Section 20 consultation shapes everything about a major works project: when you can start, what you can spend and how much grief you get from leaseholders along the way. The contractor's job is to make that process easier, not to treat it as admin that happens around the real work.
A price you can consult on
The estimate stage only works if the number is honest. That means a survey before pricing, measured repair quantities where the scaffold will reveal more, and a scope written in language a leaseholder can follow. An optimistic estimate that doubles at stage two is worse than a realistic one that holds.
We price external and refurbishment programmes from a photographic condition survey, with provisional sums identified up front, so the consultation documents reflect what the building actually needs.
What good looks like during consultation
- Estimates broken down by element so leaseholders can see where the money goes
- A named contact who can answer technical questions during the observation period
- Realistic programme dates, including lead times for scaffold, materials and consents
- Willingness to attend residents' meetings and explain the works in person
- Prompt, written responses to observations raised during consultation
Keeping the final account near the estimate
Variations are where section 20 projects turn sour. The defence is the survey: repairs identified and measured before tender become priced items, not surprises. Where genuine unknowns remain, say so in the estimate and cap them.
During the works, weekly cost reporting against the consulted figure lets you warn leaseholders early if something moves, rather than explaining it in the service charge accounts eighteen months later.
Working around residents
Occupied blocks need more than a method statement. Notice letters before each elevation, protected walkways, agreed noisy hours and a daily tidy are what keep complaints off your desk. We treat resident communication as part of the programme, not a courtesy.