Whilst cladding and façade subcontractors are preparing quotes for these jobs, often under the pressure of producing a cost within a tight timeframe, how can clients and contractors be sure they are comparing apples with apples when it comes to the estimates they eventually receive?

Beware the race to the bottom

Single stage tendering – or ‘traditional’ tendering – can be an efficient route, using the competitive tendering process to drive costs down. But the pressure on contractors and subcontractors to meet the price expectation can result in critical elements being intentionally left out of quotes in order to keep the bottom line looking acceptable.

Missing elements, or anything within the specification which is unclear, can lead to work being revisited and items being added later, with the final cost of the project being much higher than the original estimate.

This not only makes the process increasingly time consuming and expensive for the client as the project progresses, but also puts a strain on good client – contractor – subcontractor relations.

Early collaboration

At Eden Facades we know, from over forty years’ experience, that we can’t prepare an accurate quote if we haven’t got the right detail from the outset. Early input around preliminaries, design, and overheads, and ensuring we have a full and detailed specification which includes elevations, plans, sections, and details means our clients benefit from accurate quotes, first time.

Being involved earlier in the process also means that clients have the advantages of benefiting from our expertise and specialist knowledge, innovative ideas and solutions, and our ability to add and deliver value over the course of the project.

Value is more expensive than price

Meeting a client’s specific requirements is more difficult if competing simply on price. Undoubtedly, there will be someone that will do it cheaper, but adding real value comes with understanding the client’s objectives and alignment with the outcomes of the project.

Tony Hill, Eden Facades Managing Director explains: “We don’t cut corners, we do things right. When preparing quotes, our team always looks at the engineering and calculations to ensure the right fixings and the right quantity of fixings are being included. We are highly experienced and experts in our field, we refuse to skimp and ‘make do’, for example not using a cheaper alternative when fixings from a specific manufacturer have been specified.

“We might receive engineering and calculations for a project that determines at what centres the rainscreen cladding brackets need to go, and how many fixings there should be for each. Our team will calculate the precise amount, but there may be other subcontractors that decide to quote for fewer brackets, to keep the price low. But then – does the bracket fall off the wall? We need to know that we did a good job, we cannot put buildings and their inhabitants at risk in order to produce a quote that looks good on paper.”

Almost thirty years ago, the Latham report recommended that the sector needed to move away from its ‘adversarial’ structure, involving conflict and opposition, and adopt a more integrated and collaborative approach. As an industry we need to think less about ‘how low can we price this job?’ and more about the benefits of working in a collaborative way from the outset of a project.

A winning approach 

We’re very proud of the fact that we’ve never lost an existing client, a fact we put down to building strong relationships with clients and our supply chain, and our whole team’s commitment to doing a job right, first time. The feedback we receive from clients is testament to this:

“When it came to the detail of the proposal, Eden Facades were efficient and professional. They provided us with detail for all the questions the Quantity Surveyor and I had, and gave us the confidence that they would do a good job. We wouldn’t hesitate to work with Eden Facades again on future projects.” Gavin Leeks, Building Solutions Manager, RG Carter 

 “The communication we received from Eden Facades was consistently good, and they kept us abreast of developments on the project. We would have no hesitation in working with them again on future projects.” Ed Dwight, Project Manager, Kier Construction

“The Eden Facades team demonstrated they could adapt and find solutions to challenges that would allow everyone to work efficiently and complete the project in a tight timeframe.” Stephen Robinson, Site Manager, Conamar

Our services consistently exceed our clients’ expectations and deliver additional value, to talk to us about an upcoming project, get in touch on 01268 744199 or email office@edenfacades.co.uk