1 / PLANNING AND CONSIDERATION

Chapter 1

planning and
consideration
Benefits of self management
Self management, when done properly, has a number of benefits that this book aims to
cover in detail. Firstly, taking the time to read and research specific information is essen-
tial. It is sometimes tempting to scan through some sections you feel confident in, and
just read the sections in which you may not be so strong. In order to self manage, you
need to understand the dynamics of the construction industry and where you can lose a
great deal of time and money if your management skills are weak. Taking the time to
read all sections in detail may help you to avoid disaster.
The areas that need to be fully understood in order for you to benefit from self
management are:

preparing your files and methods of communication

providing accurate and detailed information
maintaining clear and concise documentation and correspondence
understanding the professionals
being aware of realistic timescales
knowing how, and being prepared, to negotiate
preparing and insisting on legal documentation
understanding environmental issues
agreeing on payment procedures
setting and agreeing standards
working to a programme and issuing programmes

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2 / THE NITTY-GRITTY

2 / THE NITTY-GRITTY
value-of-project basis, or on a fixed-cost basis, which the building control department However, it is always worth remembering that every aspect of the work and initial costs
should be able to quote you. This is worth considering as the value of the project may are worth discussing, in order to negotiate a better deal. This includes professional fees
increase for reasons unrelated to building control inspections or work related to them. for people that you employ, but will not include fees that are payable to local authori-
ties. These are set figures that apply to everybody, although, as previously stated, the
How much are my drawings/professional fees, and so on, likely to cost? building control department may quote you a fixed cost based on the work that they
Whatever type of project you are undertaking, the preparation of drawings and other envisage carrying out.
associated professional costs will vary in relation to the size and type of the project. It
would be reasonable to expect these costs to be in the region of 5.5 to 15 per cent of the
overall building cost, depending on whether your project is a new build or on an exist- Plan your finances
ing building. However, they will normally run on a sliding scale and the higher-value
projects may bring these percentages down. It would be reasonable to expect that anyone considering undertaking a building proj-
Samples of professional fees on an existing building can be seen in the table below. ect of any nature will have thought about the financial implications: how the project will
be financed, how much finance is available and what the expected value of the project
will be. It is important that these costs are broken down from the start into approximate
SAMPLE PROFESSIONAL FEES COST PLAN FOR EXISTING BUILDING
(ball park) figures, in order that they can then be refined more accurately as estimates
Percentages of Fees (approx.)
or fixed quotes start to come in. If you are using individual contractors and supplying
Cost of project 8% 8.5% 9% 10% 11.5% 12.5% 15%
the materials yourself, this will be a very useful tool. If you are using a builder for most
1 Up to 30k
of the project, they will have included most of the building costs for labour and material
2 30k100k
3 100k250k in their quote, which may include some estimated costs.
4 250k500k You should ask for the estimate/quote to be broken down into separate elements, as
5 500k1m it may give you the opportunity to make savings or get reductions. All builders formulate
6 1m1.5m their quotes in different ways and by asking them for a breakdown you will find out if
7 1.5m2.0m
8 Over 2.0m Usually by agreement
SAMPLE PROJECT COST PLAN
Samples of professional fees on a new build project can be seen in the table below. Description Prof. L.A. Utility Mat. Labour VAT Total
1 Plans (Architect/Engineer) 7,000.00 1,225.00 8,225.00
2 Gas, Electric, Water, BT 1,100.00 192.50 1,292.50
SAMPLE PROFESSIONAL FEES PLAN FOR A NEW BUILD 3 LA fees 500.00 87.50 587.50
Percentages of Fees (approx.) 4 Prelims & set-up 8,000.00 1,000.00 1,400.00 10,400.00
Cost of project 5.5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 5 Site strip 3,000.00 1,200.00 525.00 4,725.00
1 Up to 10k 6 Foundation to DPC 2,500.00 1,800.00 437.50 4,737.50
2 10k30k 7 Brick/block to roof 12,000.00 6,000.00 2,100.00 20,100.00
3 30k60k 8 Roof & windows 14,000.00 4,000.00 2,450.00 20,450.00
4 60k200k 9 Mechanical & electrical 4,000.00 4,000.00 700.00 8,700.00
5 200k1m 10 Plastering 1,500.00 3,000.00 262.50 4,762.50
6 Over 1m 11 Carpentry & fitted elements 3,500.00 3,500.00 612.50 7,612.50
12 Bathrooms 2,500.00 700.00 437.50 3,637.50
13 Kitchen 5,000.00 1,500.00 875.00 7,375.00
There are ways in which you can cut down on how much your project will actually cost: 14 Decorating & wall tiling 1,600.00 2,000.00 280.00 3,880.00
the largest cost saving that you can make is on materials that you provide and work you 15 Floor finishes 4,000.00 1,500.00 700.00 6,200.00
can do yourself. This will entail a great deal of planning on your part; you will need to 16 External works 3,000.00 2,000.00 525.00 5,525.00
take a detailed list of the materials required from the drawings and then shop around 17 Contingency 5,000.00 3,000.00 875.00 8,875.00
Totals 7,000.00 500.00 1,100.00 69,600.00 35,200.00 13,685.00 127,085.00
for the best quotes. This is where your negotiating skills will need to be exercised.
62 63

