Expertise of construction projects in Ukraine: how to choose an expert company

There are many different design bureaus and freelance designers in Ukraine who carry out their activities with varying degrees of responsibility. This, ultimately, can be reflected in the quality of the construction documentation developed by them.

Unfortunately, no one is immune from mistakes, even the most experienced specialists. As a result, any construction project, no matter how the specialist prepares it, requires additional verification. Therefore, the examination of construction documentation for certain categories of objects (CC2, CC3) is a mandatory stage . This process relies on special expert organizations.

Peculiarities of drawing up project documentation in Ukraine

Today, especially high demands are placed on construction projects of buildings and structures. This is due to a huge number of factors, including technological requirements for materials, environmental standards, the complexity of engineering networks, infrastructure, urban architectural policy, customer tastes and many others.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that labor productivity on construction objects increases many times over when using 3D design software products, through which the designed object is modeled in the smallest details. Problems become fewer if designers solve them with the help of a computer at the stage of project development. Unfortunately, many project companies of Ukraine still work in the old way, using the computer as a culman. As a result, the quality of such a project may suffer.

Despite the previously accumulated vast experience in the complex design of buildings in Ukraine, the era of technological breakthrough and market relations makes its own corrections. The European approach to design is significantly ahead of ours, because in their market environment, Europeans managed to "get sick with childhood diseases." In Ukraine, such realities have developed that there is no way to do without an examination of construction documentation for certain categories of objects.

Selection of an expert company for the examination of construction projects. What to pay attention to?

1. Intermediation in the market of expert services.
   We advise you not to use the services of intermediaries between the customer and the expert organization. Not only expert organizations and companies operate in the market of construction project expertise services in Ukraine. A huge number of intermediaries are trying to "grab their share of the cake". These can be both physical and legal entities. The latter most often carry out their activities under the signs of legal companies. The main type of their activity is the provision of a wide range of legal consulting services. And in the staff of such organizations, you are unlikely to find a certified expert in the construction industry. Most often, all they can provide to the customer is to accept project documents and transfer them to a specialized expert company for professional analysis and evaluation. As for individuals, we strongly recommend not even considering them as contractors. It should be remembered that it's not worth saving on the evaluation of project documentation. Perhaps, intermediaries are able to offer a good price for the examination, but the probability that they can conduct it independently is zero. In addition, both the first and the second are unlikely to be able to guarantee you certain deadlines and meet them.
2. Management system of construction documentation examination processes.
   In many expert companies, project management consists only in sending electronic messages to the addresses of participants. Experts are forced to spend a large part of their working time on unnecessary things due to incorrectly set tasks. Often the actions of employees do not agree with each other. There is often a lack of proper communication with customers. Therefore, when choosing a contractor, you should learn about management tools. If you are shown only stickers on the monitor, the project will be practically unmanageable. And you should not count on high quality and certain terms of consideration of your project.
3. Engagement of freelancers to carry out expertise.
   Usually, freelancers are engaged by small organizations. In most cases, they are quite competent specialists who have the appropriate certificates and are engaged in expertise in their main (often in the public sector) place of work. The problem with the participation of freelancers is not in their qualifications (although this is not uncommon), but in the approach to work. It happens that they strive to do their work with minimal effort and receive a fee. This may affect the quality of the examination and the timing of its completion. Therefore, it is important that a project management system is implemented in a company that uses outsourcing services.
4. Communication system with the customer
   НThe lack of information exchange between the executor and the customer can be a significant problem when conducting project expertise. The task of the head of an expert organization is to create conditions under which all participants in the process will comfortably and productively communicate with each other. If communication is conducted only at the level of managers through official correspondence, then the examination can be significantly delayed in time. This is especially typical of state expert organizations. Those contractors who value their partners and their name should be chosen.
5. Guarantee of quality and terms of examination
   Expert organizations that care about their reputation, approach the process of examination of construction projects in a balanced and systematic manner. The process itself is organized at a high level of management with certain timing and a clear division of tasks between experts, with sufficient involvement of various specialists and material and technical support. This is a guarantee of high quality and compliance with the terms of examination. It is important not only to receive a cherished form of expert opinion, but first of all to confirm the quality of the developed project, its compliance with the norms of current legislation, and to be sure that when submitting documents to the relevant authorities for obtaining a construction permit, unexpected situations will not arise with their return for revision.

