Client survey – red flags over contractor workmanship

“The industry needs to recognise the need for far greater focus on detailing,  workmanship and commissioning, given the impact of failures on longevity, operational costs and productivity for all parties,” commented Graham Lewis MCIOB, chief officer for university environments and property, Cardiff Metropolitan University.

“I think that there is an enormous opportunity for consultants and contractors to differentiate by using post-occupancy operational data to evidence the quality of what you do.”

“Quality should be the top priority,” added Dan Hollas FCIOB, director of building safety, Clarion Housing Group.

Cost certainty also scored highly (72%), a consequence of the sharp rise in tender inflation, and almost half (49%) of clients said “collaboration and communication” was a key priority.

Other priorities cited when appointing a contractor were: 'speed of delivery' (22%), 'sustainability' (18%), 'flexibility in accommodating changes' (17%), 'risk allocation' (14%).

In response to the question, ‘how would you like contractors to improve their services?’, perhaps not surprisingly almost three-quarters of clients (73%) said 'workmanship / build quality'.

Another common gripe was 'communication / transparency', according to 68% of client respondents.

“Projects often face the same issues, contractors doing less and trying to get paid more, clients surprised by delays and rising prices, long snagging lists, late payments, poor communication – it would be good to improve detail and transparency of projects by using better software for all correspondence, an industry standardised approach,” said Chris Charlton MCIOB, senior building surveyor at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“Partnership working is key, along with collaboration,” said Julie Blight MCIOB, property and contracts manager, estates and facilities, at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Six out of 10 clients wanted contractors to improve their 'programme management' and 56% said the same about 'cost management'.

Roselyn Unegbu, delivery director of non-infrastructure at Thames Water, said: “Cost increases are an unfortunate part of programme management and we have examples where projects costs have increased despite best endeavours. As we move further into the current AMP (asset management plan), ensuring greater cost certainty and programme maturity are key priorities.

"We work with competent contractors, and we’re looking increasingly for greater collaboration and the sharing of innovative and tested models which can be adapted to suit and enable us achieve value.”

Only 39% of clients wanted contractors to come up with more innovation ideas, such as MMC, but health and safety practices were cited as an area for improvement by 52% of respondents.

Helen Sturdy, national head of construction & NHS ProCure framework at NHS England, urged contractors to “address mental health through better site leadership and communication”.

“As an industry we understand that well led projects, with strong communication and timely feedback across the client, contractor, and supply chain, consistently achieve better outcomes. NHS ProCure, supported by the NEC forms of contract, continues to advocate for this approach.

“We hope to develop a clear roadmap of what good looks like for site leadership and communication, and to understand the wider benefits this can bring, including the potential to positively support mental health across project teams.”

Following the implementation of the Building Safety Act and associated regulations, there are signs that clients are toughening up their monitoring of contractors and suppliers.

Some 42% said they had ‘established clear accountability for dutyholders and ensure they discharge their legal responsibilities under the Act’.

Another 38% said they had 'introduced tougher checks on competencies of contractors'. Almost one in five (19%) said they now 'employ a clerk of works to monitor build quality'.

On information management, 29% said they 'have implemented digital record-keeping and require “golden thread” information at handover'.     

Although the implementation of the Building Safety Act and associated regulations has received widespread criticism, the vast majority of clients responding to the survey said they had not been impacted negatively by the new post-Grenfell regime.

Only 21% said they were 'struggling to understand all requirements of the Building Safety Act', though this rose to 42% among clients working in social and private housing.

Similarly, while 22% of all clients said they had “experienced challenges and/or delays due to the gateway process for approvals”, this figure increased to a sizeable 48% for those operating in housing.

Many respondents felt contractors needed better appreciation of the budgetary and regulatory pressures facing clients.

“The industry is increasingly attributing the cause of contractor difficulties to the client – for example, holding retention money – without recognising client prerogatives and constraints – such as finite budgets, public accountability,” said Jeremy Holifield MCIOB, responsible officer for the Prince Charles Hospital construction programme at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, South Wales.

“Local authorities can be behind the curve in terms of innovation, but they are also burdened with heavy bureaucracy that can slow down delivery – hopefully the Procurement Act 2023 will move things forward,” said Orville Phillips MCIOB, contract manager with Lewisham Council. “Good contractors emerge from effective procurement and management.”

Construction Management and CIOB surveyed 115 built environment professionals working for clients during November and December 2025.

The breakdown of the respondents was as follows: