phase 6: construction observation

After the contract is awarded and construction begins, we act as your agent on-site, monitor progress, review applications for payment, and ensure conformance with the contract documents. We don’t tell the contractor how to do their work; we just make sure they are doing the things they are contractually promised to do.

This is a crucial part of the process and we strongly advocate being involved during construction. Not only does it ensure that all of the hard work we put in designing your vision is executed properly and according to the drawings we crafted, but we also find that it holds the Contractor to a higher standard of quality.

Invariably, there are things that we’re just not able to draw or anticipate during the Construction Documents phase.  Involving us in the Construction Observation phase allows the project design vision to be integrated into the details of the project seamlessly. Architects and Contractors think very differently – which is good – but not every Contractor’s decision balances function and aesthetics.

WEEKLY MEETINGS

We visit the site weekly or biweekly to meet with the Contractor + Subcontractors to answer any questions and review progress + conformance with the Contract Documents.  We create a private project website for you where we post progress photos and send a weekly field report.

PAYMENT APPLICATIONS, CHANGE ORDERS, SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

We review and certify the Contractor’s payment requisitions and review any change order requests.  For work that requires clarification or alteration we’ll issue ‘sketches’ to facilitate the Contractor’s work.

PROJECT CLOSE-OUT

At ‘Substantial Completion’ we work with the Contractor to generate a punch list and oversee its execution.  And, at the end of the project we’ll issue a ‘certificate of final completion’ and authorize the release of the final payment.

This phase ends with the completed project, ready to move in.