uality contractors are hard to find and even harder to hire since they are likely to be in high demand. Project teams can almost become quixotic about this and lose touch with reality. However, the speed at which building costs can rise will be one quandary that a client will be in as they decide if they can afford to wait for the “right” builder.
If a project team decide that they want to delay for a specific contractor then they need to consider other impacts that can arise. For example, keeping neighbours informed as to when building work is and is not going to start and how long it is going to take can become questionable. It carries with it a reputational risk, both for the church and for the gospel.
Another issue to consider, and which is current, can be that an architect may have specified or the planners require the use of particular building materials / finishes which today may be in good supply but at the moment that the contractor becomes available are in short supply. This will lead not only to increasing the materials price but also increasing the overall cost of the project through additional unforeseen delay as it waits for the product to become available.
Another aspect of a building project to watch quite closely is the delay between securing a planning permission and starting the project itself. This can be overlooked as the tasks of raising enough finance for a project, keeping up with rising prices and agreeing a contract with the quality builder then satisfying the pre-conditions of the permission can, in some cases, mean that the planning permission expires and has to be re-applied for before the project can start. The best way to avoid this potential quagmire is for clients to be quick-witted, once permission has been secured, to determine what quotient of time is available to satisfy all pre-construction matters and to appoint a Quality contractor.
