Field Notes
What actually comes up at the permit desk, on site, and in project meetings. Not general advice — notes from the work itself.
The soil survey is the cheapest line item, and it sets the structural budget
A geotechnical report costs a fraction of a per cent of the project. Two lines inside it decide the foundation, the excavation and the seismic design — and skimping only shows once the concrete is down.
Continue reading →Land-for-flats contracts: the clauses that should never be traded away
Everyone negotiates the share split. The clauses that actually carry the risk -- delivery date, rent support, security -- get signed off in a hurry. Here is where to hold your ground.
Continue reading →Where occupancy permits actually get stuck
An occupancy permit is not won at the end of construction — it is decided by the choices made when the building permit was issued. The four places we see projects stall.
Continue reading →Urban regeneration: what the risk assessment really decides
The risk assessment report is not paperwork. It sets the schedule and the cost of everything that follows.
Continue reading →How to read a building inspection report
Progress certificates look like a stack of forms to sign. A few lines in them show the real state of the job.
Continue reading →Zoning certificates and the floor area ratio people miss
Exempt areas explain most of the gap between the square metres a landowner expects and what the permit actually grants.
Continue reading →