By S.

Krishna Chandrika
3801610009
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A BUILDING
CONTRACTOR

Ø In any construction project there are three main parties involved: the owner
or client, the management team, and the contractor.
Ø The building contractor plans and coordinates construction activities, and
must complete the project within the established time and budget.
Ø Contractors are responsible for the entire construction process, and must
determine the best methods to finish the project as specified.
General Responsibilities of a Building Contractor

Ø In general terms, a contractor is responsible for planning, leading, executing,

supervising and inspecting a building construction project.
Ø The responsibility extends from the beginning to the end of the project,
regardless of its scope.
Ø Contractors accomplish their duties by planning activities, supervising
workers, and ensuring the project follows local codes and laws.
Ø A contractor may hire subcontractors for specialized areas, such as electrical
installations and HVAC systems.
 Specific Roles and Duties of a Building
Contractor

Ø As mentioned before, a building contractor has multiple responsibilities, which may vary
depending on the contract.
Ø There are many roles a contractor can assume during different stages of a project, and this
section covers the most common ones.

Project Planning
Ø Every project has a master schedule that describes all activities, along with their time
distribution and planned budget.
Ø This schedule has a completion date that contractors must meet, and hefty penalties
normally apply for missing the deadline.
Ø A late completion can only be justified if the project was delayed by external factors beyond
the contractor’s control, such as extreme weather.
 Project Planning

The first duty of a building contractor is creating a project plan to deliver it on time. Some
responsibilities include:
Ø Planning all crucial project development and implementation details.
Ø Determining the material and equipment requirements, and planning their procurement.
Ø Predicting possible changes and creating risk mitigation strategies.
Ø Meeting any legal and regulatory issues.
Ø Establishing effective communication among all project participants.
The building contractor must establish a budget for the construction project, and follow it as
closely as possible. The budget is a useful tool to track project costs, since contractors can
detect waste by comparing their actual expenses with the planned budget.
 Project Management

The contractor needs to complete the project on time, and this involves many
construction management activities:
Ø Ensuring funds are available to keep the project moving
Ø Purchasing materials with enough anticipation for them to reach the site when
needed
Ø Purchasing or renting the construction equipment required for the project
Ø Interviewing and hiring subcontractors to complete specialized work
Ø Creating progress reports to justify intermediate payments
Building contractors are also responsible for their personnel, making sure their staff
has the right size and technical skills. Contractors also manage payroll for their own
employees, and subcontractor payments.
 Project Tracking

Project tracking is fundamental to complete the work according to contract specifications

and schedules. In addition to tracking progress, contractors must prevent disruption. This
involves several complementary activities:
Ø Quality control
Ø Using cost-effective construction methods
Ø Ensuring a constant supply of materials, and scheduling purchases well in advance
Ø Construction site safety
During the construction process, the building contractor is responsible for tracking
progress and managing any necessary changes. Of course, contractors must always have
the project scope, time and budget in mind when making decisions.
 Legal and Regulatory Issues

Ø Contractors have a handful of responsibilities in terms of legal and regulatory issues.

Ø They must acquire all the necessary permits and licenses before starting the project,
while covering any fees and taxes that apply. Also, the entire construction process
must follow local legislation and building codes.
Ø Being unaware of legal requirements is not a valid excuse in construction projects,
which means that contractors must have updated knowledge.
Ø With the right construction permits and contractor licenses, the project can progress
without disruption.
 Health and Safety Issues

Ø The contractor must guarantee health and safety in the construction site, by
implementing adequate procedures and raising awareness among workers.
Ø The contractor is also responsible for the proper operation of equipment and
preventing any accidents from misuse.
Ø The contractor deals with any emergencies and unforeseen issues at the project
site, and must report them to the client’s supervision staff.
 Conclusion

Ø Building contractors have many roles during the different stages of

construction, and each role comes with different responsibilities.
Ø Contractors should be capable of managing uncertainty and taking decisions
on a daily basis.
Ø The track record of a contractor is also very important, since those with
ample experience can respond better to common issues in projects.
 CONDITIONS OF ENGAGEMENT

FEE CONDITIONS:
1. Following a deposit of 10% of the fee, tax invoices shall be issued at
monthly intervals; or when the accumulatedtime accounts for $30,000 of work;
or at the completion of any stage of Architectural service.
2. The term for payment of tax invoices is strictly fourteen days.
3. Tax invoices for previous stages to be paid in full prior to work
commencing on subsequent stages of Architectural service.
4. Tax invoices provided by us will be issued as Payment Claims under
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 NSW. Non-
payment of the Payment Claims will be subject to the Act as appropriate
 5. Overdue payments shall be subject to interest calculated at 15% per annum. In
addition, all expenses, costs and disbursements incurred recovering any outstanding
monies, including debt collection agency fees, Security of Payment Act Adjudication
fees and solicitors’ costs will be charged to you. We reserve the right to withhold the
provision of services or documents without notice, at any time, while there are
outstanding monies. We reserve the right to suspend provision of Architectural services
if unpaid tax invoices reach a limit of $20,000 (excluding GST), for 10 business days.
Work will recommence when unpaid tax invoices are paid.
6. If you choose to contract through a registered Company, we will require an
indemnity form to be signed by allDirectors prior to the Architectural service
commencing
 DISBURSEMENTS:

