How a Quantity Surveyor keeps your contracts watertight
Contracts are full of clauses, sub-clauses, amendments with references to annexes and the standard form.
Emma Railton-Hoad at Hawk Surveying gives her top 5 tips for reading and understanding your contract thoroughly before signing on the dotted line.
What’s included?
You want to get what you’ve paid for – and not get a shock bill later on in the project.
- Be thorough and check that everything is included.
- Check the exclusions within tender returns
- Ask what’s not included
Comparison
Compare quotes from different suppliers/subcontractors, ensuring they are like-for-like
- Review program, materials, resources and labour provisions
- Does it offer value for money?
A quote might appear cheaper in comparison but is it fit for purpose?
Checking
Does your contract reflect the standards you expect – in terms of quality, safety, output and design information?
Does your contract reflect each party’s responsibilities accurately?
Fine detail
Reading a contract can take time but it’s something that should never be rushed or worse, avoided altogether.
Find time to read it properly and understand what it’s saying with reference to the standard unamended form of contract.
Once you’ve signed, it’s often too late to raise anything that you agreed to.
Legal
Understanding the legalities of a contract can seem daunting with unfamiliar language
If you don’t understand or partially understand, ask for professional help.
The cost of professional advice upfront is often significantly less than the cost of any problems that become your responsibility after the contract is signed.
Ask us about our contract review service – for help in drawing up, checking, and understanding your contracts.
hawksurveying.co.uk