Client procedures in construction: Knowledge hub

Summary

In construction projects, particularly within the UK context, the term "client" may refer to a group, organisation or a single individual that commissions a project. Whether in the private or public sector, there are numerous individuals and groups who hold interests or decision-making authority over a project. There are a variety of procedures that client and their stakeholders are likely to carry out, as standard practice, as exemplar practice and also as a legal requirement.

What is a client ?

A client or client body might be represented by a number stakeholders, which could include board members, project sponsors, user panels, project managers, client representatives and so on. Formal procedures and clear allocation of responsibilities within the client team can be critical to ensuring the successful delivery of a project.

In the private sector, the client structure may include the main board of directors, a project director, board representatives, project board, user panels, champions (e.g., department heads), and a project manager. In the public sector, comparable roles exist but are often formalised with titles such as Investment Decision Maker (IDM), Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), Project Sponsor (PS) and so on. Public sector guidelines discourage combining such roles due to potential conflicts of interest, especially given the importance of role separation in governance.

Requirements of clients

Clients hold a legally defined and pivotal role in commissioning, resourcing, and overseeing construction (with appointed assistance) particularly in projects involving higher-risk buildings. The client is responsible for initiating and maintaining control throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring safety, compliance, and success. Clients cannot escape client duties, and if a client fails to appoint others to duty holder roles, or if other duty holders’ contracts come to an end before the project has concluded, a client may find itself responsible for carrying out other duties on top of its own.

Under the Building Regulations, a ‘client’ is ‘any person for whom a project is carried out’, a ‘domestic client’, means ‘a client for whom a project is carried out which is not in the course or furtherance of a business of that client.’

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) for sometime have provided specific definitions of clients. For instance, domestic clients are individuals commissioning work on their own homes outside of a business context. Definitions also vary depending on the guidance or sector.

Under the UK Building Safety Act, the client is one of the named 'duty holders' (alongside designers, contractors, principal designers and principal contractors.) here it is possible for one person to take on more than one duty holder role such principal duty holders having also designer or contractor duties.

Types of client roles

Clients with the knowledge and experience to deliver a construction project effectively, balancing cost, time, and quality, might be referred to as intelligent clients. Key roles within a client body might include client champions, assigned to specific areas such as vision, change management, and communications. Such roles require active support and collaboration across departments, because construction projects might be additional to their normal work, often adding responsibilities on top of existing roles. It is therefore essential to realign individual objectives to incorporate project goals, perhaps with incentives structured so that project success is linked to individual and team rewards.

On the other hand inexperienced clients may find it helpful to engage independent client advisers who can assist with structuring the project, preparing business cases, and managing consultant appointments. These advisers support clients through unfamiliar processes and decision-making.

Key articles about procurement

Below are some of the most important and widely read articles on procurement available on Designing Buildings:

Client bodies and guidance, project initiation, feasibility, brief and budget:

• Champions for construction clients: Advocates who support and represent client interests throughout the project lifecycle.
• Client requirements: The needs and specifications defined by the client to help the project team assess options and make recommendations.
• Client: The individual or organisation responsible for initiating and commissioning a construction project.
• Client representative: The person—internal or external—who manages the project on behalf of the client.
• Developer: An entity that secures land, finances, and orchestrates property projects for future occupation or sale.
• Domestic client. People who have construction work carried out on their own home.
• Employer: The party that enters into contractual agreement to fund and procure a construction project.
• Independent client advisers: Third-party professionals offering impartial guidance and oversight.
• Project manager: The individual responsible for planning, executing, and closing a project.
• Sponsor: The stakeholder or group that authorises and ensures funding and support for the project at executive level.
• Stakeholders: All individuals or groups with interest or influence over the project.
• Third party dependencies: External conditions or services—like utilities, regulatory approvals, or adjacent properties—that the project relies upon.
• Types of client related roles for construction projects: A compilation of client-side roles.
• User panels: Groups of representative users giving feedback during project development.
• Users: End-users or occupants who will use and experience the building once it’s completed.

Project planning and project definition:

• Briefing documents: The documents outlining client objectives, requirements, constraints, and project context.
• Business case for construction projects: A structured argument, often financial and strategic, justifying why a project should proceed.
• Feasibility studies: Investigations into the viability of a project from technical, financial, regulatory, and operational perspectives.
• Funding options for building developments: Various financing methods, such as loans, equity, grants, or public-private partnerships.
• Options appraisals. Assessing a number of potential options before developing a concept design for the preferred option.
• Project brief: A refined summary of project goals, scope, requirements, and constraints, forming the basis for design.
• Specification: The detailed technical criteria and standards to which the project must adhere.
• Statement of need: A high-level description emphasising why the project is required and what problems it aims to solve.
• Strategic brief: The overarching document that aligns the project with organisational goals and strategic context.

Project delivery, contracts and gateways:

• Appointments: The process of selecting and contracting service providers.
• Benchmarking: Comparing project proposals or performance against industry standards or previous projects.
• Building control: The system of ensuring compliance with building regulations through approval and inspection.
• Change control. Ensuring approved information is not changed without the express permission of the client.
• Client responsibilities. Legal requirements.
• Concept design: The early design stage establishing high-level spatial, functional, and aesthetic ideas.
• Construction contracts: Legally binding agreements that define responsibilities, scope, pricing, and terms between parties.
• Design review: Formal assessments of design quality, functionality, compliance, and risk.
• Detail design: The comprehensive development of technical drawings, specifications, and finishes ready for construction.
• Gateways: Formal decision points in project delivery where approval is required to proceed to the next phase.
• Milestones: Key progress checkpoints in a project’s timeline marking significant achievements.
• Planning permission: Official approval from planning authorities to proceed with construction as proposed.
• Procurement: The process of sourcing and hiring contractors and suppliers to provide goods or services.
• Quality control: Ensuring construction work meets agreed specifications and standards throughout the build.
• Risk management: Identifying, analysing, and mitigating potential events that could jeopardise project success.
• Value management: A systematic approach to achieving the best combination of functionality, quality, and cost.

Project commissioning, snagging, handover, taking possession, aftercare and review:

• Aftercare. Provisions for initial aftercare and extended aftercare services after the construction is completed.
• Building performance evaluation: Post-completion review assessing if the building meets expected performance criteria.
• Client commissioning: The process of testing, verifying, and handing over building systems to ensure they operate as intended.
• Defects liability period: The contractual period after handover during which the contractor must rectify defects.
• Handover of the construction site to the client: Formal transfer of ownership and operational responsibility upon completion.
• Performance in use: How well the building performs practically and functionally once occupied.
• Post occupancy evaluation: Systematic study of users’ satisfaction and building performance after occupation.
• Practical completion: The stage where construction is complete enough that the client can take possession and begin using the building.
• Snagging construction works: Identifying and remedying minor defects or incomplete items before final acceptance.
• Soft landings: A structured approach to help transition from construction to occupation.

All articles about client procedures

There are more that 1,000 articles about client procedures on Designing Buildings. A full index is available here.

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