Not every defect needs immediate construction work, and a professional report does not oblige you to appoint HCS or any named contractor.
The appropriate next step depends on urgency, risk, ownership, consents, available information, budget and whether independent professional control is required. The three routes below explain what HCS may do and where the roles must be separated.
Each route starts from the same report, but the appointment, responsibility and independence position are different.
Some matters can be monitored, maintained or planned into a later programme. HCS may recommend records, risk controls, a review trigger or a later inspection rather than immediate work. Urgent safety or weatherproofing advice remains clearly identified.
HCS can be separately appointed to turn findings into a scope or specification, support procurement and, where appropriate, administer or monitor a building contract carried out by a contractor independent of HCS.
For a suitable fit-out, light refurbishment or defined minor-works scope, you may invite HCS to provide a separate works quotation. This is optional. The professional role is reviewed and HCS does not independently approve its own work.
| Situation | HCS professional adviser | HCS contractor | Permitted approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCS survey followed by an external contractor | Yes | No | HCS may specify, tender and administer subject to the written scope and conflicts check. |
| HCS survey followed by an HCS works quotation | Previous survey only; role reviewed | Yes | Separate works appointment. An independent professional monitors or certifies if required. |
| HCS contract administration | Yes | No | The contractor must be independent of HCS. |
| HCS delivering the works | No independent certifying role | Yes | A third party is appointed for independent administration, monitoring or certification where needed. |
| HCS acting for an adjoining owner | Yes | No on the relevant building owner's works | HCS declines the contractor role for that work. |
| HCS expert or safety-critical evidence | Yes | No connected remediation interest | The conclusion remains free of an HCS works-delivery opportunity on the same matter. |
This route is staffed by the practice’s project and contract professionals — contract administrators and employer’s agents working under JCT and NEC forms, with clerks of works for site inspection — described on our people page.
The contractor route is considered only after the scope, role conflict and required independent appointments are understood.
A works quotation sets out the proposed contractor scope, assumptions, exclusions, price basis, programme and pre-start requirements. Professional services already carried out do not become contractor certification, and HCS does not represent that its RICS-regulated professional status independently certifies contractor workmanship.
Depending on the works, the client may also need designers, statutory approvals, landlord consent, a Licence to Alter, party-wall procedures, CDM appointments, asbestos information or other specialist input. Those items are identified rather than assumed to be included.
Several of those items are professional services the practice itself provides under separate appointments — principal designer duties, party-wall procedures and licence-to-alter support among them — always subject to the role-separation red lines in our conflicts policy.
Establish condition, priorities and maintenance evidence before choosing a delivery route.
View guidanceDiagnose a defined defect and its cause before physical work is scoped.
View guidanceReview detailed pre-purchase findings for older, altered or complex residential property.
View guidancePrepare and compare proposals from external contractors under the independent-consultant route.
View guidanceAdminister an identified building contract where the contractor is independent of HCS.
View guidanceReview the separate HCS contractor service, suitable scopes and quotation information.
View guidanceRead the firm-policy red lines applied before an appointment is accepted.
View guidanceNo. The survey and any works appointment are separate. You may monitor the issue, appoint HCS as professional consultant with an external contractor, ask HCS to quote as contractor for a suitable scope, or obtain quotations from other contractors.
No. Where HCS is contractor, HCS does not act as the independent contract administrator, employer's agent, clerk of works, certifier or expert witness for those works. A separate professional must be appointed where independent monitoring or certification is required.
The roles and records are reviewed before a works quotation is accepted. The professional appointment is closed or restructured as necessary, and the contractor scope, terms, price basis, programme, exclusions and change procedure are recorded under a separate works contract.
Yes, where separately appointed and appropriate. HCS can develop a scope or specification, support a tender process and administer an external contractor's building contract, subject to the agreed professional role and conflicts check.