I don’t normally comment on the fact the build is still ongoing so long after it was meant to have been completed, but today is a notable date – the build started 20 months ago and the fixed-price, fixed duration contract specified that everything would be completed in 10 months. I was always expecting it to take a bit longer than 10 months – maybe 11 or 12, but not 20.

The contract is a JCT Building contract for a home owner/occupier who has appointed a consultant to oversee the work (HO/C) – my architect is acting as the “consultant” – which does not specify a particular penalty for late completion. (Other contracts specify that the contract sum shall be reduced by a particular amount for every week that completion is delayed., which on reflection sounds like a good idea.) Basically all it says is that the build must be completed on time, though the contractor is permitted to make a case to the consultant for delays beyond his control.

There’s been no particular reason for the delay – the weather wasn’t particularly bad, there were no catastrophically-long lead-times on any of the components. Effectively the contractor just under-estimated how long it would take – and then chose not to react by bringing in addition personnel to get back on schedule.

What has become evident is that putting pressure on the contractor to finish quickly is counter-productive in terms of build quality, which is ultimately more important than finishing a few weeks sooner.