature by both parties and the physical work on site begins.
  • Project Planning – Advising the client on the appointment of a contractor.  Where required, preparing the Building Contract and arranging for it to be signed by the client and the contractor. Our project managers are expert in programming the works around the continued occupation of the client. We recognise that our clients are busy running their lives and businesses. The aim of our project managers is therefore to ensure that the work is completed with the minimum of fuss and disturbance and with as little inconvenience to our client as possible.
  • Operations on Site – Administering the terms of the Building Contract during operations on site.  Visiting the site periodically to view the works. Our project managers will be involved in the project from inception, allowing smooth progression of the works when the contractor starts on site. One of the most important roles of the project manager is to maintain the highest possible workmanship standards during the works. To this end, our project managers, who are experienced Chartered Building Surveyors, monitor the works to ensure that all snags are rectified prior to Practical Completion. At all stages of the works, rigorous cost control is maintained by our project managers so that the cost of the works does not exceed the agreed contract value. Regular cost progress reports are produced and invoices from the contractor are valued and certified by us prior to being submitted to the client for payment. Employing professional services in this area is especially valuable in relation to unexpected or additional works; ensuring that contingencies are planned and that any additional works are secured at a competitive rate.
  • Completion – Administering the terms of the Building Contract relating to the completion of the works.

The success of any project will depend upon how well the works are managed and controlled. A J Hodge Associates have an unrivalled track record of bringing projects in, on time and on budget. The appointment of a good project manager / contract administrator will undoubtedly pay dividends.

A J Hodge Associates have extensive experience in administering most suites of building contract. As well as the standard forms of JCT contract we are adept at fulfilling the Employer’s Agent role in both new build and fit out works under the JCT Design and Build Contract 2011. We also have experience in acting as Client Representative under the PPC 2000 Partnering Agreement.