PROJECT MANAGEMENT
SITE SUPERVISION
One of the least expensive ways to get your project built, one of the best ways for you to keep control of the quality of work as well as the costs, the best way to prevent the builder cutting corners to the detriment of your project, this is especially true if your undertaking a substantial restoration project. For a successful conservation project its vital that you have experienced and knowledgeable management and tradesmen. Project management gives you far more control and input into how works are performed, allows you access to our wide circle of contacts in the industry, tradesmen and sub-contractors that have the skills to do your job to high standards, all without a builders mark up. . Restoration jobs are always very fluid, one usually does not know what your going to find behind that wall, under that floor, you the owner will often want to change plans or specifications as you see the project develop, project management gives you the flexibility to do that without facing substantial change orders.
We take on project management roles ranging from One hundred thousand to Two million euro, we have the expertise, the managent skills and the tradesmen to run a smooth and efficient building project.
Conservation knowledge and experience is needed throughout the project. Where we are subcontractors on many jobs, we would see on a daily basis, poor decisions being made, inappropriate materials and methodologies, the simple matter is your average contractor wants to get the job done for as little as he can get away with, and move on, the fact is most contractors just don't care enough about historic buildings to do what's right.
SHARED RISK:
Our project management services, offer you an alternative and
cheaper method, one that is being used more these days in the UK
and Europe on conservation jobs. Known in conservation circles
as 'Shared Risk Policy'. This is effectively a project
management arrangement, allowing you to get quality conservation
works done for a very reasonable rate. Conservation work is
notoriously difficult to estimate as there are so many unknown
issues that one faces as the project progresses, and the idea is
to get the job done reasonably and fairly to owner and contractor.
Pick the right man, the right firm for your job and your halfway
there to a successful project.
The advantage from our perspective is RISK, take away our risk and we work cheaper, we don't need to make a fortune, just a living.
Let me give you some background first to the theory.
When one prices a conservation job it is necessary to build in
contingencies for problems in executing the works, obviously this
can inflate the overall price. Contractors do this from experience
as losing money on conservation work is something we all do too
regularly. While our fixed price for the works gives you comfort
it does mean WE take on a big risk, If you can take away our
risk then you could get the job done a good deal cheaper. Not
necessarily cheaper than the lowest bidder on a tender, but
cheaper than the quality builders on the tender.
Our team is a very experienced at conservation work, we are
highly skilled in our trades and we know exactly what should be
done and how it should be done, we’re not guessing or
experimenting with your house. We did not spend the 10 years of
the Celtic tiger working on housing schemes and bungalows, we
worked on old and historic buildings as we have done for 35 years,
we know what we’re at. You can go hire a regular builder, he may
be a fine contractor or tradesman, a good decent man, but will he
understand this type of work? Virtually everything done on old
stone building is or should be done differently, will he know this
or will he be just giving it a lash?
Two of the things you don’t want to hear from your builder:
First, the “good idea”, this is perhaps the most insidious, the
builder will certainly believe it’s a good idea, but the question
is do you want your house to be experimented on, or would you
prefer sound and well researched conservation methods, old houses
are littered with failed “good ideas”.
The second is, “it can be done, I did it before”, the question
should not be, “can it be done”, the important question is “should
it be done”.
A well known conservation engineer once said of a contractor
following conservation specs, “but does he believe in it”, the
point being if you don’t really believe in the methodology because
you think there’s nothing wrong with cement for example, are you
going to do it right, or say oh, that will do.
So on that basis, we can manage your project in full, or on an a
la carte basis. If you like, with you hireing some direct
labour and subcontractors, We can also hire them on our own books
as subcontractors at cost to you. We would also provide you
with our own core tradesmen at flat rate per man per day, plus our
other costs and take a flat management fee over and above.
We can cover the following trades with our own men
Masonry, plastering, carpentry. This covers stonework, plastering,
floors stone and timber, walls, ceilings, foundations, drainage,
roofing, installing windows doors, glazing, door window hardware
insulation.
Depending on the size of the project a combination of our men,
your direct labour and subcontractors would be the team. Work to
be subcontracted: Electrical, plumbing, heating, manufacture of
windows and doors, other specialist works. We can reduce some of
these subcontracting costs by doing some of the work ourselves,
such as mains for water and electric, some first fix plumbing.
We have a lot of construction equipment available as part of the
project management package:
3, Special Lime mortar paddle mixers, 1.5 meter, a 1 meter and a
750mm
1, Mortar pump especially adapted for the use of Lime plasters.
This is the equivalent of 2 men plastering
1, three phase generator, for operating on site equipment
375 CFI compressors to operate stone working equipment, sand
blasting, hemp spraying etc.
3 phase 3000 psi power washer
Various plastering and stonework tools and equipment
Storage facilities and containers
Scaffolding for 600 sqm of wall, safety netting
Teleporter for moving and lifting materials and equipment in and
around the site
NOT IN SERVICE, 20 ton Lorry with Hiab for transporting materials
equipment
Van for transporting men and equipment
2 ton digger for drainage and site works
Multiple kangos, drills, jack hammers
Table saw, planer thickneser, various woodworking tools and
equipment
Welder, power nail guns, grinders
laser level, transformers, ladders, roof ladders, acros
14ft Trailer, debris shutes for scaffolding, 50mtrs safety fencing
.FOR A QUOTE or TO DISCUSS OUR SERVICES, PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL ALONG WITH A FEW PHOTOS OF YOUR PROPERTY
www.OldBuilders.com : CONTACT US HERE