Sep 13, 2023 | Construction
We recognise that many homeowners have had problematic experiences with building services in the past – with a wariness of rogue traders and unskilled contractors who cause no end of cost, stress and problems for their clients across Portsmouth, Hampshire.
The challenge is often that customers are unsure how to find good local builders, how to verify whether a construction firm is above board and check that they have the right knowledge, expertise and professional skills to complete the project to the expected high standard.
Here the team at Pinnacle Works details some expert tips to ensure you never fall foul of low-quality home improvements and can proceed with confidence that your selected Portsmouth builders will go above and beyond to achieve your aspirations.
Choosing Dependable, Trustworthy Portsmouth Builders
One of the reasons for such variances within the building trade is that no two projects are identical. You might be, for example, looking for contractors who specialise in house extensions, loft conversions, interior décor, plastering and painting, or roofing services to bring your house into superb condition.
The first suggestion we always make is to ask your neighbours, friends and family for recommendations since this can assure you that your chosen Portsmouth servicing building company has provided excellent services for people you can rely on to offer their honest opinions.
Personal suggestions are useful, but a business that offers outstanding quality building work will also provide access to reviews from previous clients, ensuring you get a solid feel for the service standards a contractor holds themselves to and how well they have completed prior projects.
Any building company that is reluctant to discuss projects in your local area they have worked on or is vague about discussing their success rates and the satisfaction of their customers is best regarded with caution.
As a long-standing business with years of experience creating beautiful extensions, conversions, renovations and refurbishments, we are always delighted to discuss how we might approach your building work or invite you to view testimonials from our clients to ensure you are comfortable with the quality workmanship we guarantee.
How to Check the Reputation of Local Portsmouth Builders
There are a few resources you can use to evaluate builders in Portsmouth:
- Checkatrade Hampshire pages.
- Trustpilot customer reviews.
- Ratings against Portsmouth builder listings.
It’s also useful to search for a Portsmouth, Hampshire, building company online to see if there are any reasons to suspect they may not achieve your expectations, such as reports of costs above the agreed budget or low-quality solutions.
Ensuring Your Portsmouth Builders Services are Professional and Fully Insured
Local builders servicing Portsmouth, Hampshire with a great reputation, will always offer quotations in writing and can often produce a written contract for more extensive projects. This documentation outlines the overall budget for the work, the construction tasks included in the price, and the services they will provide.
Written quotes and agreements act as professional assurance that any local builder intends to deliver to a high standard, with good communication and transparency across all aspects of your house renovation, extension or build.
If you have any concerns, a construction company should never pressure you to proceed. They will take the time to explain the quote form, introduce the team appointed to carry out the work or suggest alternative options, for example, if you need to repair a roof and can select between various remedies, repairs or rebuilds.
During this dialogue, you can determine:
- The expected duration of the job and any variables that may affect your budget.
- Timescales for payments, from initial deposit to final remittance.
- Inclusions, such as materials, labour, expertise and assistance with planning permission.
- Arrangements while your work in Portsmouth is underway – can you remain in your home, and if so, what will your building company do to ensure your safety?
Credible local builders who work across Portsmouth will be able to provide evidence of their insurance coverage and will have zero qualms talking about their liability insurance and how that protects your investment in your property – every construction firm, whether local or national, independent or commercial, must have appropriate insurance coverage.
Questions to Ask Shortlisted Local Builders Covering Portsmouth
Choosing to complete your building work with a reliable team of local builders who provide work across Portsmouth ensures you are in safe hands with a business that provides full-scope building services and can navigate the process with you, from initial concepts to planning permission and final job completion.
Here are a few questions we’d recommend you ask when evaluating any Portsmouth builder or comparing quotations for your construction or extension job:
- Do I need planning permission, or can this project be completed through permitted development rules?
- How long will the building work take, and is this likely to change?
- What will you do to verify the workmanship on site throughout, and what happens if I am unhappy with something?
- Are your team all local builders employed by your firm, or do you outsource to other contractors?
Any further questions you can think of should be added to this list, ensuring you have peace of mind that the local builders in Portsmouth you select are the right contractors for you.
Working With Pinnacle as Your Choice of Building Company
With a first-rate reputation within the Portsmouth building industry, we pride ourselves on exceptional workmanship, in-depth knowledge and collaborations with our clients, ensuring they select materials, finishes, designs and services that make the best of the space they have.
Our building services are based on a foundation of trust, talent and expertise, with a project management team working in and around Hampshire, who remain on hand to sit down with any prospective client, explore the opportunities to complete their job to an exemplary standard and deliver services that go above and beyond.
If you would like any additional advice about hiring local Portsmouth builders or safeguarding your investment in your property, please feel free to get in contact with our team at any time.
Apr 21, 2023 | Construction
Selecting the right commercial builders for any business-related refurbishment, development, new build, or renovation can be complex. There are myriad considerations around timeframes, budgets, expertise and professional accreditations, alongside compliance with commercial building regulations.
Safety and compliance are fundamental successful commercial projects, whether you are constructing new office premises or wish to upgrade your existing site. Working with skilled building contractors with a proven track record in the commercial property development industry can make a significant difference.
In this guide, the commercial master builders at Pinnacle Works provide insights into how a property build or renovation works, what to expect from your chosen contractors, and essential tips to ensure your building work meets your requirements.
An Introduction to Commercial Building Services
One of the first aspects of beginning any commercial building project is to ensure the professionals and contractors you collaborate with have expertise in the full range of services and building techniques necessary.
Residential and commercial building projects vary considerably, and an experienced company with a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory frameworks and building standards will be a valuable partner.
Crucially, commercial builders operating to high standards of professionalism can offer advice, planning assistance and guidance as you navigate the process, including:
- Help with identifying the range of commercial services required to meet your brief, from groundwork to traffic rerouting, project budgeting, liaising with local authorities to secure the necessary permissions, and monitoring progress.
- Communication with architectural services providers, working through your detailed construction plans and technical drawings to identify potential cost savings, efficiencies or challenges.
- Analysing the applicable regulations and safety standards, which are essential to ensure any commercial construction is compliant, approved by the local inspection team, and adheres to best practices.
We will discuss standards shortly, but this is an important element.
The relevant regulations will depend on the nature of your commercial construction, with specific requirements related to industrial sites, commercial new builds in the city and commercial medical facilities, as a few examples.
Our dedicated commercial building team can provide further advice on request if you would like independent support with planning your construction services.
Types of Commercial Building Projects
The scope of commercial refurbishment services is vast, and the right building contractor will differ with the nature of the premises or the type of building work involved.
UK commercial building projects could comprise:
- New builds – constructing offices, retail spaces, storage facilities, industrial warehousing and manufacturing sites, automotive buildings, hotels, and catering builds for restaurants.
- Building repairs and renovation services – addressing structural defects, renovating tired properties, restoring commercial sites, and upgrading the current style of newly acquired facilities.
- Property Extensions and additions – in the same way homeowners opt for loft conversions to increase their usable space, businesses often look to maximise their operating capacity by adding new storeys or expanding their premises outward.
Business clients might require anything from small to medium refurbishments to improve the value of their property assets to full-scale renovations and new constructions, each of which commands a different range of commercial skills and knowledge.
The Importance of Planning and Design in Commercial Construction
Every great commercial building project begins with detailed specifications, budgeting, research and site selection. The planning phase directly impacts the success of any building scheme.
As a reputable commercial renovation expert, Pinnacle Works invests as much time and energy into your design and planning as necessary to ensure you have a thorough understanding of the resources required, costs and other aspects of your building project to proceed with confidence.
Before we undertake any commercial projects, we assign one of our accomplished project managers to liaise with our commercial clients to understand the following:
- The core objectives, in terms of budgeting, deadlines, aesthetics, and functionality.
- Your expectations from your new or renovated commercial space.
- The current stage of the project – whether you have appointed architects and engineers, need assistance securing permits and planning permission approvals, or would like us to collaborate with third parties to keep things moving forward.
Thorough planning is vital, allowing our team to identify possible issues or delays, recommend approaches or techniques, and ensure all the work is properly scheduled, monitored and overseen by capable commercial building managers.
Incorporating Project Management Into Commercial Building Work
We’ve touched on project management, another all-important part of our building services. Following the planning and design stages, when we proceed to implementation, Pinnacle Works provides ongoing project management, which ensures our clients have the assurance of robust site controls.
Commercial buildings must comply with standards, building regulations and quality requirements.
