How to Brief a Contractor for a Commercial Project (With a One-Page Template)
A good contractor brief tells the contractor what the project is for, what must be built, where, by when and for roughly how much, and what could get in the way. In practice that means ten things: the objective, the scope, the site information, the budget, the programme, the quality you expect, the constraints, the procurement route, the decision-makers and how you will compare the prices.
The brief is the cheapest point in a project to get things right. Every gap in it becomes an assumption in the contractor's price, and every assumption becomes either a risk allowance you pay for or an extra you argue about later. Three contractors given a vague brief will price three different projects.
This guide is written by a contractor. It explains what we need to price a commercial project properly, what the client is legally required to provide, and how to put it on one page.
The 10 parts of a good brief
1. The objective
Why the project exists, in one or two sentences. "Re-let floors three to five to a single occupier by September" leads to different decisions from "Create a showcase head office for our team". The objective tells the contractor what to prioritise when two things compete.
2. The scope
What is included and what is not. Strip-out, structure, mechanical and electrical services, finishes, furniture, IT and AV, signage, external works. If you do not know yet, say so and ask the contractor to propose a scope. A list of what is excluded is as useful as a list of what is included.
3. The site
The address, the floor area, the floors involved, and whatever information you hold:
- Existing drawings and any measured survey.
- The asbestos survey. For refurbishment, a refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before work starts in buildings that may contain asbestos.
- The health and safety file from previous works, if the building has one.
- Building services information: age, condition, capacity of power, heating and cooling.
- The lease and any landlord's fit-out guide or rules.
4. The budget
Contractors price better when they know the budget. It is not a ceiling to fill: a stated budget lets a contractor tell you early if the scope does not fit, and suggest where to save. Say whether the budget includes fees, furniture, IT and VAT.
5. The programme
The date you need the space, and why. A lease end, an opening date, a funding deadline. Include any fixed points: landlord approvals, board meetings, notice periods. At Beaumont House in High Street Kensington, the client had five weeks before its lease expired and more than 150 staff to relocate. The lease date fixed the programme, and we delivered the 750 sq m refurbishment in three weeks. See the Beaumont House case study.
6. Quality and specification
How good does it need to be? Reference projects, photos of finishes you like, a brand guide, or a landlord's specification. For offices, say whether you need Category A, Category B or both. Our guide to Cat A, Cat A+ and Cat B fit-out explains the difference.
7. Constraints
The things that shape how the work is done:
- Will the building be occupied during the works? By whom?
- Working hours, noise limits and access restrictions.
- Deliveries, loading bays and lifts.
- Neighbours, party walls and other tenants.
- Planning, listed building or conservation area consents.
- Landlord's licence for alterations.
8. The procurement route
Do you want the contractor to design and build, or to build to your designer's drawings? Design and build gives one party responsibility for both and usually a fixed price. A traditional route gives you more control over design but leaves design risk with you. Say which you prefer, or ask the contractor to recommend. See design and build and turnkey contracting.
9. Decision-makers
Who will approve the design, the price and changes? Who signs the contract? A contractor needs one person on the client side with the authority to decide, and to know who else must be consulted.
10. How you will compare prices
Tell contractors what you will judge them on: price, programme, approach, team, track record. Ask them to price against the same scope and to list their exclusions and assumptions. It makes the comparison fair and the lowest price easier to understand.
Your legal duties as a client
Commissioning construction work makes you a client under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, and the duties apply to commercial clients whatever the size of the project. In summary, a commercial client must:
- Make suitable arrangements for managing the project, including enough time and resources.
- Provide pre-construction information to the designers and contractors: what you know, or could reasonably find out, about the building and its hazards, such as asbestos, services and structure.
- Where more than one contractor will work on the project, appoint a principal designer and a principal contractor in writing.
- Make sure a construction phase plan is in place before work starts, and that welfare facilities are provided.
- Notify HSE before work starts if the work will last more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers on site at the same time at any point, or will exceed 500 person-days.
Building regulations add similar duties for building work. Since October 2023, clients, designers and contractors have defined duties to plan, manage and monitor the work so it complies, and a client must appoint a principal designer and principal contractor for building regulations purposes where more than one contractor is involved. The same firm often fills both CDM and building regulations roles.
A contractor offering design and build can take on the principal designer and principal contractor roles, but the client's own duties stay with the client.
The documents to send with the brief
| Document | Why the contractor needs it |
|---|---|
| Floor plans and any measured survey | To measure and price the work |
| Asbestos survey | Required before refurbishment; affects programme and cost |
| Lease, landlord's fit-out guide | Sets what you are allowed to do and how |
| Building services information | Decides whether services can be reused |
| Photos of the space | Speeds up the first assessment |
| Planning history, if relevant | Shows what is consented and what is not |
| Any design work done so far | Avoids paying twice for the same work |
If you do not have something, say so. A contractor can arrange surveys, but it needs to know they are missing to plan and price them.
A one-page brief template
Mistakes we see most often
- No budget. It wastes everyone's time when the scope and budget do not match.
- A date with no reason. If the deadline is fixed, say why. If it is not, say that too.
- Design and build without a brief. A contractor can only design what it has been told.
- Asbestos survey missing. It often decides the programme on refurbishments.
- Comparing totals. The lowest price usually has the longest list of exclusions. Read them.
- Changing the brief after pricing. Every change after prices are in costs time on both sides.
For the next steps after the brief, see our guides on how to choose a commercial contractor and construction project planning.
