Consulting

Effective Construction Project Management

Delivery of a project within the agreed-upon financial and schedule constraints is the responsibility of the Project Manager. Each project is unique, and every client has their own set of objectives and motivators. Our Project Management Methodologies are customized to meet each client’s specific needs, whilst adhering to industry standards, to accomplish the projects objectives.

Although each project is unique, the Project Managers Scope of Work can be broadly identified as follows:

Project Management Scope of Works – Procurement

Design/Authority Approvals/Tender

• Draft a brief for the necessary consultants, solicit proposals, and provide recommendations.
• Consultants are appointed after client evaluations.
• Organise, moderate, and document meetings for the purpose of design development and coordination.
• Guide the project through the working drawing/tender documentation stage in accordance with the agreed-upon documentation schedule.
• Control the submission of development and building applications and negotiate with the local council.
• Arrange meetings with other authorities and prepare submissions in collaboration with the consultants.
• Develop a construction Programme to optimise the building process.
• Prepare contract documents with the Architect and other Consultants.
• Request construction tenders from the predetermined contractors.
• Respond to tender enquiries, and following consultation with the Quantity Surveyor, provide the Client with recommendations.
• Examine, evaluate, and compile all available contract documents, including the critical path construction programme, specifications, and drawings.
• Appoint a contractor on behalf of the client.

Project Management Scope of Works – Construction

Construction

• The contractor is issued formal instructions as part of the contract administration.
• Organise, chair, and record minutes of on-site construction meetings to provide overview of authorities, design, construction, and the project schedule.
• Prior to incurring delays and additional expenses, identify and resolve programming and progress issues with the contractor.
• Provide the client with a project control group reports containing a concise summary of the project’s status, and an issues or difficulties that have, or could, arise.
• Create a comprehensive Project Capital Account and ensure that it is updated on a regular basis to control costs.
• Directly verify input from the Quantity Surveyor to review, process, and certify the monthly progress claims and any variations.
• Conduct quality control inspections in conjunction with the consultants and guarantee that the consultants produce consistent quality control report and certificates that are required for final authority approval.
• Coordinate the approvals of the authorities with the contractor and consultants.
• Issue Practical Completion Certificate to the contractor.

Project Closeout

• Produce defect list and ensure all defects are closed out.
• Obtain and compile warranties, guarantees etc. and collate operation and maintenance manuals.
• Organise training of building systems for end user.
• Carry out final inspection at the end of the defect liability period.

Quantity Surveying and Cost Management.

Tierra’s Quantity Surveying team can provide specialised construction cost control solutions and general quantity surveying services.

Our services encompass the entire spectrum, from preliminary estimates to the final material costs and labour requirements. Our team can oversee your entire construction project from start to finish.

We will concentrate on the following aspects of your project:

• Precise cost analysis
• Accurate Financial Planning
• Well-prepared documentation
• Accurately forecasted cash-flow charts

To preserve budget integrity, we will monitor and evaluate costs as soon as the project is initiated. This work may include the processing and certification of the contractors’ monthly progress claims until the final account.

Consequently, our residential, commercial, and contractor clients can anticipate and expect consistent exceptional customer service.

We take great pride in our proactive budget reviews and continuous communication. Don’t hesitate to contact us about our project management, cost control services, or quantity surveying services for your next project.

Commercial Cost Management

Professional cost management solutions can simplify your commercial construction project. Our commercial construction expertise provides a wide range of services to assist you with the financial management of your building project. We understand that you are the most knowledgeable about your business, therefore, we collaborate with you to develop preliminary and general budgets that encompass all the necessary components of a successful project.

Our services include the management of project costs and the preparation of project and development budgets.

We specialize in the comprehensive administration of construction contracts, which includes the procurement of contractors and the tender process, as well as the monitoring of monthly cost reporting and the sourcing of supplier quotations. We can also aid in the preparation and submission of the necessary bank funding drawdown reports.

You can rely on Tierra to efficiently oversee the financial aspects of your endeavors.

The scope of services provided by our team include.

• Preliminary cost estimates
• A quantitative evaluation of the materials needed to generate a schedule of quantities for residential and commercial undertakings.
• A comprehensive pricing schedule for the labour and building trades that are involved.
• Assistance in the preparation and submission of tender documents
• Budget preparation.
• Cost guidance regarding market conditions, risks, margin evaluation, and competitive advantages and disadvantages
• Drafting and submitting building consent applications to the appropriate local authorities
• Comprehensive feasibility studies  from concept to detailed design.
• Complete construction contract administration, encompassing the  the processing of monthly invoices and payment claims, and the preparation of payment schedule certificates and contract instructions.

Tenancy coordination can be a complex endeavor. Numerous stakeholders are involved in the process, and if it is not properly planned and managed from the start, it can result in program issues, and unexpected high costs after the process. Landlords must have a detailed comprehension of the type of tenant they desire within their development to determine the development’s success before leasing any spaces.

A tenancy coordinator can generate a comprehensive Tenancy Fit-Out Guide which is tailored to the unique requirements of each development. This guide is crucial in ensuring the tenant is aware of the standard that is expected within the development, allowing them to plan their fit-out accordingly from the start. This Guide can be a valuable resource for the leasing agent in determining the terms and conditions of the lease agreement concerning the works of the lessor and the lessee.

A tenancy coordinator should be engaged in the leasing process from the start to guarantee that any commitments made by the landlord concerning the works will be financially beneficial in the long term. The tenancy coordinator is critically instrumental in guaranteeing that the lessor follows the lease agreement’s terms, preventing any ambiguity during the construction process. This is common when the leasing agent lacks expertise in fit-out works and defines the lessor’s work. The proprietor is frequently undercharged for the cost of the work.

The next critical phase is planning, which starts once stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the lease’s terms. The fit-out process can be time-consuming, especially if a resource or building consent is required. The Tenancy Coordinator is frequently the primary person who is responsible for ensuring that the tenant engages all necessary consultants, including planners, service consultants, and compliance consultants as needed. The tenant’s fit-out must comply with the Tenancy Fit-Out Guide and lease agreement.

The Tenancy Coordinator will possess a comprehensive understanding of the prerequisites outlined in both documents and will evaluate the plans on behalf of the landlord, recommending either approval or modifications that should be considered. It is crucial to note that the tenancy coordinator is the primary motivator behind the timely completion of the fit-out process which includes design, landlord and planning approval, construction, and handover. This is accomplished by initiating communication with the tenant to guarantee that all parties are aware of the critical dates for the lease agreement objectives. The tenancy coordinator can collaborate with the tenant, leasing agent, and landlord to accomplish the necessary objectives by establishing a relationship with the tenant at the outset.

The tenancy coordinator oversees the leaser’s works during the construction process, ensuring that they are conducted per the lease agreement and the tenants’ approved plans. The building manager participates in the necessary inspections at the appropriate phases between the builder and tenancy coordinator to ensure that all is per the plan before the tenancy is handed over to the tenant. The tenancy coordinator guarantees that the tenant’s pertinent insurance and Safe Work Methods Statement (SWMS) are in place before any of the tenant’s fit-out work commences.

The tenancy coordinator’s final stage involves the transfer of a fully functional tenancy fit-out that is available for trade. In preparation for trade, the tenancy coordinator conducts all final inspections to guarantee that the fit-out works are per the approved plans and Tenancy Fit-Out Guide.

Homestar is New Zealand’s leading holistic sustainability certification for new home design and construction. 

Building a Homestar rated home helps to ensure a healthier, warmer, drier, and more comfortable home that uses less power and water than a similar home built to the minimum standard of the New Zealand Building Code. 

It’s widely acknowledged that the Building Code is woefully inadequate, meaning hundreds of thousands of New Zealand homes do not meet basic standards for health, warmth, ventilation, and operating efficiency for our climate.  

A warm, dry, healthy home is a basic human right. This is why the New Zealand Building Council offers Homestar – a certification standard that allows designers, architects, and builders across the residential sector to look ahead to build better futures for our whānau to live, work and play. 