An experienced project manager represents your interests and deals with a wide range of tasks, including:
- Budgetary control – ensuring work is completed on time, to your specification, and within budget, often signing off each phase before the next can begin.
- Liaison – project managers keep in close contact with clients, architects, building inspectors, subcontractors, estate agents and other stakeholders to ensure every party is up to speed.
- Scheduling – the complexity of a large-scale project means that several professionals may need to work to carefully planned schedules, from groundwork, electrical, plumbing and joinery services to commercial interior design teams.
- Quality assurance – your project manager is responsible for ensuring your building work meets the right quality benchmarks, from checking every tradesperson on site is fully insured to assessing whether each completed phase matches your expectations.
One of the great features of working with the commercial builders at Pinnacle Works is that we have an in-house team, from plastering and decorating to project managers, interior design specialists to expert tradespeople, providing a streamlined service from end to end.
Selecting Appropriate Construction Techniques and Materials
Commercial building plans are highly detailed and include structural engineering calculations that may dictate the materials required or how your site is developed.
For example, commercial building projects where the property needs to bear heavy loads – such as having an overhead crane – will require higher-grade materials, often steel, which have the requisite yield strength. In contrast, offices may require lower-grade support, thus reducing costs.
Building engineers and designers assess factors such as the compression, tension and load exerted on each part of the building to identify the most suitable materials, gauges, dimensions and placements.
However, an experienced commercial building team will also be able to offer recommendations to maximise your value for money, including:
- Sourcing and availability – where a specific material is scarce, in high demand, or subject to rising prices, it may be more affordable to select an alternative with the same performance features but a lower cost and less likelihood of delays.
- Durability – materials with excellent longevity that are well suited to the climate and purpose of your commercial building require less maintenance, will last longer, and maintain their aesthetic appearance.
Materials such as steel framing and precast concrete are most prevalent in commercial builds. Still, you may be able to reduce your costs or expedite construction by making informed decisions based on the most available and affordable options.
Businesses may also wish to prioritise sustainability, using energy-efficient working programmes, locally sourced materials and low-carbon equipment and tooling – this can be particularly important for commercial developments with a funding or grant element related to sustainability, low energy consumption or the redevelopment of brownfield sites.
Commercial Construction Safety and Regulations
Safety regulations vary depending on the location, type and nature of your project and the materials being used.
The primary UK regulations relevant to commercial building projects include:
Pinnacle Works is fully versed in these, and all other regulations imposed by the Health and Safety Executive and ensures compliance at every phase of your project.
Commercial builders often have additional considerations from residential construction teams, with the need to ensure work sites are safe, do not pose a public health hazard or safety risk, and are well managed for tradespeople, inspectors, and contractors.
One of the core requirements when selecting any commercial builder should be to ensure they have a complete understanding of all legislation and regulations and can recommend efficient strategies to achieve the required outcomes in adherence with best practices.
Challenges and Opportunities in the Commercial Building Sector
The challenges facing commercial construction have been well publicised, where Brexit prompted shortages in skilled labour, and post-pandemic material scarcity and global inflation have meant that some raw commodities and resources have been harder to find, slower to source, and more expensive to purchase.
However, our approach is always to embrace innovation and look for opportunities to add value and efficiency to the way we operate.
Sustainability and low-energy consumption buildings are growing significantly in demand as businesses seek to invest in premises that are future-proof, low-cost to run and meet future zero-carbon production targets ahead of schedule.
Technological solutions such as blueprint modelling and simulations can assist and expedite planning, cloud-based project reporting provides always-on communications, and smart infrastructure monitoring systems can identify potential deficiencies automatically to improve safety and reduce risk.
If you would like to explore ways to improve the sustainability or energy consumption of your building or discuss options to reduce the carbon output associated with your planned commercial build, please get in touch with Pinnacle Works at any time.
Our full-service commercial teams are always happy to assist, whether you’d like to begin work on a new office construction project, need to cost out a potential commercial renovation, or wish to understand all the options available.
Feb 2, 2023 | Construction
The UK’s construction industry is vast and multi-skilled. It covers an enormous range of projects, from large-scale developments and property builds to refurbishment projects for heritage homes, commercial renovation tasks and bespoke work such as carpentry, joinery, decorating and flooring.
Embarking on a building project can be an exciting challenge and an opportunity to adapt your living space, improve your home or enhance your property to transform it into your dream residence – but the skill, quality and reliability of your construction company are paramount.