6 / KEEPING COSTS DOWN AND STAYING SAFE
Long floor joists, shown here, would be unusable if not stored appropriately
prior to use, and should be temporarily braced during the construction phase
which it was intended. It may be delivered to site in different states depending on
whether it has been treated with preservatives. If the timber has recently been dipped or
impregnated with preservative, it may be saturated. This can make the timber very
heavy, and it may be subject to movement as it dries out. Weather conditions can
severely affect timber. If it is left in the sun, it can dry out too quickly. In extreme
sunlight it can warp severely, causing large cracks, and this can also affect its structural
integrity. Where possible, timber should be kept out of direct sunlight and covered. It is
advisable to lay the timber on bearers on level ground, with bearers or strips of wood
between each layer. This will allow it to dry out sufficiently before use.
Lengths of timber for drying out
Bearers
Level
ground
Method of drying out timber
210
Timber prepared
6 / KEEPING COSTS DOWN AND STAYING SAFE
As with sawn timber, prepared (planed) timber will twist and warp if it is not protected
and properly stacked. Prepared timber (such as skirting and architrave) is usually thin-
ner than sawn timber (for such as joists and studwork), and can lose its shape more
quickly when exposed to even slight temperature changes. Prepared timber for internal
use should be stored inside a well-ventilated area as close to room temperature as possi-
ble. In order to minimise warping or twisting, it should be fixed into position as soon
as practical.
Roof tiles
As with bricks, roof tiles need to be treated carefully when being moved in order to
avoid damage. Your supplier should advise you on any particular methods of stacking
or storage.
Plasterboard
Plasterboard is very susceptible to moisture absorption and can become unusable if not
stacked properly. Plasterboard needs to be stood on its edge against a solid wall at a safe
angle that will not allow it to fall, but not so much that it will bow. Timber uprights (or
a sheet of board material the same size as the plasterboard) can be used to stop the plas-
terboard from bowing. Unless plasterboard is kept inside at room temperature it will
need to be covered to keep out moisture.
Supports to stop bowing x 3
Solid wall
Plasterboard
Bearers x 3
Method of stacking plasterboard
Plaster
As with cement, plaster has a manufacture date stamp on the bag and has a limited shelf
life. Plaster is much more susceptible to moisture absorption than cement and the bags
do not have a plastic layer to keep out low levels of moisture. The shelf life of the plas-
ter will be dependent on the conditions in which it is kept. If you will be ordering large
quantities, it could be worth checking with the supplier as to approximate shelf life of
the particular product that you intend to use. It is advisable that, wherever possible,
plaster is kept in very dry conditions and that not too much at a time is ordered if the
weather is wet.
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