On a drawing, moving a wall can take minutes. On site, the same decision may affect structure, wiring, heating, finishes and work already ordered.
That is why a design decision needs a cost and programme review before it becomes an instruction.
Changes are sometimes necessary. A disciplined process helps a property developer distinguish a worthwhile improvement from a decision whose consequences have not been understood.
Agree what the team is building
Before procurement and construction reach their respective decision points, establish the approved design information and its revision status.
Record the layouts, key dimensions, specification and known outstanding decisions. Where specialist design remains to be completed, identify the responsibility and the date by which it is required.
A design freeze establishes a controlled baseline. It should not conceal unresolved details or imply that necessary safety or compliance changes can be ignored.
Keep the baseline accessible to the contractor and consultants. Superseded drawings need to be clearly distinguished from current information.
Review a proposed change before authorising it
Describe the requested change and its purpose. Ask the relevant team members to assess the effect on the design, permissions and technical requirements.
Then request the commercial consequences, including altered work, cancellation charges, redesign and any programme implications that apply. Check whether other trades or orders will also be affected.
Where the effect cannot yet be priced, record the uncertainty and agree how it will be assessed. Avoid treating silence or an informal conversation as confirmation that the change has no cost.
For urgent situations, the project team still needs to follow the applicable contract and safety procedures. The process must suit the circumstances without losing the record of what happened.
Make authority clear
Agree who can request a change, who assesses it and who has authority to instruct it under the building contract.
A client preference discussed during a site visit should be channelled through that procedure. Direct instructions to individual trades can create uncertainty about scope, responsibility and payment.
Maintain a change register with the description, status, relevant drawings and recorded cost and time effects. Keep proposed changes separate from approved instructions and completed work.
The exact procedure depends on the contract and appointments. Obtain professional advice where responsibilities are unclear.
Review the cumulative effect
Several modest changes can consume the remaining budget or affect the completion sequence.
Update the forecast with authorised changes and identify unresolved exposures separately. Include the consequences for contingency and any financing requirements that need discussion with your adviser.
Do not wait until the final account to reconcile the decisions made during construction.
Set decisions early enough to matter
A schedule of client selections and design approvals helps prevent avoidable last-minute choices. Link each deadline to the contractor's actual procurement and construction programme.
Good information will not eliminate every change. It gives the team a clearer starting point and a reliable record when the project must adapt.
Contact Horizon Architecture to discuss the technical design scope and decision schedule for your next project.
