CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION · WORTHING & WEST SUSSEX
Professional support throughout construction.
Once your contractor is appointed, Downland Studio can remain involved to administer the building contract — helping keep payments, changes, instructions and completion clearly documented throughout your build.
For homeowners extending or altering their homes across Worthing and West Sussex, this provides an independent professional point of contact between you and your contractor, from preparing the contract through construction and completion.
DISCUSS YOUR BUILD →FROM DRAWINGS TO CONSTRUCTION
Clarity when the work begins.
Good drawings set out the design. A building contract sets out how you and your contractor will deliver the work together: the agreed scope, price, payment arrangements and procedures for changes and completion.
Under a separate Contract Administration appointment, Downland Studio helps those procedures work in practice. You have a clear record of what has been instructed, what is being assessed for payment and what remains to be resolved.
We advise you as our client and exercise the assessment and certification duties of the appointed Contract Administrator fairly, in accordance with the agreed contract. The appropriate contract and extent of our role are confirmed before appointment.
THE AGREED APPOINTMENT
What we can take care of.
The service is tailored to your project and the building contract. Depending on the agreed appointment, it can include:
01 · BEFORE THE BUILD
Start from an agreed position.
Prepare or coordinate an appropriate building contract and its supporting documents, then arrange for you and your contractor to sign it. The agreed drawings, scope and contract information give both parties a clearer starting point. JCT is one route, alongside other suitable forms such as RIBA Domestic, FMB domestic contracts and NEC. The chosen form and the responsibilities of the appointed professional are agreed for your project; JCT-style instructions and certificates should not be assumed to apply to every contract.
02 · MEETINGS & PROGRESS
Keep the conversation moving.
Scheduled site and progress meetings provide time to discuss the work, record decisions and review contractual progress. Where delays arise, we administer the relevant notices and assessment procedures within the agreed contract.
03 · INSTRUCTIONS & VARIATIONS
Record changes before they become confusion.
Issue formal Contract Administrator’s Instructions where required and review and record variations. Changes to the work and their implications for cost and time are addressed through the contract rather than left as an informal understanding.
04 · PAYMENTS
Understand what you are being asked to pay.
Assess your contractor’s applications for payment and issue the appropriate certificates under the contract. This provides a documented assessment of the amount due, rather than relying solely on an invoice or a verbal request.
05 · PRACTICAL COMPLETION
Make the handover clear.
Assess whether the works have reached Practical Completion under the contract and issue the relevant certificate when appropriate. Outstanding matters are recorded; contractual completion is separate from Building Control certification.
06 · RECTIFICATION & FINAL ACCOUNT
Follow the agreed process through.
Administer the contractual defects or rectification period, record relevant defects and deal with the making-good and final account or final certificate process where applicable. The precise steps depend on the chosen contract and appointment.
THE RIGHT LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT
Project Support or Contract Administration?
Project Support is flexible architectural and technical help with a particular query, drawing change, quotation review or agreed site visit. It can be arranged around the issues you need to resolve.
Contract Administration is a formal, separate appointment to administer an actual building contract through the agreed construction and completion stages. Payments, variations, instructions and certificates follow that contract’s procedures.
Both are optional. You can appoint Downland Studio for drawings without appointing us for construction-stage services. We can discuss the level of involvement that suits your project.
EXPLORE FLEXIBLE PROJECT SUPPORT →PEOPLE · RESPONSIBILITIES
Professional involvement with a defined scope.
You work directly with Daniel Hall, an Architectural Technologist and CIAT affiliate. Downland Studio is his trading name, based in Worthing and serving West Sussex.
Attendance is scheduled for the agreed purpose. Contract Administration is not continuous site supervision or full Project Management and does not guarantee the contractor’s workmanship. The contractor remains responsible for carrying out the works, construction methods, sequencing, site safety and workmanship.
Separately appointed specialists remain responsible for their own professional work. Building Control carries out its relevant inspections and deals with statutory completion certification; those duties are distinct from the building contract.
CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING
Contract Administration from £1,000.
| Construction value (excluding VAT) | Contract Administration fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £30,000 | £1,000 |
| £30,001–£50,000 | £1,500 |
| £50,001–£75,000 | £2,000 |
| £75,001–£100,000 | £2,750 |
| £100,001–£150,000 | £3,750 |
| £150,001–£200,000 | £5,000 |
| Over £200,000 | From 2.5% |
These bands assume a typical domestic construction programme and a normal level of Contract Administration. For construction values over £200,000, the guide fee starts from 2.5% of the anticipated construction value excluding VAT.
Every project receives a tailored, itemised proposal. The final scope, attendance arrangements and fee are confirmed before appointment. Contract Administration is separately appointed and is not included in our design fee calculator totals.
A substantially extended construction programme, unusually frequent attendance or a material increase in complexity may require an additional fee, agreed with you before the additional work is undertaken.
No VAT to add. Downland Studio is not currently VAT registered, so VAT is not added to the fees shown.
VIEW THE FULL FEE GUIDE →A LITTLE MORE CLARITY
Contract Administration questions.
Do I need a building contract for a home extension?
A clear written contract helps both you and your contractor understand the agreed work, price and procedures. The suitable form depends on the project. Options may include JCT homeowner or Minor Works forms, RIBA Domestic, an FMB domestic contract where the builder is a member, or an appropriate NEC form. Their roles and procedures differ, so the professional appointment must match the chosen contract. We can discuss the suitable route and whether formal administration would be useful.
When should I discuss Contract Administration?
Ideally before you enter into a building contract or start work. That gives time to agree the contract documents, payment arrangements, programme and our appointment. If construction has already begun, we will review what is in place before confirming how we can help.
Can you help if someone else prepared the drawings?
We can discuss it. We first need to review the drawings, scope, contract information and stage reached, then confirm whether we can accept the appointment and what additional information is needed.
Does Practical Completion mean every certificate is in place?
Practical Completion is assessed under the building contract. Building Control completion certification and other statutory or specialist information follow their own requirements. We distinguish these processes and clarify the information needed for your project.
READY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION STAGE?
Stay supported through the build.
Tell us about your project, the contractor you plan to appoint and your intended start date. We can discuss the building contract and confirm a clear proposal for the level of professional involvement you need.
DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT →