At a glance
- The role of the builder has changed significantly.
- Many builders have evolved into project managers, meaning they spend less time actually building.
- The reduction in the number of very experienced builders on site has impacted on the transfer of knowledge and skills.
- Small building firms need to be viable in an increasingly complex and demanding industry.
Residential construction has changed a lot over the years, with everyone involved in the process having to evolve to work effectively and efficiently and carry out their job to the required high standards.
One role in construction that has seen a lot of change is that of the builder. Historically, the term ‘builder’ was simply defined as ‘one that builds’ or more specifically ‘one that contracts to build and supervises building operations’. While the role of the builder can be simply defined, it is far more complex than it sounds and has evolved more than any other trade on the building site.
Navigating complexity and safety
Many builders have embraced the challenge and created successful companies responsible for building good residential dwellings. Others, however, have been unable to or have not wanted to meet the demands of the modern industry. A major factor for those leaving the industry is the changing role of the builder to a wide range of job-associated tasks requiring not only new knowledge but the ability to manage greater levels of complexity and risk across different fields.
Central to this are the significant changes in both the form and the components incorporated in modern residential buildings. Houses are no longer just a simple single-storey building constructed on an individual greenfield site – builders are required to construct buildings across a range of forms. These include two-storey dwellings but also those that are three or four storeys, duplexes or attached terraces and often built on smaller sites with limited space for construction activities. This has also meant builders needing to manage working at height and working with different contractors on safe access and working platforms as well as systems that protect construction over longer construction timeframes.
There has also been a big increase in the types of construction materials – multiple choices across a wide range of products and systems mean that builders require greater knowledge about both the performance and installation of building products. This has also resulted in a wider range of subtrades involved on site, as specialist trades are required to install specific systems.
The requirement to maintain safe sites and working environments is another demand. This means not only managing their own workforce but other contractors. Knowing the legal requirements and responsibilities associated with keeping people safe on site has become a necessity.
Other considerations include subtrade management, waste management, compliance requirements, pressure to complete buildings faster and make them more affordable, client expectations, increased building complexity, interactions with building officials and more. All this means the builder is responsible for more than just putting the building together.
The changing role from builder to project manager
Architects and designers have also seen their role in the construction process decline over time. Frequently, they are not contracted by clients to oversee construction, which means they are not involved in the process. As a result, builders are having to take on more responsibility for ensuring the correct assembly of the building, in line with the designer’s consented building documentation.
This has seen the builder’s role change, and they are often primarily project managers with little time for actual building. This means they may have to upskill to remain abreast of ongoing changes in the industry while running a complex business at the same time.
The concern is that this may result in declining construction knowledge and skill. With builders spending most of their time managing the build, they are not always able to pass on their knowledge to less experienced builders on site.
Some builders may not be interested in the project management role and will leave the industry. With industry numbers falling, this is a potential problem.
Safeguarding skills and knowledge transfer
The passing on of knowledge and skills is fundamental to maintaining a highly capable workforce within the industry, and reduced capability could have a negative impact on reputational skills. While these challenges affect all builders, small building businesses are often impacted the most as larger companies have the capacity to incorporate project management specialists within their team. Small builders, however, are fundamental to the industry.
They do have options. For example, they can employ a project manager to work in their business or contract project management specialists to run residential projects. The obvious downside is that both add cost to the contract and can ultimately impact the viability of the project. Handing over control of construction to another party is also often difficult for the builder as it takes time for levels of trust to be developed.
Another option is for small builders to work in conjunction with or subcontract to larger builders. This allows for more time on site and for the transfer of knowledge and skills to others. The scale of the projects that are worked on could also be changed to smaller residential builds or additions and renovations. This would allow the builder to operate at a more manageable scale and to spend more time actually building.
Whatever the answer, the industry must allow the transfer of construction knowledge and skills to be passed on to the next generation to ensure valuable skills are maintained.
Adapting to a changing liability landscape
Recently, the government has signalled its intent to change how responsibility falls on each of the parties involved in the building system by moving from joint and several liability to proportional liability. This will mean that each party will now only be responsible for the work they really do on a project. It will likely reduce the risks for councils, who have often ended up carrying the cost of defective work when they have only been involved in a consenting and compliance role.
Depending on the final format of a proportional liability approach, this could have major implications for builders. It will need to be structured to ensure small building businesses remain viable, protecting the valuable transfer of knowledge and skills.