Employers Agent

Kent Construction Consultants are specialists in administering Design and Build procurement and contract routes which allows us to promote the role of an Employers Agent who are commonly appointed when a Design and Build procurement route is adopted.

A Design and Build procurement route involve the production of the initial design information which is called the Employers Requirements. This then becomes the basis on which a principal contractor provides a tender submission. The contractor will then take on the responsibility for the design and as part of this process some or all of the design team will be novated to the contractor so they can input into the production of the detailed and construction design.

The benefits of a Design and Build procurement route which requires the appointment of an Employers Agent is that it means the contractors skills and knowledge can be utilized during the design stage. It also passes risk in terms of cost and design on to the contractor. Some of the potential fallbacks of procuring works via a Design and Build route are that the design can lack imagination or contractors may cut corners on quality, and any changes to the design requested by the Employer can lead to significant cost increase. Therefore, it is important to engage an Employers Agent to deliver the works on the behalf of an Employer.

The role of an Employers Agent will be contained within the agreed form of construction contract. One of the most common types of construction contract that requires the appointment of an Employers Agent is the JCT Design and Building Contract 2016.

As your appointed Employers Agent we are responsible for administering the below professional services in accordance with the contract, whilst providing peace of mind being a firm regulated by Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ensuring the company operates and complies with globally recognised ethical and professional standards, giving confidence that we can be trusted to deliver high standards of service at all times.

The key role of the Employers Agent is to act on the behalf of the Employer to manage the project through to completion ensuring the employer “our client” achieves maximum value and sufficient commercial protection throughout build stages.