Contractor Management & Vetting

Works Orders, Evidence and Payment Control

Every instruction is issued as a works order by the property manager. Contractor invoices must arrive accompanied by that works order and by before-and-after photographs of the work carried out, and we reserve the right to inspect any works to our satisfaction before the contractor is paid.

Payment terms are strictly 30 days. That combination, documented instruction, photographic evidence, right of inspection and a fixed payment window, is what makes contractor spend auditable to directors rather than something they simply have to trust.

• Works order issued before any instruction
• Before-and-after photographs required with every invoice
• Right to inspect completed works prior to payment
• Strictly 30-day payment terms

No Commission on Contractor Selection

We do not charge administration or commission fees on contractor selection, and we do not take a percentage of contractor invoices for general maintenance. The contractor's price is the price that reaches the service charge.

This matters more than it sounds. Percentage-based contractor commission is common in the sector and it creates a direct conflict of interest, because the managing agent earns more when the building spends more. Removing it means our recommendation on whether a job needs doing is not influenced by what we would earn from it. Major works administered under Section 20 carry a separately published administration fee, set out in our price list.

We are also happy to work with contractors you already use when taking on a new management instruction, provided they meet our contractor approval policy.

What a Contractor Has to Evidence

Approval is document-led. Contractors provide evidence of insurance, relevant qualifications, accreditations and competency for the work they are being appointed to do, and they refresh it annually or whenever a document expires.

For specialist safety work the bar is higher and more specific. Fire door repairs, for example, should only be carried out by a competent person with the appropriate skills, experience and training, because the door leaf, frame, hinges, seals and closers work as one assembly and an incorrect repair can compromise the whole of it. Recognised accreditation schemes, many supported through UKAS, exist precisely so that competence can be demonstrated rather than claimed.

One thing we will not do is recommend a specific contractor for works inside a leaseholder's own property. Doing so would create a conflict of interest and compromise our impartiality, so we provide the inspection findings and the standard to be met, and the choice of firm stays with the owner.