‍

In the past traditional construction methods and costs were well understood, safe and considered predictable for project delivery.  This was despite the fact that there were significant concerns about the quality and slow speed of traditional construction, the levels of snagging and the often higher final account cost versus the original tender price.

 Given all these risks and the potential for failure it is strange that off-site construction, apart from use in hotel and fast food restaurant construction was still seen as something new-fangled and poorly understood. Where it was used it was mainly because the project could not be delivered in time, traditionally and off-site was seen as the only way to achieve what the client required and many of the traditional cost risk allowances were still applied to the prices quoted, thus unnecessarily driving up the project costs.  Clients were not made aware that the off-site construction process is much more certain to deliver; on time, to quoted cost and defect free than traditional construction.  This as well as being more environmentally friendly, causing less disruption and in many cases being of higher quality.

 The off-site industry has grown dramatically both in scale and quality and many of the old criticisms have been eliminated in recent years.  Terms like “bouncy floors”, “grey boxes” and “inflexibility” have all been used, by construction professionals, about the industry’s buildings and while these may have been applicable in the distant past they are not true today.

 Now is the time to change that perception and tell clients that what they are seeing and hearing in the trade and national media is true. Probably the biggest challenge for many construction professionals is to openly and honestly examine the pros and cons of adopting the use of traditional or off-site construction methods on any project.  This should be done with care to ensure that the comparison is informed and robust, based on the specific project requirements.  This can be difficult for both the client and their professional team if their experience of the use of off-site is limited or even non-existent.

To gain the maximum benefit from the use of off-site construction this comparison with traditional methods should be done at the very start of the project development.  If the project has a high proportion of bespoke traditional construction work or for some other reason is unsuitable for off-site then the use of off-site methods should be discounted.  If it is true that some traditional element will dominate the project programme, again the use of off-site for even part of the project, may offer little if any benefit.  If on the other hand the comparison shows the potential for off-site to add value then it is important to engage with the potential off-site suppliers at an early stage so that the scheme design takes the form of construction into account in order to maximise the benefits to the client.

The Offsite Construction Show which is being held at the London Excel Centre on 11 and 12 October this year would be a good place for those with little knowledge of the off-site construction industry to start to gain some understanding.  https://offsiteconstructionshow.co.uk

Alternatively Off Site Construction Advice Ltd is available to provide that knowledge of the capabilities of the off-site industry on a project by project basis.  https://www.oscadvice.co.uk/contact

Another article in this newsletter about increasing capacity in the off-site sector should help to alleviate concerns about the off-site industry’s ability to meet the demands of clients.