Contract administration is the day-to-day management of a building contract once it has been signed. Acting as contract administrator, we issue instructions, value the work in progress, certify payments and monitor progress against the programme, so that the agreement between you and your builder is operated fairly and correctly. The role is written into the standard JCT forms of contract used on most residential and commercial projects in London, and it exists to give both parties a clear, orderly framework from the start of the works right through to the final certificate.
If your project justifies a formal building contract — an extension, a full refurbishment, a loft conversion or a commercial fit-out — it will benefit from a contract administrator. Without one, decisions about payment, variations and delays fall to you, often under pressure and without the contractual knowledge needed to resolve them confidently. Appointing us before the contract is signed lets us shape the tender documents, recommend the right JCT form for the job and set the ground rules while everything is still negotiable.
We begin by preparing or reviewing the tender package, inviting prices from suitable contractors and reporting on the returns. Once the contract is executed we hold regular site meetings, issue written instructions for any changes, and value the work at agreed intervals so that interim payment certificates reflect what has genuinely been built. As the works draw to a close we inspect for completion, certify practical completion when it is achieved, and administer the defects liability period through to the final certificate and account.
A full contract administration appointment usually includes:
Every certificate and instruction is issued in writing, giving you a complete and dated paper trail should any disagreement with the contractor arise later.
Fees for contract administration depend on the value and complexity of the building works, the length of the contract period, how frequently site inspections and valuations are needed, and whether we are also preparing the tender documents. A straightforward extension administered over a few months involves far less of our time than a phased refurbishment of a listed building. We always agree the basis of our fee with you in writing before the appointment begins, so there are no surprises as the project proceeds.
The contract administrator must act impartially when certifying, yet firmly protect the employer’s interests elsewhere — a balance that demands genuine contractual knowledge. As chartered surveyors regulated by the RICS, we are trained in construction technology, building contracts and valuation, carry professional indemnity insurance, and are bound by a professional code of conduct. That combination means our certificates and decisions carry real weight with contractors, with lenders and, if it ever comes to it, with adjudicators and the courts.
Most of the contracts we administer are JCT forms — typically the Minor Works or Intermediate Building Contract — on period properties in Notting Hill, Kensington and the surrounding boroughs. Victorian terraces and stucco-fronted villas bring their own complications: party wall interfaces, conservation area consents and discoveries behind old finishes that no survey can fully predict. Familiarity with both the contract forms and the local building stock means that changes are dealt with promptly and priced fairly when the unexpected appears on site.
If you are planning building works and would like a chartered surveyor to administer the contract, contact Notting Hill Surveyors to discuss your project. We will gladly explain how the role would work on your particular job and provide a fee proposal without obligation.