Construction Documentation

Advising the Developer

The construction of a development such as a trade park, office block or other substantial building will usually involve the services of a number of professionals (known in the industry as 'players') such as:

• Project Manager.
• Main Contractor.
• Architect.
• Structural and/or Mechanical & Engineering Surveyor.
• Specialist Sub-Contractors (e.g. Roofing Specialists, Electricians, etc).

Construction Documentation seeks to set out the terms of appointment of each 'player' and also deals with other aspects of legal and commercial risk that may arise during the construction process.  Failure to put in place correct documentation could mean that:

• financial backers (such as banks or other financial institutions) of the project may refuse funding;
• 'end users' of the building (such as purchasers and/or tenants) may not want to purchase or rent the finished project; and
• in the event that something does go wrong during the construction process (e.g. the development is delayed or there is a faulty design or one of the players turns insolvent) there is no remedy for the Developer or the 'end user'.

At Armitage Sykes LLP we understand the central role and importance that construction documentation plays in a successful development.  As such we do not treat the documentation as an 'add on extra' to a property deal.   We have specialist lawyers who:

• can advise upon the correct type of documentation that will need to be put in place for a particular development;
• will liaise with a project manager of a development to ensure that the documentation is processed, disseminated and completed with all due dispatch; and
• can advise upon the terms of, and propose amendments to, standard form construction documentation as well as drafting 'bespoke documentation' if the need arises.

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