Construction Phase Support
Pre-construction services
Construction phase
Post construction
Pre-Construction Services
- Feasibility studies
- Viability reports
- Environmental risk assessments
- Environmental protection & conservation planning
- Conservation reports
- Bills of quantities
- Through life costings
- Schedules of work
- Scopes of work
- Specifications
- Contract drafting
Project Conception
We can add valve to any construction project, particularly if we are engaged early in the design phase. With a long a very varied experience we are able to prepare detailed site analysis and conservation surveys, together with viability and feasibility studies of the intended scheme. We can help determine if the scheme will actually work, and provide advice how best to fit the scheme into the existing environment.
Environmental & Conservation Consultancy
We are involved in a number of community projects to promote and safeguard habitats for endangered animals. Pressure is on developers and local authorities to address the housing shortage by building into the countryside on what was previously greenbelt. Often this is unpopular with the local community. We work as a buffer between the community and the developers. We carry out surveys of wildlife and habitats, and help develop a planning strategy that not only preserves and safeguards wildlife, but actively promotes it.
We help establish local support groups, give presentations to stakeholders and local schools, and help ensure that the scheme fits in with the local community. Once an outline scheme is developed, we can provide an Environmental Impact Assessments and develop an Environmental Protection & Conservation Plan to incorporate into the design as the scheme evolves.
Adding value to design
Once the scheme is near design completion we are able to prepare a through life costing, considering the real cost of not just establishing the scheme, but running and maintaining it, from cradle to grave. A through life costing acts as an excellent tool to challenge final design options and consider more long term solutions. We understand that we are not just building a scheme, but a reputation. A scheme that fails prematurely can ruin a developers reputation, whereas an ingenious design which surpasses the users expectation, builds a reputation and leads to increased profits.
Contract Drafting
We have years of experience in drafting both Standard form and bespoke commercial contracts. Whether it's a JCT or FIDIC Standard form, or a CIOB small works contract, we can draft a comprehensive contract for you ensuring that what you want is accurately recorded. In addition we can draft custom contracts for any purpose, enabling parties to contract in plain English in clear and concise terms which help to avoid contractual uncertainties.
Bids and Tenders
We can assist you in preparing a contract bid or Tender return, or simply look over and give a sanity check to something you have already prepared. For Employers and Main Contractors, we can prepare tender packages, specifications and schedules of work, and manage the appointment of sub contractors and a supply chain. We also offer a comprehensive commercial service where we can act as the Contract Administrator, Employers Agent, or Project Counsel and manage the valuations and variations submitted by subcontractors.
For subcontractors, we can assist you in pricing a project, help in the measurement and submission of valuations and variations (we are chartered quantity surveyors after all) and smooth the way to ensure that payments are on time, complete, and that the release of retention is a painless experience.
We are able to prepare all of the contract documents to enable a Tender to be prepared, evaluated and awarded. From the careful selection of tenderers and subcontractors through Pre-Qualification Questionnaires, to developing work packages, Bills of Quantities, Schedules of Work, Specifications and Employer Requirements documents, to the analysis of the tender returns, value engineering and contract award. We offer a comprehensive, complete and fully packaged tender system
Construction Phase
- Employers agent
- Contract management
- Contract administration
- Commercial management
- Contractors variations
- Contract valuations
- Measurement & quantum assessment
- Quantity surveying
- Planning & programming
- Delay & disruption
Contract and commercial management
With an impressive pedigree of work experience on some of the most challenging and technically complex projects, we can offer a best of class service. Our lawyers can plan and supervise your project, record and monitor progress and prepare detailed programmes of work ensuring projects are closely watched and controlled. We understand the necessity of a trustworthy supply chain, and we can help you prepare tenders and bids and sub-contract packages to deliver projects on time and to budget. We have a comprehensive library of project management resources, standard documents and formats and detailed work instructions which can be tailored to your individual need.
We are dual qualified construction lawyers, and offer commercial management and quantity surveying services to Employer developers and contractors. We can provide take offs, bills of quantities, material schedules and detailed schedules of work. We can, in addition, offer the preparation of monthly valuations for submission to the main contractor, or assessment and valuation of those being submitted by sub-contractors. We work to all Standard Methods of Measurement, and for Building and Civil Engineering work or Mechanical and Electrical work. We have experience of managing some difficult and complex projects, and this includes reconstruction works following an insured loss. We liaise with all the relevant authorities and also manage the compliance of works to Building Regulation and code.
Post Construction
- Historic building conservation schemes
- Public information and interaction management
- Building insurance remediation schemes
- MOD (special services)
- Environmental Impact Assessments
- Negotiation and settlement agreements
- Adjudication
- Arbitration
- Litigation
- Mediation
Special services
Our firm specialise in providing unusual services to our clients, and we are no ordinary law firm. We offer a range of specialist services to the Ministry of Defence and their contractors and we have over thirty years experience of working on defence projects, from the last days of the PSA, through the introduction of the Defence Housing Executive, into Part One projects and Multi-activity and Integrated Service Provider contracts. We understand all things MoD, from armament stores to schools, from tunnels to towers, docks to airfields.
Amongst our catalogue of special services we offer Public information and interaction management. If a development is gaining negative press, we help turn that around by developing a programme of community liaison. We manage the relationship between developer and the public, and find ways to highlight the more positive outcomes of the planned development.
We have experience of working with historical buildings and ancient monuments, with an emphasis on fortifications and historic walls. We have drafted construction documents and managed schemes for the restoration of alms houses, churches and religious buildings.