Phase 3: Tender Documentation, Building Contracts and Site Visits

Turning your design into a smooth, stress-free build.

At ES Architecture, Phase 3 is where your project moves from drawings to construction. This stage covers tendering, contracts, and contract administration — ensuring your project runs efficiently, safely, and as intended.

Building Your Project

We can support your project in two ways:

Build with Prilux Construction: Using our design and build team – we can provide a full price to build your project.
Architect as Contract Administrator: Use us with other builders – we manage the contract on your behalf, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Our Recommendation: We always recommend getting at least three quotes for any work even when using us. This helps ensure the price you receive is competitive, reasonable, and transparent.

Contracts – Why They Matter

Many people start building work without a proper contract, which often leads to disputes, delays, or extra costs. Clients can be left with nothing for money they have paid to contractors in good faith.

We strongly recommend putting a contract in place for any project. We typically use Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) or Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) contracts, choosing the most appropriate one based on the size and type of your project. Options which you can even carry out yourselves include:

JCT Minor Works Contract (without contract administrator): Suitable for smaller or simpler projects.
RIBA Concise Contract: Suitable for medium-sized projects.

The right contract ensures your project is legally protected, clear, and manageable and suitable for the information provided

Our Contract Administration Service

With our full architectural service, we act as your official contract administrator. This includes:

Visiting the project once a week (depending on progress).
Acting as the intermediary between you and the builder.
Managing payments clearly, so both parties know what is due and when.
Preparing contract particulars and negotiating between client and builder to reach a fair agreement.
Checking that the design is built as per our drawings and the contract.
Ensuring insurance and all paperwork are in place before work starts.

Benefits of Contract Administration:

Built according to the original design.
Avoid builders cutting corners.
Prevent unnecessary delays.
Ensure details are fully considered.
Allow for on-site updates and changes without confusion.
Include reasonable penalties if work falls behind schedule.

Why Clients Often Underestimate This Stage

Many clients opt out of this service because it’s charged as a percentage of the build cost. However, in our experience, it saves far more money, time, and stress than it costs.

If the project goes smoothly, it may feel like the service wasn’t needed — but when issues arise, it’s invaluable. Ask anyone with a bad building story; it can be devastating. Proper contract administration ensures the project runs efficiently, safely, and to the standard intended, protecting your investment or your home.

Project Oversight to Completion

Supporting your project on site, from start to finish. We ensure it is built safely, correctly, and to the standard intended, guiding you through any challenges that arise during construction.

Pay As You Go Support

If you are not using our Phase 3 service, we offer a flexible, pay-as-you-go service to help with:

On-site issues or problems.
Advice on alterations to the plans.
Guidance on what to do next if you’re unsure.
General support if you feel stuck.

This service is charged on an hourly basis, giving you help when you need it without committing to a full contract administration package.

Principal Designer Role

What’s the difference between the contract administration role and principal designer role?

Principal Designer: Focuses only on health and safety and compliance and is now required to obtain building control approval.
Contract Administration: Includes the principal designer role as default and ensures payments are fair, acts as intermediary between client and contractor, and assesses the building work to ensure it’s completed as designed and approved.

We can also take on the Principal Designer role independently, coordinating with your contractor and design team to ensure all health and safety regulations and site practices are correct.

Why This Phase Matters

Even a well-designed project can run into challenges during construction. Having professional oversight ensures:

Problems are resolved quickly.
Safety is maintained on site.
The design is built as intended.
The project is completed successfully and efficiently.