Achieve positive results with help from our Clerk of Works site inspectors

Why Employ Our Services?

We are corporate members of the Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate (ICWCI), which bolsters our services. This indicates an endorsement of competence, and ensures that our team meet an appropriate level of service.

As Clerks of Works, KBR Construction Consultants have successfully embraced advances in modern technology, materials, processes, and procedures, as well as the ever-changing rules and regulations that are not only part of the construction industry, but also part of the conventions of modern living.

With forward thinking and an in-depth knowledge of multiple construction techniques and practices, we help to achieve a right first-time approach and ensure good, consistent standards are maintained throughout your construction project.

Early Warning System

As competent Clerk of Works, one of our functions will ultimately be an early warning system. 

Our ability to identify problems in advance and protect them from materialising is extremely beneficial, and we also combat problems if they do develop, as we help to provide a swift solution. We detect workmanship that does not comply with current standards, your contract standards, or the specification of the building. This is usually completed through regular inspections and onsite vigilance.

We also focus on quality; promoting right first time initiatives, reducing rework and double handling.

Protect Your Investment

Our duties include independent third-party inspections, reporting in detail, advising, and generally being the eyes and ears of the Project Manager and Client alike on site. The satisfactory discharge of these duties requires a wealth of practical experience, sound technical knowledge, and interpersonal skills, which is our forte.

Some consider that given the current economic climate, employing such an essential role may not be a cost-effective option. However, this is in fact a false economy - as if ever there was a time when such a service was needed to protect your investment, it is now!

Contractors are increasingly winning contracts through submitting the lowest tender, which sometimes results in shortcuts, reducing the quality of your work. You’ll also have to place your trust in your sub-contractors, as they’ll need to verify their own work. It is a contractual obligation for the contractor to produce work and the use of materials in accordance with the standards of the building contract – however, the accurate recording of this obligation is seldom subject to formal procedures.

The Limitations of Building Control

Some clients and end-users alike take comfort in the knowledge that Building Control (either Local Authority or Approved Inspectors) are involved on their projects, carrying out their inspections at key stages of construction.

However, given the size of larger projects such as new-build care homes, these inspections are generally only undertaken at monthly intervals (on average), with often lengthy gaps between inspections of the ground floor slab and the pre-plaster (roof construction) stage. This is despite the bulk of the building being constructed during this time.

Although Building Control is a requirement and provides an essential service, they will not comment on quality control, industry standards, or permitted tolerances, as they can only enforce the minimum standards of the Building Regulations to achieve compliance. You could potentially employ the world’s worst builders, but if they satisfy the minimum standards, Building Control are obliged to sign off the building upon completion – regardless of the quality or finish achieved!

The building control inspector will often only be onsite for thirty minutes while undertaking their inspection, yet due to both the speed and volume of work that can be achieved and covered during the construction process, areas of work will ultimately go unnoticed. It is therefore unadvisable to rely on building control alone, especially for larger projects.

Avoid Costly Delays

Without the intervention of a Clerk of Works, how much would rectification and/or remedial action have cost in both time and money? How do you achieve consistency with various trades? Without a clerk of works, your construction project could suffer, as costly delays result in a difficult handover. If detrimental issues are not identified during construction, they may return to haunt the end-user well after the project completion date!

Being employed throughout the duration of your project, KBR Construction Consultants give you peace of mind. Your investment is safeguarded into a quality building that is ultimately fit for purpose.

We are also recognised within the Clerk of Works Institute and our founder Kieran Read, previously elected as the ICWCI East Midlands Chapter Chairman for the last eight consecutive years and conducts regular interviews on behalf of the institute and was an active member on their Professional Standards Committee