In short
The supervision consultant is the owner's engineer on site. They inspect the works regularly, check them against the approved drawings and specifications before they are covered, confirm that materials comply, and keep owner, contractor and authorities working from the same information.
Key points
- The contractor builds; the consultant checks, on the owner's behalf, that what is built matches what was approved.
- The most important inspections happen before work is covered: reinforcement before concrete, services before ceilings.
- Materials are checked against the specification before they are installed, not after.
- Every issue is raised in writing and followed until it is closed.
On every building site there are two different jobs. The contractor builds. Someone else, working for the owner, checks that what is built is what was designed and approved. That second job is construction supervision.
The owner’s engineer
Most owners cannot be on site every day, and even when they are, they cannot tell whether the reinforcement in a slab matches the structural drawings. The supervising consultant can. They are the owner’s engineer: independent of the contractor and accountable to the owner.
What supervision covers
Nation’s supervision service covers four things:
- Regular site inspections and progress monitoring against the programme.
- Verification of works against the approved drawings, element by element.
- Material compliance checks, so what arrives on site matches the specification.
- Coordination between stakeholders: owner, contractor, specialists and authorities.
Timing is everything
The inspections that matter most happen before work is covered by the next stage: reinforcement before the concrete is poured, waterproofing before it is protected, services before the ceiling is closed. After that, checking means breaking.
In writing
Every issue is raised in writing, with a location, a reference to the drawing and what is required, and followed until it is closed. The record protects the owner and gives the contractor a clear basis to act on.
Our supervision work
Our supervision projects include the Contemporary Residence in Madinat Al Riyadh, works at the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, the Al Ruwais Police Station, Abu Dhabi School and De Roma Cafe. If you are about to build, talk to us before work starts on site.
Questions
Isn't the contractor responsible for quality?
The contractor is responsible for building correctly. The consultant gives the owner an independent check that it has been done, at the moments when problems can still be fixed cheaply.
Does supervision slow the project down?
Planned inspections fit the programme. What slows projects down is discovering a problem after it has been covered by the next trade.