Drawing Up A Specification

The specification is a detailed description of the materials that will be used and should be written in such a way that there is no room for misunderstanding. Most cost increases arise from changes to the design and specifications and/or clarification of inadequate specifications.

If a builder or contractor is left to carry out work from a specification that is loosely written and his interpretation does not match your expectations, you may find that disagreements start to cloud the client-contractor relationship early on in the project.

It is therefore very important that you list all of the elements that you know will form each part of the works, and then break these elements down to ensure that they will meet your expectations of the finished product. As you will see from the sample specification in Figure 2.1, each element of work can be separated




and dealt with individually. This will help to avoid any potential misunderstanding.

You can also treat each room as an individual element, and in fact it is advisable to do so particularly if your colour scheme or finishings are different from other rooms. If you are only having internal alterations carried out, ensure that at the very least you have a plan of each floor in order to name each room. Remember that each bedroom must be specifically named, i.e. bedroom 1, 2, 3, etc. to ensure that mistakes are not made.

The completed specification may be included on the drawing. However, it is normally issued as a separate document. The work can, therefore, be priced in detail which will enable you to make cost savings where required.

It is worth taking the time to cover as much as possible in the specification as this will be an important factor when obtaining quotes. The more detailed information you can provide, the more the builders/contractors can price on a ‘like for like’ basis, which allows you to judge fairly between quotations.

Estimates

If you are on a tight budget, do not accept an estimate that is all encompassing. If you need the estimate to show where you can make savings by reducing the amount of work, ask the builder/contractor to provide a breakdown of his estimate.

If you do request a breakdown estimate for the specification, you must bear in mind that overheads, running costs and profit are built into the rates and some figures may appear to be high when in fact they may be very reasonable. This is where obtaining several quotes will help you to understand how each company builds up their quote.

Making Cost Savings

There are regulations that govern the standard and quality of some of the materials that will be used, such as underground drainage, insulation material, glass, fire resisting material, etc. There are, however, cost savings that can be made by using alternative materials. This is something that you will need to discuss with your builder or material supplier, but ultimately the material must comply with the building regulations.

If you notice material changes from that in the specification, particularly material which will eventually be covered up such as floorboards or pipework, speak to your builder about. He may be making cost savings at your expense!

When it comes to the finishes you must ensure that it is your specification that is being worked to and is specific to your requirements. Your local building material supplier and associated suppliers will normally be happy to assist in advising on the appropriate materials for given situations. Do not be afraid to ask.

Breakdown Of The Specification

As you can see, the specification has an important part to play in detailing the overall building specification. This can be broken down even further by producing finishing schedules for specific elements such as:

• decoration finishes;
• floor finishes;
• ironmongery details.

Examples of these are shown in figures 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4.

Figure 2.2

Sample decoration finishes

Figure 2.3

Sample floor finishes

Figure 2.4

Sample ironmongery details