Commercial and residential construction consulting in Houston is generally recognized as the home inspection industry. The professionals that provide home inspection reports for home buyers before they acquire a home. The other segment of the industry are those licensed individuals that offer construction expertise as professional witnesses in commercial litigation cases.
While both of these industry segments legitimately provide a valuable service there is a lesser known construction consultant service that provides property owners the access and guidance of a master builder. These can be owner builders, commercial or residential property owners that want a trusted adviser to protect their interest. In addition they serve both commercial and residential property owners dealing with complex decision making regarding transactional financial feasibility issues associated with their future needs.
Because of the wide range of possible service needs that can truly provide a value to property owners, we have developed an list of common questions that are regularly asked.
Who Are Construction Consultants?
Commercial and residential construction consultants are often seasoned professionals that have been practicing their craft for decades and have achieved the notoriety and reputation as a master builder. They are experts in their field and generally a solid understanding in every aspect of construction management and project administrative.
In some cases they are experienced with evaluating real estate transactions and can provide a service to either individuals that want to build a custom home or investors who are interested in producing new income producing assets.
In other cases construction consultants have proven effective as a third party intermediate on construction mistakes and omissions. These matters require the cooperation of the two principle parties to resolve the dispute.
What Do Construction Consultants Do?
Many commercial and residential construction consultants own construction companies and are giving back to the industry or supplementing their income by providing consultant service. Due to the technical nature of being a construction consultant it requires that you have had practical and professional experience in the field resolving real problems resulting from poor design, miscalculated engineering and inappropriate field applications.
Having the direct experience in understanding how these mishaps occur, how they are diagnosed and the proper procedures for resolving are essential for a appropriate outcome.
Are Construction Consultants Inspectors?
Construction consultants can be full time inspectors, but are not necessarily required to be compliance inspectors. Although with that said, there are many cases that develop that require the need for understanding the relevant building code and the standards for proper procedures and process of installation.
When it comes to on site construction issues, a compliance inspection becomes an important aspect of the forensics due diligence. The ability to inspect the physical signs of unacceptable conditions provides the clues and evidence to assist in the discovery process. In addition to the physical inspections there is also the need for examining construction documents to understand the standards and procedures that were implemented.
How Can a Construction Consultant Help You?
Provided that the a construction consultant has the direct experience in the subject property or project of interest, they can fill a number of roles albeit individually or in a team setting. In an individual role, the consultant can fill a trusted adviser accountability, diagnostic function and a construction management responsibility.
In addition to the same responsibilities as in an individual role, in a team role the consultant can also contribute by assembling team members and design capabilities. The facilitation of developing a focused team approach toward serving the interest of the owner can reduce the stress on the owner and increase the efficiency in resolving the underlying issues.
How Does a Construction Consultant Get Compensated?
The most common method of compensating a construction consultant is by a hourly rate. If there is an extended campaign, most consultants will request a retainer to charge their hours for payment.
Other arrangements are also available like cost plus agreements and not to exceed amounts if the scope of work can be readily developed. The actual method of payment greatly depends on the size and services required for a certain project. Defining a detailed scope of work is key to developing a functional relationship.
What Services Does a Consultant Provide?
A construction consultant typically offers a variety of services. This depends upon their professional experience and areas of their expertise. Most consultants can provide advisory services, diagnostics, analysis of situations and a strategic resolution approach. These types of services are the more traditionally associated services of a consultant.
In addition to the fore mentioned consulting services, a smaller segment of construction consultants can facilitate the development of a construction management team to either deal with the oversight of the contracted operations team or can directly assume responsibility of the day to day operations.
Commercial and residential construction consultants continues to be a high demand service need in the construction industry. They are not only useful in problematic construction projects but can also provide great value during the early stages of pre-construction design and planning.
