New Jersey Real Estate

Inspections and Billing Review

One of the many services provided by architects on church construction projects are site inspections and review of contractor billings. This is an optional service that may be of benefit to churches. The architect becomes a representative of the church during the construction process and attempts to insure that the church is not paying for work that has not been satisfactorily performed in accordance with the plans and specifications.

Most builders bill the church monthly for work completed during the previous 30 days. The architect reviews the billing from the builder and based upon his site inspection determines if the builder has, in fact, performed the work for which he is billing. The architect will either approve or modify the billing. If the billing is approved by the architect, the church pays the builder. The builder, in turn, pays the subcontractors and suppliers and receives receipts for the payments. If the billing is modified, then the church, the architect, and the builder must negotiate an agreeable payment for that month.

The architect is not in control of the construction of the project and therefore cannot be held liable for the failure of the builder to build the project with the proper materials and methods. Since the architect cannot be on the project at all times, he cannot be sure that the builder has complied with the plans and building codes. He also cannot be sure that all subcontractors and suppliers have to be paid by the builder. Read the rest of this entry »

When it is time to build a new office for a business, select a reputable contractor that will assist in finding the perfect location for the new office to be built. A professional contractor will know the factors necessary to ensure a good office is properly built. Factors needed include access to sewage system, stability of land used to build the new office, if there is pollution in the area that the business may be liable for in the future, tax rates, municipal ordinances, zoning laws depending on what kind of office is being built, and possible expansion opportunities for the future. Finding out all the information can be very daunting and frustrating for a business. Luckily, a good contractor will know exactly what to look for and who to ask to get all the necessary information.

The first thing a contractor does to assist in locating the perfect location for a new office is to ask the business what they are looking for. Does the business want a single level office space or does the business want the office to have a certain number of floors? If the business wants to have multiple floors, the contractor will have to ensure the land used for the building is sturdy enough to handle the weight of a multi-story office building. Even a question such as if the business wants to have a parking lot on site, off site and if the parking lot will be for just employees or employees and clients will be just as important because it will determine more so how big a plot of land the contractor has to find. Read the rest of this entry »