Workmanlike manner
The term ‘workmanlike manner’ is commonly used in construction contracts to describe the standard of work and practice required from a contractor working on a project. However, its precise meaning is seldom defined in any detail.
The term tends to be interpreted as a requirement to use the degree of skill, efficiency and knowledge possessed by those working in the trade or business that the contractor has been employed in.
Traditionally, the phrase was taken rather loosely to refer to the way work was customarily done by contractors 'in the community'. However, the performance of other contractors ‘in the community’ might not be sufficient to comply with the legal standards expected by the specific works being carried out. Contractors must continually evaluate the quality of their performance and understand the standards against which that quality will be measured in order to comply with their obligations under the contract.
Regulation 7 of the building regulations, Materials and workmanship, requires that building work shall be carried out in a workmanlike manner. Approved document 7 suggests that contractors can comply with the regulation if '...workmanship is such that, where relevant, materials are adequately mixed or prepared and applied, used or fixed so as to perform adequately the functions for which they are intended.'
This, it suggests relates to the provision of reasonable:
- Health and safety.
- Resistance to the passage of sound.
- Conservation of fuel and power.
- Accessibility.
A reasonable standard may be demonstrated by:
- Compliance with a standard
- Independent certification.
- Management systems.
- Past experience.
- Testing.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
New engineering alliance forms
Guidance offered on COVID-19 green recovery, building safety and more.
Providing strength and support above the joists.
Construction Products Regulator
Enforcer will test and investigate product safety.
London landmark receives a high tech upgrade
Underfloor air conditioning comes to 24 St James's Square.
Consultation on public right to buy unused public property.
Guidance for listed building alterations
IHBC resource offers improved consistency.
New laws to ‘retain and explain’ historic statues.
The principles and art of the possible. Book review.
From horse and cart to hypermarket.
Interdependent and interconnected
How elements and processes work together in a systems approach.
Quality Management in Construction
CIOB offers digital guide to proactive methods of working.
Looking ahead to career advancement
Tech will drive professional development in fields tied to infrastructure.