01 Project Brief
Define objectives, scope, priorities, constraints, stakeholders, budget and success criteria.
Published book + companion downloads
The Client’s Building Project Checklist
For first-time and occasional construction clients — from brief to handover.
Chris Wilkinson
Building work can be complicated. Knowing what to ask, check and record can make all the difference.
The Client’s Building Project Checklist is a practical guide for anyone responsible for commissioning or managing a construction project but who may not have years of industry experience.
Written primarily for new professional clients, estates staff, project officers, business owners and others undertaking building works, the book explains the key stages of a project in straightforward language and provides structured checklists to help maintain control from the initial brief through to final completion.
It will help you understand:
- how to prepare a clear and effective project brief
- what to consider when appointing consultants
- whether the design and tender information are ready to issue
- how to compare tender returns and appoint a contractor
- what should be agreed before construction begins
- how to monitor progress, costs, variations and delays
- what to check at handover
- how to manage defects, retention, warranties and project close-out
The book does not attempt to turn the reader into a construction professional. Instead, it helps clients ask better questions, recognise missing information and make more informed decisions.
Each chapter combines practical guidance with a checklist that can be adapted to projects of different sizes and complexity. The emphasis throughout is on proportionality: not every question will apply to every project, but every project should be approached with a clear understanding of its risks, responsibilities and required outcomes.
The guidance is particularly relevant to commercial, educational, charitable and public-sector organisations, although many of the principles will also be useful to private clients undertaking larger or more complex building works.
Written by an experienced client-side estates and construction professional and a member of both the Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the book draws on decades of practical experience delivering and overseeing building projects.
Whether you are managing your first refurbishment or looking for a more consistent way to control an established project programme, the book provides a practical framework you can return to throughout the life of the project.
Companion resources
Expanded project checklists
Download the nine checklists individually in Word or Excel, or download a complete set in your preferred format.
Download the complete set
All nine expanded checklists in one ZIP file.
02 Consultant Appointment
Consider the appointment, scope, competence, responsibilities, fees and information needs of the professional team.
03 Design Development and Tender Readiness
Review whether the design, surveys, approvals and project information are sufficiently developed before tender.
04 Pre-Tender Issue
Check the tender package, procurement information, programme, pricing requirements and issue controls.
05 Tender Comparison and Return
Compare tender returns consistently, identify qualifications and gaps, and record the basis of contractor selection.
06 Pre-Start Assurance
Confirm appointments, information, approvals, logistics, safety arrangements and client-side readiness before work starts.
07 During the Works Control
Maintain oversight of programme, cost, change, information, quality, risk, meetings and decisions during construction.
08 Handover and Operational Readiness
Plan for practical completion, training, records, keys, O&M information and the transition into operation.
09 Defects, Aftercare and Project Close-Out
Manage defects, retention, final documents, warranties, final certification and lessons learned.