In Homestar there are mandatory minimum requirements focused on keeping your home warm, dry, well-ventilated and operating efficiently.

Some banks recognize a Homestar rating as being a healthier home and are currently offering discounted interest rates for homes achieving a Homestar 6 accreditation or higher. In this way homeowners are able to benefit from lower mortgage repayments as well as lower heating bills.

What is included in a Homestar Assessment?

We start by reviewing you current plans, construction details and specifications. After we have the information we require, we can begin our review process.

Our Homestar assessment is a two stage process.

Step 1: Homestar Review

We model your building in ECCHO to determine the energy performance. Following this we quickly look over the rest of the assessment criteria to give you an estimate of where your building sits. At this stage we can provide you with some recommendations to improve the performance if required.

Step 2: Homestar Assessment

Once we have determined what rating your building is likely to achieve, we refine the ECCHO model to match the building consent drawings, or the completed construction onsite. We then work through the rest of the Homestar assessment calculators, documentation, and scorecard to ensure all the information provided is accurate. Once this is complete we compile all the information and submit your project to the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) for review and certification.

Assessment Costs

The Homestar Review for a standard standalone home is around $1,800 +gst.

The Homestar Assessment for the same standalone home is around $2,000 +gst.

The above costs are an estimate only, this may vary dependant on location.

Assessment Timing

We will be able to complete the Homestar Review once we have all the information that we require and the deposit has been paid. We aim to have our review back to you within 2-3 weeks.

The final Homestar Assessment will require more coordination and documentation, as such it typically take 3-5 weeks to complete and submit to the NZGBC.

New Zealand homes aren’t good enough. All too often, they’re cold, draughty, expensive to heat and make us, our friends and our whānau sick.

HomeFit was created by the New Zealand Green Building Council with the housing sector to help people understand how healthy their home is and support them to make the necessary changes.

The BRANZ House Condition Survey of 2015 showed that many New Zealand homes are lacking decent insulation, ventilation or heating. Poor quality housing is linked to major health issues in New Zealand such as rheumatic fever and asthma.

HomeFit is an inspection-based assessment of the health, comfort, energy efficiency and safety of New Zealand homes. It covers a range of topics that a panel of experts believes to be essential for a home to be liveable, and provides an independent check as to whether the house meets the Healthy Homes Standards. 

HomeFit also includes a higher standard called HomeFit PLUS. Meeting this standard results in a home that is warmer, drier, more comfortable and more energy efficient than HomeFit.

Homes that have been assessed by one of our HomeFit assessors as meeting the standard can be marketed as HomeFit or HomeFit PLUS on sale or rent.

Green Star is Australasia’s largest voluntary sustainability rating system for non-residential buildings, fitouts and communities. 

Greenstar is transforming the way our commercial buildings are designed and built, dramatically reducing New Zealand’s carbon footprint and improving the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders. To help make that happen the NZGBC run the internationally recognised Green Star certification. 

Green Star certification is available for every commercial building type; from schools and hospitals, to office buildings, shopping centres, and industrial warehouses. It can even be used for large-scale community developments.

Certification works toward:

• Reducing the impact of climate change
• Enhancing our health and quality of life
• Restoring and protecting our planet’s biodiversity and ecosystems
• Driving resiliency in buildings, fitouts and communities
• Contributing to market transformation and a sustainable economy

Whether you’re embarking on a new project, planning an entire precinct, or just want to get the most from your existing space, Green Star has a framework to help guide you to a more sustainable result.

Having worked for insurers on thousands of  insurance claims, we have extensive experience in dealing with claims of all sizes from gradual damage, flood reinstatement through to large and complex loss claims and are well placed to help you identify the cause and extent of property damage and the appropriate repair scope and costs.

You’ll benefit from our one-stop-shop solution for building claims from initial assessment of loss through to designing reinstatement solutions, procuring works and administering the construction contract between the insured and the main contractor following damage caused by one-off events such as fires, floods and other losses