Build Fight

What do you want from a contractor? That he builds exactly what you ask for, right? In the Netherlands you rarely get that, because you’re not the one in charge under a traditional Dutch building contract. Money is leading. Not your money, but the contractor’s money. And he can not really earn a living unless he charges you for additional work or delivering a cheaper standard than you expected. A frustrating and expensive system that we need to get rid of as quickly as possible. Would you like to know how it currently often works and what does BRIQS would want for you? Read on, I’ll show you.

As a customer you want to fulfill your future wishes for living and working in a new or modified building. How those wishes can be translated into a building is not easy to identify and describe. Buying a new TV is a lot simpler. You look up information on the internet, compare price and quality, maybe go to the store to see the products up close. Then you make a decision. You know exactly what you get in advance, including a clear and good warranty. And when the TV gets broken or you do not like the usage, then you go back to the supplier. He lets you replace it or repairs it for you immediately. If only this would be true in the building world!

What do you mean exactly?

In the current building world you have to describe something that does not yet exist. Try to explain to the people who are going to make it what it is you want exactly! People that do not know you and have very different experiences and interests from yours. It gets even more frustrating for you if you are not the client itself but “only” the user. The client of the building project will set up a overall agreement on everything and will provide the specifications [1], based on the Schedule of Requirements. Based on those specifications, the contractor makes an offer. The cheapest bidder, preferably well below budget, has the biggest chance of being awarded the assignment with a signed building contract. And that’s where the trouble starts.

The contracts state that the contractor must implement all specifications according to the quote. Only the contractor finds that the specifications are wrong, and he is often right about that. Your questions simply were not translated well into technical requirements and possibilities. Many solutions on paper do not work in practice (anymore). Alternatively, the parties involved all have their own truths while only the contractor must ultimately ensure the performance, not the maker of the specifications.

Additional work = additional money

Installations do not link up properly, the layout described is not practical in use, chosen materials cannot be combined. Now what? No problem, says the contractor, I have a better solution! But because that solution is not what we agreed upon it will cost extra. So-called additional work. That is not always more work but always more money. Rather, more money payable to for the contractor; lifting the margin between costs and benefits of the offer or else as an additional charge to the client. Because the economic purpose of the contractor with the project is, in at a low price, out at a high price. Otherwise he would lack results. Indeed, to the extent the contractor expects to get more money out of it, he signs up cheaply to have the biggest chance of being awarded the assignment. Of course the client has no interest in additional work whatsoever! So the project is made in accordance with the minimum quality stipulations within budget. Under Dutch law that is enough and you can no longer make claims after having provided. What are you going to do then? Will you settle for what you have received or invest your own money to remedy the defects? Whatever you do, you end up with a hangover! And you were so much looking forward to your new home.

How can we do much better?

You can avoid a lot of frustration when you apply the following tips. You will need innovative building partners for that. Luckily their number is growing.

  1. You make a schedule of needs instead of a schedule of requirements. You describe your desired future in the building and ask different suppliers how they would fulfill your needs. They make all the specifications themselves. Of course, they will never say they are no good afterwards. That means they always deliver what they offer. That’s your warranty. You do not sign a traditional Dutch building contract, but buy the fulfillment of your wishes in the form of a building.
  2. You only work with professionals who approach building as a system and not as a project. That makes a big difference as you can read in my blog on this topic. Only with industrial building you get the best solution available at this moment. Because you can choose from good examples that have already proven themselves. That is what you get warranty on.
  3. You only concern yourself with the part of the building that really is of interest to you. Often it is only the fit-out, the part that determines your enjoyment, and not the base building, the bigger picture around it. So different building contracts can make a change. As far as risk is concerned you leave this bigger picture to the investing party, such as a corporation.

BRIQS would like to employ your experience to accelerate the shift towards a new way of working.

Take the next step and share your experiences

Do you want to take a next step? Come to the FREE* Masterclass. We will work with practical tools to instantly implement the actions of my ebook in your organizational, fiscal or financial projects and organization.

Join the conversation

Do you know how to build that new way and what you need? What is your experience with the old and / or new way of working in building? Share it in the comments below.

To your health and wellbeing,

Remko Zuidema