Contract Administration

Contract administration is the independent management of building contracts on your behalf. When you commission building work — a fit-out, refurbishment, repair project, or maintenance programme — we act as Contract Administrator under a formal building contract, managing the relationship between you (the employer) and the contractor.

This isn’t project management in the general sense. It’s the specific, technical function of administering the contract: issuing instructions, valuing work, certifying payments, managing variations, and handling completion and defects. It’s the role that ensures the contractual machinery works properly and that you’re protected throughout. If you’ve got works coming up, bring us in before they start — oversight set up early is worth far more than a dispute untangled late.

When you engage a contractor directly without independent oversight, you’re trusting them to:

• Value their own work accurately
• Tell you when they’re entitled to more money (and when they’re not)
• Deliver to specification without anyone checking
• Deal fairly with problems that arise

Some contractors do all these things impeccably. Many don’t. And even with honest contractors, without independent oversight you lack evidence when disputes arise.

Independent contract administration changes the dynamic:

• Works are properly specified - We specify the required works, ensuring compliance with current construction regulations
• Payments are certified — You pay for work that’s actually completed, not just claimed
• Variations are controlled — Changes are priced and agreed before they’re done
• Quality is monitored — Someone is checking the work meets specification
• Disputes are managed — Problems are addressed through proper contractual mechanisms
• You have evidence — Site records, instructions, valuations — documented throughout

We administer building contracts across a wide range of project types:

| Work Type | Examples | | --- | --- | | Fit-outs | Office fit-outs, retail installations, Cat A and Cat B works | | Refurbishments | Building upgrades, modernisation, change of use | | Remedial works | Defect repairs, damp treatment, structural remediation | | Dilapidations works | Works to meet lease-end obligations | | Planned maintenance | Cyclical decorations, component replacements | | Roofing works | Roof repairs, replacement, upgrades | | External works | Façade repairs, external decorations, drainage, hard landscaping |

The scale doesn’t matter. Contract administration applies to £20,000 repair projects as much as £5 million refurbishments.

Property owners commissioning works

If you’re having building work done on property you own, independent administration protects your interests.

Landlords carrying out repairs or improvements

Whether you’re meeting repairing obligations or enhancing your asset, proper contract administration ensures works are delivered correctly.

Tenants fitting out premises

Fit-out projects need the same rigour as any other building work. Administration protects against cost overruns and quality failures.

Anyone with remedial work arising from other services

If we’ve identified defects through building pathology, prepared a dilapidations response requiring works, identified works required to meet MEES regulations through one of our trusted partners or recommended maintenance — we can manage the delivery of those works.

Pre-contract

• Advise on appropriate contract form (JCT Minor Works, Intermediate, Standard Building Contract, etc.)
• Review and comment on contract documents
• Assist with tender process and contractor selection
• Advise on contract terms and amendments

During the works

• Issue formal contract instructions
• Conduct site inspections and monitor progress
• Assess applications for payment
• Issue payment certificates
• Value and manage variations
• Address quality issues
• Maintain project records
• Chair site meetings

At completion

• Certify practical completion
• Manage snagging and defects
• Oversee defects liability period
• Agree final account
• Certify making good of defects
• Release retentions

We’re not the contractor. We’re not the employer. We have no interest in the contractor getting paid more, the programme being extended, or variations being approved. Our interest is ensuring you get what you contracted for, at the price you agreed, to the quality you specified.

This independence is valuable. When the contractor says they’re entitled to more money, an independent administrator assesses that claim objectively. When work doesn’t meet specification, we address it without commercial pressure. Our obligation is to ensure that the terms of the contract are followed correctly.

Different projects suit different contract forms. We administer contracts under:

• JCT Minor Works — Smaller, simpler projects
• JCT Intermediate — Medium-sized projects with some complexity
• JCT Standard Building Contract — Larger or more complex projects
• JCT Design and Build — Where the contractor takes design responsibility
• Bespoke contracts — Where standard forms have been significantly amended

We can advise on which form suits your project and help you navigate the options.

If works arise from our investigations:

• Building Pathology & Defect Analysis — We can administer remedial works arising from defect investigations

For planned works:

• Planned Maintenance Schedules — We can administer works arising from your maintenance schedule

For tenant works:

• Dilapidations for Tenants — If you’re doing works to reduce your dilapidations liability, we can manage the process