The Client shall reimburse the Architect for expenses reasonably and properly incurred in connection with
services provided under this agreement. Such expenses shall include but shall not be limited to the
following:
 Fees paid by the Architect to statutory authorities having jurisdiction over the project.
 Advertisements and published notices authorised by you in connection with the project.
 The provision of more than six copies of any drawings or documents.
 The provision of all forms of building or other contracts.
 Photographic records authorised by you.
 Special services as requested by you, which may include artist coloured perspective drawings, walk-
throughmovies, models, maintenance manuals, and work-as-executed drawings.
 Freight and courier services.
CONSTRUCTION COST:
Ø The opinion of the probable construction cost of the project will be provided by others.
CONSULTANTS:
Ø Consultants are employed by you with us acting as your agent. Our responsibility to you in
respect of such consultants shall be limited to directing and integrating their services. The
services of Consultants are not included in the Architectural fee
CHANGES IN INSTRUCTION AND PROTRACTED SERVICES:
Ø If our work is increased due to changes in your instruction, or services are protracted due to
causes beyond control,then an additional fee shall be chargeable on a time basis, unless
otherwise agreed.
Ø We shall promptly notify you should any such additional fee become or appear likely to
become applicable.
COPYRIGHT:

 We hold copyright and property in drawings, specifications and other documents

provided by us, both in electronic and printed format, whether work for which they are
made is executed or not subject to all due fees having been paid, you are licensed to use
the drawings, specifications and other documents only for the works which they are
intended.
 Electronic documents shall only be provided in Portable Document Format (PDF)
 Scale of Charges charged

Ø The Council of Architecture, in consideration of the Comprehensive Professional

Services rendered by an Architect, has prescribed the Scale of Charges under the
Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 1989. The Council of Architecture has
reviewed the issue of Architect's fees in depth and the revised and latest version of these
documents, which was approved by the Council at its 40th meeting are presented here.
Ø The Council of Architecture, in consideration of the Comprehensive Professional
Services rendered by an Architect, has prescribed the Scale of Charges under the
Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 1989. The Council of Architecture has
reviewed the issue of Architect's fees in depth and the revised and latest version of these
documents, which was approved by the Council at its 40th meeting are presented here.
WHAT ARE THE SCALE OF CHARGES OF AN ARCHITECT IN INDIA AS PER THE
COUNCIL OF ARCHITECTURE?

HOUSING -
Ø Individual / Independent House - 7.5% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø Single Block Housing and Sites upto 0.5 hectares - 5.0% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø Sites more than 0.5 hectares and upto 2.5 hectares - 3.5% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø Sites more than 2.5 hectares and upto 5 hectares - 2.5% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø Sites more than 5 hectares - 2.0% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø ALL PROJECTS OTHER THAN HOUSING - 5.0% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø REPETITION OF BUILDING IN SAME CAMPUS - 2.5% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø REPETITION OF BUILDING ELSEWHERE - 3.5% on the cost of works assigned. SITE
DEVELOPMENT - 2.5% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION, RETROFITTING, ADDITIONS, ALTERATIONS - 7.5% on the
cost of works assigned.
Ø INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE, SIGNAGE, GRAPHIC DESIGN - 7.5% on the cost of works assigned.
Ø LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE - 7.5% on the cost of works assigned. URBAN DESIGN - 1.0% on the
cost of works assigned.
Ø VERIFICATION & CERTIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR'S BILLS - 1.0% in addition of above fees.
Ø DOCUMENTATION AND COMMUNICATION CHARGES - 10% of the professional fees.
Ø ADVISORY CONSULTANCY CHARGES - Rs 10,000/- per day for outstation project; Rs 4,000/- per
day for local project
This post was about the Scale of Charges charged by an Architect, for different kinds of projects. To know
more about the Schedule of payment of the Architect's fees, go to:
CoA I Schedule of Payment
Ø The Council Of Architecture (CoAa) in India has stipulated guidelines and regulations regarding an
Architect's profession and education. To know more, go to:
Ø An Architect's Educational Qualifications
Ø An Architect's Services and Responsibilities
Ø An Architect's Charges
Ø An Architect's Conduct
Ø Registration of an Architect with the CoA
Ø Architectural Competitions
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