Employers Agent - Design and Build
On Design and Build projects, it is the Employers Agent's role to administer the building contract.
In recent times, the most popular method of delivering a building is through a Design and Build contract. This is the most appropriate approach for minimising the risk of incurring additional costs and programme delays to a project.
Under this form of contract, the building contractor has responsibility to carry out the design and construction of the project and should any problems arise during construction or with the building post occupation, the responsibility for all costs and delays lie with the Contractor. It is imperative therefore that the contract and specification is watertight with no loopholes to release the Contractor from this responsibility.
There are a number of variants of Design and Build contracts, for example, whether or not the design team initially appointed by the Client are to be transferred to the Contractor, or whether or not the contract sum is a fixed sum or a GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price). There are pro's and con's to all these options and we will advise you on the best option to address your needs.
One thing is clear, if your building is complex, if you are looking for flexibility, or you are not quite sure what is required and are likely to change the brief during the project - Design and Build will not be the right approach for you.
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