The Construction Team

Construction companies are usually categorised as large, medium or small. It is the small companies which usually carry out domestic work, which as a rule of thumb for a two-storey extension to a three-bedroom terraced house could be in the region of £25-£35,000, whereas an extension to a large 4-5 bedroom detached house could be in the region of £50-£100,000.

Obviously these figures can vary considerably depending on specification. However, this type of work would normally be carried out by companies categorised as small.

Since this guidebook is aimed mainly at the domestic market, I will not go into detail about the different roles of the professional departments within large and medium-sized companies. However, the organisation chart presented in Figure 11.1 will give you a picture of the typical management structure of a small company.

Responsibilities Of Site Management

Site Manager

Site managers do not usually carry out any practical work and are normally appointed to projects which require close coordination of subcontractors and precise continuity of material. These projects would normally be in the range of £400,000 and upwards. However, on projects that are technically difficult or have a very tight timescale, the range could start as low as £150,000.

It is the site manager’s duty to ensure that the day-to-day running of the site is carried out to meet the regulations that are laid down by the construction industry regulatory bodies. He must ensure that site personnel are adequately trained and competent for the tasks which they are being asked to carry out.

Site managers are usually given the responsibility to make decisions which have a direct bearing on the site and the well-being of anyone affected by it. This would include the client, visitors (whether invited or not) and the immediate neighbours, among many others.

If the site manager is unable to satisfy your requirements for any reason, it is at this point that you should contact his superior. This could be the contract manager or director of the company.

If the project does not warrant a full time site manager, there must be an appointed person who is responsible for the site activities and health and safety requirements such as first aid etc. Site managers who work on the domestic side of construction generally tend to come from a trade background and therefore have a very good understanding of all of the elements involved.

Site managers will not only take on the responsibility of coordinating the labour and material, they will also be responsible for requesting information from the professional teams. There are systems for managing sites which ensure that the flow of information once the project is underway does not significantly slow the project down.

Where there is a significant complication or delay which could not have been foreseen, this will be recorded and raised with the architect or contract administrator, who will in turn consult with the client to resolve the situation. The consequences of the problem will be brought up at the next site meeting.

Good site managers will request information well in advance of actually needing it on an RFI (request for information) sheet, with dates for when they require the answer. When they are given verbal instructions either by telephone or on site, these will be recorded on a CVI (confirmation of verbal instruction) sheet.

It is not unusual to end up with many RFIs and CVIs, as it is unlikely that all potential problems have been taken into account, particularly on older properties, as explained in Chapter 2.

Foreman

The site foreman would normally have a ‘hands-on’ role and carry out physical work, but would also be expected to make decisions affecting the work and would coordinate the operations on site, including the ordering of material etc.

The foreman would usually be instructed by his head office in matters of the specification of work, and as such would not be expected to act on information from the client, unless he has been given the training and responsibility to record and communicate any changes or revisions to the specification.

Some companies may have different titles for their personnel on site and may refer to a person who is managing a site and not working himself, as a site foreman. The difference between a site foreman and a site manager lies in the level of responsibility for decision-making, and therefore a person’s title may not describe their role accurately.