The construction of a house is a complex process that involves many different professionals. Building surveyors play an important role in this process, as they are responsible for ensuring that the construction complies with all relevant regulations. They work closely with architects, engineers, and other professionals to ensure that the project meets all safety and quality standards. Building surveyors also play a key role in the project management of house construction, as they are responsible for ensuring that the project stays on schedule and within budget. They also ensure that the finished house is safe and fit for purpose.
Building surveyors play an important role in house construction, from the pew-construction stage, the construction stage, and the post-construction stage.
Pre-construction: This stage generally entails; planning and design, feasibility studies, and design reviews. During the design stage, a surveyor is needed to help plan for a building design that is compliant with set statutes and laws. In Uganda for instance, building construction is governed by laws like the public health act. Such laws dictate certain aspects that are required before a building design is approved prior to construction. They set guidelines like the minimum land size, maximum floor area of development for a given land size, titillation requirements, and amenities among others.
A building surveyor is also consulted when it comes to assessing the feasibility of a potential site for construction. A building surveyor looks at aspects like groundwater levels, soil strength, terrain, and drainage properties to assess the site’s suitability based on the intended design.
Construction stage; At this stage, a building surveyor performs a supervisory role. The surveyor oversees the construction process and continuously assesses the quality of construction works. The surveyor looks out for possible defects that might come up during construction. Such defects include:- cracks in the walls and beams; bulging of a recently cast column, and settling of the foundation among others. The building surveyor also looks out for health and safety risks to the workers on site.
The building surveyor also makes sure the intended designs are implemented during the construction stage. This is to prevent subsequent violations or deviations of the designs from the approved plans which might result in decommissioning of a building. The surveyor monitors the construction to ensure that all regulations are followed to the dot.
Completion stage; At this stage, the building surveyor plays an inspection kind of role. The surveyor inspects a completed building to ensure that it is in line with the approved plans and doesn’t violate any regulations relating to construction. At this stage, the surveyor is inspecting a finished product. In most cases, a potential investor willing to buy the building from a developer, or client doing a quality check on the works of a contractor will hire the services of a surveyor to check if the work meets the expectations of the intended user or owner.
In this case, a surveyor looks out for potential defects in a building including:- cracks in the structural members of the building, peeling paint, broken fixtures, and exposed electrical wiring among others.
There are many benefits of hiring a building surveyor and they include the following;
They can help you avoid expensive repairs. By checking for and detecting defects earlier before they become serious, surveyors can save future more expensive repairs. ‘Remember, a stitch in time, saves nine.’ A faulty column that isn’t fixed on time might cause damage to other structural members like beams and roofs.
They can help you get the most value for your property; This applies to buildings that have already been commissioned and used for either production or accommodation where a serious defect can lead to closure and downtime. That can lead to a loss of productivity and money. A building surveyor can easily detect defects earlier before defects become more severe. The building surveyor can also design efficient maintenance schedules that minimize downtime for maximum productivity of the building.
They can help you make your property safer; A building surveyor is trained to look out for any defects or aspects of a building that might make it a threat to the health and safety of the inhabitants. Such aspects include cracks and breakages in the plumbing and drainage system that could expose inhabitants to toxic waste.
In conclusion, building surveyors play an important role in house construction. They are responsible for ensuring that the construction process is safe and compliant with building regulations. Without building surveyors, the construction process would be riskier and less efficient. Therefore, if you are planning to build a house, it is important to hire a qualified and experienced building surveyor.