Let's Get Started

So the lease is signed, the builder’s quote agreed, contracts signed and you’re excited about starting the project. So why isn’t it underway?

There are several things that will stop a project before it begins and depending on which building you have leased space in, there are several things you can do to ensure an on time start.

First, the things that STOP a project:

1. No power has been connected by the client – just like moving into a new home you must contact the provider so they know where to send the bills.
2. No light switches, meaning we could not see what we were doing – if the tenancy has been recently refurbished then light switches might be bundled up in the ceiling, or just cut off as part of the de-fit and someone had not bothered to reinstate them.
3. No switchboard – landlord had not installed one. This can sometimes happen during a refurbishment. The landlord may try and pass the cost of this work onto the incoming tenant.
4. No inductions into the building were completed, so we were not allowed onto site. Most CBD managed buildings will have a requirement that the builder and their subtrades be fully inducted so they know all about the building they are working in. The right things to do in an emergency, level of conduct expected, working hours, parking – if any, and so on.
5. No PCA documentation provided to building manager.
6. No plans provided to landlord so they are unaware of what is being constructed in their building.
7. My personal favourite – too noisy. We forgot to take our quiet hammers and have been stopped from working because we were making too much noise. The tenants below and above were complaining, yet we were never advised that noisy works were required to be performed outside normal hours. In one case we had a court of law directly below us – part of the induction rules were if the court was in session, you could not make any undue noise. It would have been nice to know this at time of quoting.

This list is endless… almost. To avoid disaster make sure you have addressed all of these elements with the building manager, builder and certifier.

Checklist

1. Power - is it connected?  
2. Insurances provided to building owner – Public Liability including maximum coverage limit, Workers Compensation.
3. Have smoke detectors been isolated on the floor - what is the process required to make this happen?
4. Have site inductions been completed either online or face-to-face?
5. What are the preferred times for delivering materials to site and is there a restriction on using the lifts?
6. Is there a specific goods lift that must be used?
7. Who provides the protective blankets for the lift?
8. Have workers health and safety reports been provided to building manager?
9. Are there any noisy work restriction times?
10. Has parking been arranged on-site?
11. Are there toilet facilities available on-site?
12. Has a dilapidation report been completed before starting works?