Bait & Switch: The Importance of Tendering

How can your Architect ensure that you're getting the best value from your builder? 

Many people will say that it's the detailed information, the schedules, specifications, working and detailed drawings that ensures that you know what you're paying for, but this is only part of it; When the Architect has finished drawing, don't ditch them! Architects are immensely valuable to a construction project up to and including the construction process. In this article, I'll be talking about the process of Tendering, i.e. the process of procuring a contractor.

The article title refers to a common issue that I've seen and heard throughout the construction industry - The Bait & Switch. A builder will entice a client with a great price and then, on securing the project, soon creeps up the price with extras. This isn't always intentional; in many cases, expectations haven't been set down all round and this causes a lot of friction as the builder isn't doing the work he expected, so ends up charging more and running over.

The tendering process irons this out, we work with an approved list of contractors and manage expectations from the beginning. We know that all the builders are pricing the same works, so the prices are comparable and we also check that builders have up-to-date paperwork such as insurances. A professional building contractor will expend a fair amount of time and resource into producing a quote, so ensuring fairness from the beginning is key to making this a successful working relationship. Furthermore, if the builder doesn't know what to expect, he's likely to increase his margin to cover the uncertainty.

If you'd like to learn more about tendering, or you'd like advice on your project, please contact us now.