Pinnacle Works regularly hears from clients dissatisfied with the standards on their construction site or realise that the money they invested into their home has not produced the expected results. We are often approached to correct sub-par workmanship.
Before you begin your construction project, here are a few important factors to consider when hiring a building firm or short-listing quotes.
Choosing Suitably Experienced Construction Companies
Expertise is one of the obvious priorities when selecting a contractor for construction projects. Still, you should consider the type of work you require because you may need a specific skill set.
Examples include renovation work in sensitive environments, such as a refurbishment in a listed building, redecorating properties with traditional techniques, or building a new home with precise planning permission conditions and requirements.
Likewise, you might need an expert builder to work in collaboration with your architects to fill a detailed design brief, so a general construction firm may not be the ideal solution.
Here are some of the things we’d recommend you look for:
- A construction company based in your local area – this allows you to look at past projects, review their portfolio, and assess whether they have successfully completed similar development work.
- Access to reviews or feedback from previous customers to determine whether other clients have been pleased with the outcomes.
- A range of skills, specialisms, and professionals within the construction team. Using one firm for the entirety of larger projects is cost-effective and highly efficient, where your builder can manage every task, from electrical to plumbing, brickwork to design.
A reputable company will be proud to share examples of their projects, explain how they operate and direct you to where other builds are located so you can get a first-hand look at the quality they deliver.
Working With a Reliable Construction Team
Watch any episode of a home improvement programme, and you’ll see that poor communication, delays, and lack of reliability are the top problems that mean projects run over budget and beyond the anticipated timescales set at the beginning.
Great building companies base their reputations on exceptional standards and focus on transparency – they’ll tell you if something is not achievable or recommend options to get to the finished outcome you’d like while remaining practical.
If your project involves creating a new building or expanding a development, it will be broken down into phases, starting with groundwork and progressing to foundations and structural engineering before the decorative stage begins.
Picking a construction firm with a strong track record of reliability will ensure the following:
- You are always informed when something goes wrong and are given advice and support to make clear decisions about the best way forward.
- You know in advance if there is an unavoidable delay. Specialist materials can also take time to source, and an established company may be able to recommend local organisations that can help.
Although it is natural to compare companies based on price, this differential may be less important than reliability because if your contractors regularly no-show, arrive late, or are working on other projects without informing you, the overall costs can spiral.
The Benefit of Solid Project Management
Site management is a fundamental factor that is sometimes undervalued – but outstanding communication, regular updates, and a named contact overseeing your construction can give you peace of mind that everything is under control.
It is also important to have a firm you can build a partnership with and feel comfortable explaining concerns, seeking advice, or discussing ideas.
Full-service construction firms normally have in-house designers with recognised accreditations – their role isn’t solely to construct the property, complete the refurbishment or finish your renovation but to listen to your aspirations and show you how you can achieve them.
Your chosen firm should be proactive about helping to address the potential disruption to local communities when working on a residential estate or larger construction project. For example, they can schedule delivery vehicles to avoid causing blockages to access routes during the morning and afternoon school run.
Conscientious, reliable, and professional builders will happily operate with other contractors if you have several on-site, adhering to all relevant health and safety considerations and ensuring your build is completed efficiently.
Finding the Right Construction Firm for Your Project
Construction can often bring about unexpected challenges, and a building firm with excellent reviews, project experience and a history of delivering fantastic standards will ensure everything goes to plan.
It is worth researching local contractors with an established record in the type of interiors, development, or aesthetic you have in mind, as a pre-existing sourcing network, knowledge, and ability to work around likely issues are invaluable.
Pinnacle Works always welcomes customers to arrange a convenient time to talk to us about their project ideas and discuss opportunities to inject innovation into the process, such as adding future-proof materials and smart home technology that can make buildings cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in.
As a family-run company, our dedication to unparalleled customer support, professional standards and industry-leading construction, engineering, decoration techniques, and carpentry provides a comprehensive package of services, allowing you to leave your project in capable hands.
We operate across the south of England from our base in Chichester, covering the Greater London area. We can prepare detailed quotations, organise site visits, or share examples of similar or relevant builds to help you make informed decisions.
Please get in touch if you would like any further advice about comparing pricing or browse our online service pages for more information about us.
