We involved a construction supervisor/inspector quite early on, and that turned out to be a good decision.
He negotiated several points before the building contract was signed that we would never have thought of ourselves.
He reviewed all the documents (planning documents, building contract, etc.) promptly and would have compared the planning documents from different companies for us if we had wanted. Over time, a layperson can start to understand the differences between various planning documents, but it’s not possible to quantify these differences or accurately compare the figures in the bottom right corner.
On the construction site, as a layperson, you have no arguments, so you need expert knowledge who can also refer to standards when negotiating with the professionals. Any respectable general contractor/managing contractor recognizes this. The only risk I see is that the site manager might visit less often, assuming "the owner’s construction supervisor will handle it."
He negotiated several points before the building contract was signed that we would never have thought of ourselves.
He reviewed all the documents (planning documents, building contract, etc.) promptly and would have compared the planning documents from different companies for us if we had wanted. Over time, a layperson can start to understand the differences between various planning documents, but it’s not possible to quantify these differences or accurately compare the figures in the bottom right corner.
On the construction site, as a layperson, you have no arguments, so you need expert knowledge who can also refer to standards when negotiating with the professionals. Any respectable general contractor/managing contractor recognizes this. The only risk I see is that the site manager might visit less often, assuming "the owner’s construction supervisor will handle it."
I hope you have drawn the right conclusion. The most important point was mentioned by Häuslebauer40 in the postscript in brackets.
In my opinion: The sooner errors are detected, the easier they are to fix, and this can be done independently of any courts. If further work is based on the error, it either becomes irreparable or so expensive for the building owner to fix that you will only be able to resolve it through a lengthy and costly court process.
The money we pay for our expert was likely partially recovered during contract negotiations.
Häuslebauer40 schrieb:
or the building owner can follow this (if they are reasonable and the expert is not a half-wit, they will do so), but they don’t have to.
In my opinion: The sooner errors are detected, the easier they are to fix, and this can be done independently of any courts. If further work is based on the error, it either becomes irreparable or so expensive for the building owner to fix that you will only be able to resolve it through a lengthy and costly court process.
The money we pay for our expert was likely partially recovered during contract negotiations.
In a previous post, it was mentioned that involving an expert before signing the contract was helpful. I can only emphasize this point: a well-drafted and clearly worded contract with as detailed a description of the construction services as possible saves a lot of trouble during execution. The investment in a knowledgeable consultant before signing the contract pays off.
In practice, construction companies are not immediately "enthusiastic" when clients involve external construction supervision. However, when it becomes clear that this supervision acts reasonably and also prevents damage for the builder by identifying defects early, a more relaxed working environment and good results can be achieved.
If a construction company has major reservations against external construction supervision, this should raise concerns — it can also be helpful to avoid such companies.
In practice, construction companies are not immediately "enthusiastic" when clients involve external construction supervision. However, when it becomes clear that this supervision acts reasonably and also prevents damage for the builder by identifying defects early, a more relaxed working environment and good results can be achieved.
If a construction company has major reservations against external construction supervision, this should raise concerns — it can also be helpful to avoid such companies.
B
Bauexperte21 Sep 2012 15:27Hello,
Kind regards
baucoach schrieb:I would put it even more directly: "... this should raise concerns – it is furthermore advisable to steer clear of that construction company."
If a construction company has very strong reservations about external construction supervision, this should raise concerns – it can also be a useful sign to avoid working with that company.
Kind regards
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