Two projects with similar construction values may require very different supervision effort. Work phase, distance, frequency, contractor count, document quality, reporting and authority should be treated as workload drivers.
What to check
Use this list as a starting point. The depth of review should still match the project stage, decision value, documents and risks.
- List phases and inspection points requiring attendance.
- Define scheduled visits, critical visits and urgent-issue response.
- Clarify whether scope covers progress, QC, cost, schedule, coordination or all of them.
- Define reports, meetings, documentation and close-out.
- Ask for fees based on deliverables and involvement, not the service label alone.
Questions before deciding
A useful answer should be traceable to documents, site conditions, a responsible party or a clearly stated assumption boundary.
- What is the minimum visit frequency and when are extra visits triggered?
- What is inspected, recorded and excluded?
- Who pays for travel, testing or additional specialists?
How to document the outcome
Record information sources, review dates, documents read, people interviewed, inaccessible conditions, key findings, decisions, owners and follow-up deadlines. Separate facts, third-party statements, assumptions and recommendations.
For legal, structural, geotechnical, tax, permitting, land, design or specialist-testing decisions, use appropriately authorised and qualified professionals.
This article is general educational guidance. Project, contract, land, building and legal conditions vary and may require a specific review.