The bidding process often earmarks the beginning of the designer’s project management duties.
When the design documents are ready, the client and the designer will meet and evaluate several contractors and tradesmen for the job. This is an extremely important process as the contractor has a lot of responsibility to deliver the client’s finished product for a specified cost and within an established time frame. Even when the client has a contractor in mind with whom they would like to work, it is necessary to get multiple bids for the project to know how different contractors will approach the job, and to ensure that all items have been considered on each bid.
Once the contractor is chosen, the schedule is laid out and the permits are pulled. Project management requires careful oversight, and includes, but is not limited to, the following work to be done on the client’s behalf by the designer:
Review requested shop drawings from fabricators to see that they meet the design intent
See that the work performed is as promised by the contractor
Follow-up and schedule items to be delivered to the job site and to ensure that they are correct and on-time
Evaluate the completion of work, making sure payments are not made for incomplete or faulty work.
Finally, the client will be provided with a binder that includes a reduced set of drawings, any information on specified and installed for the project, paint chips and fabric samples, as well as any warranties and care instructions for appliances. A punch list will be developed for any outstanding items to be corrected and fixed before making final payments to vendors and/or the contractor.
