Have you ever approached a construction company for costs on a commercial building project only to be told that job is ‘too small’ for them? Or have you received a quote for small works from a large building company which is much higher than you would expect?
Large construction companies will often not want to take on small works as they are just not economically worthwhile for them with their high levels of overheads, which can mean they either refuse to quote or come in at a much higher rate. As a result, it be it can be hard to find a reputable building company to take on the works.
At Alabas we are a small company ourselves and we specialise in small works which we run alongside our bigger projects. We pride ourselves on offering companies a high quality, reliable option at a sensible price.
What do we mean by small works?
Small works can take many forms, and we would define them as building works up to a £50,000 budget. Examples include:
- Remedial Works.
- Enabling Works
- Planned Maintenance.
- Reactive Maintenance.
- Investigations works
- Dilapidations
- Ground investigation works
- Refurbishments
Finding a building company to undertake small works.
Just because a project is small, it does not mean that you shouldn’t expect it to be completed on time, on budget and to a high level of quality. With so many small building companies out there, how can you make sure that you are making the right choice of company to undertake the works?
- Ask for demonstrable experience. Can the company outline similar works they have completed and are they happy to let you speak to the client involved?
- Look out for testimonials. Is there evidence that their clients have been pleased with the work they have done?
- What accreditations do they hold? Accreditations demonstrate that a company takes it’s responsibilities to both clients and staff seriously. There are a lot of accreditations out there but you should be looking for a combination of general building accreditations such as CHAS and Constructionline, as well as health and safety accreditations such as Building Safety Group (BSG) and SMAS Worksafe.
- What is the quote process like? Would you feel happy having the company onsite? Are you confident about their project management from what you’ve seen?
- Do they have their own staff? There isn’t intrinsically anything wrong with there being sub-contractors onsite if they are managed well. However, a company which largely employs its own team is more likely to work cohesively, as they will have done so on many occasions before.
How can Alabas help?
A large proportion of the works we do is small works. We see it as a hugely important part of our offering and focus on delivering a high quality result whatever the size of the project. In the words of one of our clients:
‘The Alabas team are always a pleasure to work with. They have undertaken a number of office remodelling projects for us, and each time we have been really pleased with the work they’ve completed. They just get on with the job in hand, whilst being consistently approachable and friendly.’
Karen Hassan-Ally, Assistant Residential Properties and Facilities Manager, Holt Farms Ltd, Yeo Valley Family Farm
If you would like to discuss your project with us, whatever its size, please give us a call on 0117 911 1464 or fill in our contact form here.
