Builder’s Responsibilities on a Project

A large point of contention for many and, if unclear, the misunderstanding of what falls under the builder’s responsibilities can lead to huge issues. Unfortunately, there is no cut and dry way of finding out the responsibilities without drawing up and agreeing a contract.

However, there are several aspects of a project that almost always fall under the builder’s responsibilities. These include:

Licensing

If the work being carried out requires building approval then it is the builder’s responsibility to achieve the necessary licensing for the task at hand. For all professional builders this is something that comes first and foremost to every job, however if you’re taking it on yourself or are using a handyman then you will need to ensure you have the required qualifications.

Insurance

When working on residential buildings, your builder should have an insurance policy that will protect the owner against defective or incomplete work, although this is not currently required by law. Make sure that you always ask for evidence of insurance if the builder states that they do have it.

If your builder does not have insurance then they may ask you to sign an agreement that acknowledges the situation with a time and date on it. This then means that the project will be done without insurance or you will have to take it out yourself.

Planning Construction Activities

As the builder, it is their responsibility to plan and coordinate all the construction activities that are required for the project. If they have taken on the entire project rather than a single aspect of it, they will also be responsible for organising the help of electricians, plumbers and other specialist tradespeople if needed.

One thing that you should be aware of is whether or not the builder will be purchasing and acquiring the materials required or if this is your remit. Don’t worry if the job of buying materials falls on you, this can be a great way to cut costs on the project as you are able to shop around and get the best prices. Make sure that you get an exact and specific list from the builder for what is required before making any purchases.

Conforming to Legislation

With certain building projects, it is essential that proper building regulations and HSE legislation is implemented and maintained. It is almost always the responsibility of the builder to ensure that these standards are met, however as the client you should make sure that these are being followed to the best of your knowledge.

Agree in Advance

As mentioned previously, there are no strict rules regarding what the builder’s responsibilities are. Make sure that you talk to your builder in advance, detailing as many aspects of the project as possible and come to an agreement on who will be responsible for what. Depending on the builder you are using, they may be happy to take on more tasks although this could affect the price of their work.

Once you’ve come to an agreement, make sure that you have it written up in a contract and signed by both parties. This is beneficial for both the builder and yourself, so if the builder seems reluctant to sign then alarm bells should be ringing.