A recent thread on the Pitchcare website asked what were the criteria when ...
Choosing a contractor?
R
egardless of the size of the job to be undertaken, choosing a contractor to carry out the work needs careful consideration. A contractor is only as good
as his last contract and, in a relatively small industry like ours, news of bad workmanship will spread like wild-fire. So, how do you go about choosing the right contractor, especially in these recessionary times when prices may be ‘cut to the bone’ to secure the contract? There is, perhaps, nothing more informative than seeing a contractor in action on other sites, monitoring the results and talking to the groundsman or greenkeeper who employed them. Personal recommendation by a colleague goes a long way to settling the nerves of those having to decide how best to spend the club’s budget. But, even then, you will need to know that the standard of the work carried out meets ‘your’ expectations as your colleague may not have the same level of requirements. Project manager and agronomist,
Gordon Jaaback, says that “making the final choice, especially when the budget is tight, can be a daunting exercise. Judging on price alone can bring disappointment in performance, whilst making proper allowance for all the pertinent factors invariably increases the contract price.” Gambles taken by contractors to cut corners to secure the contract will, Gordon reckons, eventually lead to inferior results. “Such opportunists simply do not have the resources to carry out the work specified, or cope with the unforeseen circumstances that are bound to arise at some time.” David Goodjohn of Green Infrastructure Ltd. agrees. “It is important to get a very precise specification of the works you’re planning. This can be done in a number of different ways; the ‘traditional’ method has been to employ a consultant or project manager, and for various testing to take place on site in order to draw up a site specific Bill of Quantities for what you intend to do.” “Then, the consultant/project
manager checks, at various stages throughout the work, to ensure that standards have been met and you are getting what you are paying for. The main drawback is that consultants do not come cheap, but they do give you expert backing and the confidence that you are getting the right person/company to take on the work.” “On other contracts that I’ve worked on a member of staff has carried out this complex role. But, it requires an understanding of the contract from top to bottom, so it is no easy task, although I have known it to have been done successfully in some instances.” “With reputable contractors” says David “you can expect a complex specification to be drawn up for you which is site specific and, through testimonials, you can help assuage any fears you may have about their suitability. There really are some good ones out there.” “The club must have a very clear idea on what they want” says contractor Gordon Gill. “In my opinion, the first thing they should do is always employ
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