Specify the Due Date
When submitting any document for review (such as a design, invoice for payment, report, etc.), specify the date a response is due (perhaps 10 business days). For contractual related items …
Contract
Building Approvals
Make sure you specify in contracts and specifications that contractors are responsible for obtaining all relevant building and plumbing approvals for their work. Put that in writing but also verbally …
Payment Stages
Always specify payment stages in contracts with a client, contractor or consultant, etc. It should state at what stage payments can be claimed or paid, such as monthly for incurred …
Evaluation of Tenders
When requesting and evaluating tenders make sure your specifications are very clear about what is required. Also check that the tenderers clearly describe what they offer. When accepting and signing …
Limit Your Liability
Make sure to limit your liability. Make this in writing in the contract A small project can still have a high risk of being liable to damages, especially if the …
Manage Client Expectations
Make sure the contract reflects the client’s expectations. If you find differences early in the project you should tell the client. If you find them late in the project, you …
Check Geotechnical Reports
Check and confirm geotechnical reports that are supplied to you in a contract. The client may supply reports that are old or inaccurate. Specify in the contract that you are …
Learn to Say No
You must learn to say no to some requests from clients If change requests from the client will make the design unsafe or unusable, you should refuse to change it. …
Watch External Dependencies
Keep a careful watch on external dependencies. External things such as deliveries, contracts, and approvals that could delay your project if late. They may not be your direct responsibility and …
Scan Large Specifications
When reading a large specification, to avoid inducing sleep, scan it by key words. If possible, when given a specification by a client, get the it in electronic form. This …