Why Good Builders Also Need Good Project Management Systems

The call came in on a Thursday, not from the client but from the site itself. A flat refurbishment I was coordinating, one of several units within a converted house, had just lost a section of wall to fire. No one on site had done anything careless. That was the part that stayed with me. The real situation A few weeks earlier, the flat had suffered water ingress from a burst pipe. A run of industrial dehumidifiers went in to dry out the affected rooms before the plastering could continue. The units needed to run undisturbed for several days. One of the plastering subcontractors, in for a single fixed day, needed to move a dehumidifier to reach a wall. He unplugged it, did the job, and had no reason to know it was mid cycle. A plumber working on the same flat saw the unit sitting disconnected, and felt he was helping by plugging it back in. He used the nearest socket, an extension lead already carrying another appliance, and reconnected the dehumidifier to it. The overloaded lead ran hot overnight, unnoticed. By the time a smell of burning was picked up the following morning, the skirting and a section of stud wall had caught fire. The fire brigade attended. The flat needed significant remedial work before refurbishment could resume, and a full electrical inspection of the affected circuit before power could be reconnected at all. No one involved acted carelessly. The plasterer wanted to get past an obstruction and did. The plumber was trying to be helpful and thought he was. I had briefed the drying regime properly to the firm running the dehumidifiers. What I had not done, because nothing had prompted it, was brief anyone else who might come into contact with the equipment. What this actually shows Any site with more than one contractor or subcontractor moving through it over time will have equipment left running unattended at some point. A drying cycle, a generator, a temporary power supply, anything installed as a workaround. If that equipment is not clearly labelled, clearly owned, and briefed to everyone who might reasonably encounter it, not just the firm that installed it, the gap sits there quietly until someone tries to be helpful. That is usually how these incidents happen. Not through recklessness, but through a kindness offered without the information behind it. What to check on every project 1. Any temporary equipment introduced mid-project, drying equipment, generators, temporary power, is given a named person responsible for it, not just the firm that installed it. 2. The equipment itself carries a simple written instruction, not just a verbal briefing to whoever installed it. Anyone on site should be able to read what it is and what not to do to it. 3. Every new contractor or subcontractor arriving on site gets a short briefing covering anything currently running that they should leave alone. 4. The building contract or site instructions specifically address workaround equipment: who maintains it, who is responsible if it fails, and how that information reaches people who were not there when it was installed. 5. Site visits include a deliberate check for anything running unattended, not just a progress review of the visible work. A final thought I coordinate projects precisely so gaps like this do not stay invisible until something goes wrong. If you have more than one contractor moving through your site over time and want an independent set of eyes on how it is being managed, that conversation costs nothing to start.

I visited a property recently where a client was on the verge of handing over close to £1 million to a contractor for a substantial refurbishment and fit-out project. On the surface, everything appeared to be in order. The contractor presented well, spoke confidently, and had already undertaken a couple of projects. However, as part of my due diligence, I carried out some background checks. What emerged was concerning. Only a few months earlier, the contractor had been operating in a completely different line of work — car valeting. His move into construction was recent, and his experience at this level was extremely limited. At that point, the situation changed entirely. The Real Issue There is nothing inherently wrong with someone entering a new industry or building a business from the ground up. Many competent builders have developed their skills over time. The issue is this: does the scale and complexity of your project match the contractor’s experience and capability? Construction is not forgiving. Mistakes are costly, delays are disruptive, and rectifying poor work is often far more expensive than doing it properly in the first place. Too often, clients assume that someone else has carried out the necessary checks. In reality, that responsibility usually falls on no one. The Corporate Veil – A Hidden Risk One area that is often overlooked is the protection afforded to contractors through the corporate structure they operate under. In many cases, the contract is with a limited company. That company may have minimal assets, a short trading history, and limited financial resilience. If things go wrong, the practical ability to recover losses can be severely restricted. This is not unusual. It is simply how many businesses are structured. However, it does mean that clients can be exposed if the position is not properly understood at the outset. As part of our process, we treat this as a key risk factor. We look at the underlying entity, its history, and its financial standing, and we build in safeguards to reduce exposure. These safeguards may include tighter payment structures, verification of insurances, clarity on contractual responsibilities, and ensuring that risk is not disproportionately carried by the client. What We Checked Insurance: public liability, employers’ liability, contract works, adequacy of cover, and policy wording. · Public liability insurance · Employers’ liability insurance · Contract works insurance · Appropriate level of cover for a £1 million project · Policy wording covers the proposed works Track Record: evidence of completed projects and comparability in scale. · Evidence of completed projects · Comparable scale and complexity · Verification of claims made Competence and Delivery: who is actually carrying out the work. · Established team or reliance on subcontractors · Management of subcontractors Specialist Works: structural, electrical, mechanical and critical elements. · Relevant qualifications and certifications Financial Standing: ability to sustain a project of this size. · Exposure to cashflow pressure What Could Have Gone Wrong · Large sums paid out early with limited protection · Inability to complete the project · Insurance failing to respond to claims · Poor workmanship with little recourse · Delays, disputes, and escalating costs What We Did · Alerted the client immediately · Restructured payment arrangements · Verified and strengthened insurance cover · Clarified scope and responsibilities · Reassessed contractor suitability Key Takeaways for Homeowners · Do not rely on presentation or confidence alone · Match experience to project scale · Verify insurance properly · Be cautious of recent trade changes · Understand who will deliver the work · Take independent advice before committing funds A Final Thought Most projects do not start as disasters. They begin with optimism, trust, and a desire to move forward. A relatively small amount of time spent reviewing the position properly can prevent significant cost, delay, and stress later. The Building Guidance Partnership  www.thebgp.co.uk