Creation through
construction
The benefits
of a managed build
The construction phase is when the design becomes reality. It can be an exciting time, but also daunting and stressful for homeowners at times too. Mainly because getting the construction built well is critical for the outcome of your project and the future enjoyment of your home.
A successful construction project will largely be determined by two key elements: the building contractor chosen and the construction project management.
During this phase we offer a range of services to suit you and your project. We can introduce trusted builders for you to consider, help you with the tendering process and onsite monitoring, or provide full construction project management services and support.
Every construction project is different in size and complexity, with varying budgets and time constraints, and we will support you with whatever you decide is best for you. Usually the larger and more complex projects require more support and management from us. Whatever the vision, we have the construction planning, management experience and contacts to help you get your home built.
The benefits of Philip Wadge Architecture project managing your house build or extension project with a project management plan are:
1. You will have peace of mind that the project avoids excessive overruns, which cost time and money
2. Special, bespoke design features will be built as intended and to a high standard
3. We have project management flexibility to ensure any changes can be incorporated as needed
4. Importantly, it will be less stressful for you and more rewarding.
Choosing the
best builder for the job
We know how important it is to get the right builder for your project. A great building contractor will have a faithful team of specialist subcontractors, and will stick to the construction details, design process, specification, budget and timescale of the project. They will also provide an excellent build, have great communication and aim to see that the whole project goes without a hitch.
It's also important to choose a building contractor you feel you can trust and engage with. The local family-sized building contractors that we work with also rely on work gained by recommendation, so they will commit to you and your project in a much more personal way. Luckily, these are just the kind of builders we have excellent working relationships and building experience with.
When the builders and designers are an integrated project management team, dedicated to the best possible outcome, delivered in the best possible way, you will look back on the experience with the knowledge that you made the right choices.
Frequently asked
questions
It may be possible to obtain an estimated quote from planning level plans, we can organise this prior to your planning application to keep a check on the estimated budget. But accurate quotes from builders will only come once Building Regulations plans have been produced. Building quotes are usually the preferred method for smaller local building contractors. More formal and detailed tendering tends to be for larger projects where medium/larger contracting firms will produce quotes in a broken-down and standardised format, a process which would need to be managed by ourselves.
Of course, there are many good building contractors out there – we don’t know all of them yet! And will be very pleased to work with new ones. We would recommend that you check references from both recent and similar projects. We can still recommend you builders for comparison – ultimately it's your choice of whom you feel most comfortable working on your future home.
Yes of course, larger projects will benefit from us administering your building contract, especially if you will not be living at the property at the time. This can save you time and stress, but you will still be involved in decisions during the process, but we will be your principal contact, rather than the builder.
We can provide a flexible approach to supporting you during construction. Depending on you and your project's needs, we can arrange to be on call only if required. Provide regular supporting visits, which will also report on the progress. Or we can fully administer the building contract for you. Either way, we will be there to support you in whatever capacity you want us to be involved.
This will largely depend on the work you are having done to your home. On smaller projects, local builders working directly with you will be accustomed to working around homeowners who would prefer not to move out. Often aiding the creation of temporary kitchens etc. providing plywood separating walls or dust screens to separate off areas being worked. Often addition only extensions have the least impact requiring only a knock-through nearer the end of the works.
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