Contingency and sequencing for a £45,380 London renovation

[liv.pike]

If hidden damp or electrical work appears after strip-out, the £45,380 budget and 77-day programme could both fail before the visible finishes even begin.

This is a 750 sq ft detached London house. The planned work covers the kitchen, bathrooms, floors, decoration, electrical assessment and some energy improvements; there is no proposed extension. I want the surveyor to investigate moisture around wet rooms, external walls and roof drainage, while contractors identify likely remedial wiring and all associated making good.

What contingency should remain outside the trade allowances? I would also like to know which materials should be selected early because lead times could dictate the sequence. My priority is resolving work that becomes expensive to reverse, rather than protecting optional finish upgrades.

 

[readTheEcho]

I would initially hold 15–20% outside the £45,380 rather than spreading it across the trade allowances. Ask every contractor to list exclusions explicitly, especially electrical remedial work, making good after plumbing access, damp repairs, waste removal and final testing. A 77-day programme can unravel quickly if those items only become visible after strip-out.

 

[eva.calder]

Is the house expected to be vacant during the work, and are the kitchen and bathrooms staying in their current positions? Those two details change the sequencing considerably. I’d also want the surveyor to focus on moisture around external walls, roof drainage and wet rooms, not just produce a broad condition summary.

 

[DirectCairn]

I’m not convinced a percentage contingency alone solves this. On a small house, one concealed issue can be large relative to the total budget. Before agreeing the programme, ask whether limited opening-up is possible at likely plumbing routes and around any visible moisture. Also have the electrician distinguish “checks” from the remedial work that might follow them.

 

[readTheEcho]

That distinction on electrical work is important. The quote should say what happens after an unsatisfactory finding: fixed allowance, priced schedule, or separate variation.

For the 77 days, I’d ask for a trade-by-trade sequence and identify decisions that must be locked before strip-out. Kitchen components, bathroom items and flooring should not be assumed available on demand; confirm lead times before setting installation dates.

 

[eva.calder]

And don’t let early flooring dates drive the whole plan. Resolve moisture, first-fix plumbing and electrical work, close the walls, then allow the necessary drying time before finishes. I’d ask who is responsible for coordinating those handovers. Several individually reasonable trade quotes can still leave gaps where each contractor assumes another is making good.

 

[DirectCairn]

One more question for the contractor: does the 77-day schedule include time for any required permissions, inspections or approvals, or does it begin only once those are settled? Even without an extension, the precise electrical and energy-upgrade scope may affect what needs confirming in London. I’d separate the contingency into hidden-condition money and programme delay money so a late material does not consume funds reserved for damp, wiring or plumbing access.