The reliability of the expert organization is confirmed by:

• Availability of official company documents
• Presence in the list of expert organizations, that have the right to carry out comprehensive examination of construction projects, published on the website of the Ministry of Regional Construction of Ukraine (www.minregion.gov.ua)
• The presence of an office with a sufficient number of full-time employees, equipped with software and hardware
• The implemented system of management of examination processes;
• The possibility of analysis and assessment of project documentation of construction of any complexity, from any directions and for construction objects in any regions of Ukraine ;;
• Experience and a solid list of completed works;
• Reasonable prices for project expertise services.

How to choose a reliable company for project expertise?

Formal criteria for selecting a performer:

• Verification of company documents. This first step will allow you to screen out one-day firms, companies in the process of bankruptcy, intermediaries, and reveal the fact of the absence of the necessary licenses or other permitting documentation. But it should be remembered that the presence of the necessary documents does not guarantee you the right choice of a contractor you can trust. .
• A wide range of expert services and the availability of experience in the examination of construction projects of objects similar to yours.The evaluation of the experience of an expert company is carried out on the basis of its portfolio. But it is much more important not that the performer participated in the examination of the construction project of some high-profile object, but how well he did it. The most valuable information for the customer is not the list, but the history of participation.
• Visit to the office of the expert organization. An inspection of the office of a possible partner gives confidence that the company has the human and material resources to fulfill the order.

When choosing on formal grounds, there is a chance to find a reliable performer. But expert organizations very often embellish their information. Therefore, in order not to make a mistake, you should approach the search for a contractor more carefully and responsibly.

When choosing on formal grounds, there is a chance to find a reliable performer. But expert organizations very often embellish their information. Therefore, in order not to make a mistake, you should approach the search for a contractor more carefully and responsibly.

According to the feedback of customers of project expertise, the main failures in work occur at the management level. It is the level of organization and management system of expert works that distinguishes a professional player of the expert construction market from an amateur. In addition to formal signs, you should identify the contractor's level of organization of work. It is quite possible to solve this task, although it is not easy at first glance.

Step-by-step instructions for choosing a company for project evaluation.

So, when choosing an expert company, you should follow a few simple steps:

• Step No. 1. Get acquainted with the company's documents, check the presence of the necessary licenses and permit documentation.
• Step No. 2. Visit the office.. Pay attention to its location, number of employees, material and technical support.
• Step No. 3. Familiarize yourself with the completed works.
• Step No. 4. Evaluate the speed and quality of responses to your requests. Ask questions of a technical nature and evaluate the speed of preparation of the answer and the literacy of the latter. It is important how quickly and correctly the contractor responds, and if it takes a long time, then, most likely, the contractor does not have its own specialists, the management is not organized at the appropriate level, or the company has disinterested or undisciplined employees..
• Step No. 5. Ask about the project management system. Find out whether the company has a project manager who supervises the examination, whether the technical and administrative parts of the work are divided, whether each expert has a plan.
• Step No. 6. Order the calculation of the cost and terms of examination of the construction project of your object.
• Step No. 7. Make a test order for an examination of a separate section of the project. Nothing will say more about the effectiveness of the performer than his actual work with you. The first steps allow you to weed out most of the inefficient market players, but even this does not give full confidence. Offer the future partner to do a test job. It is preferable that it is not a complex, long or expensive project. You just need to determine the approach to the implementation of your order.

Order an estimate of the construction project

If you want to make sure of the quality of the execution of the design documentation of your construction object, you should order an analysis and evaluation of it in the "First Construction Expertise": it is affordable and short - from 2 weeks, depending on the complexity of the project.

Order a free examination cost calculation

You can do this absolutely free of charge in the appropriate section on our company's website. Fill in the fields of the special online form and click the "send" button. After receiving your request, our specialists will contact you in the order of priority, clarify all the details and prepare a calculation of the cost of the examination of the construction project of your object.

OPINION OF EXPERTS

We advise you to be responsible when choosing a project expert service provider. And before making your choice, go to the website of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (www.minregion.gov.ua) and look at the list of expert organizations that have the right to carry out a comprehensive examination of construction projects. Make sure your chosen organization is on this list. In addition, the right choice involves taking into account other points, including: the time the company has been on the market, the number of specialists in the staff, the portfolio of completed works, the company's pricing policy, current loading, order fulfillment terms and the professionalism of the company's manager and experts.