Month: February 2019

The Role Of Construction Lawyer

Construction blogger

The recent problems in the construction industry of Chicago have resulted in many abandoned as well as canceled projects. The current economic situation is responsible for these problems to a great extent. But there are other factors involved in such problems. Therefore the demand of construction lawyer in Chicago has become greater today than ever before.

A construction lawyer is liable for all the legal issues that may arise from a construction project. Most contractors prefer to have a construction attorney on their side right from the planning stage to the end of a construction work. Having an experienced attorney on your side ensures that he will handle all the disputes arising during or after the completion of the project.

Chicago construction attorneys may work on a variety of building projects. It can be a commercial project or a residential project. The attorneys take every possible means to protect the interests of their clients. They also negotiate with third parties on behalf of their clients and also carry out their diligence.

The construction lawyers cover a wide area. Some of the areas which they deal with are as follows.

Finances:

A construction lawyer is supposed to advise the construction firms on how their projects should be funded on various stages. When a lawyer works with a construction firm on a regular basis he will know the relationship the construction firm and its lenders share. This is an added advantage of having a construction lawyer. The objective of the attorney is to minimize the fees that the firm pays the advisers. It is also the solicitors duty to ensure a smooth transaction.

Legislation:

It is necessary for a construction firm to have a construction lawyer who can guide the firm on how to implement the relevant legislation in all stages starting from the planning to the execution of the construction project. With proper guidance there will be less chance of any pitfalls.

If your company works for public sector you should hire an attorney who has knowledge of US construction law. It is even better if you can hire a local attorney because he will be aware of the local law and all the recent updates. Since construction law in Chicago is quite complicated hiring a Chicago construction lawyer will be a wise decision.

Risk Management:

Risk management is one of the major services offered by construction solicitors. It ensures that the construction firm is protected against all kinds of risk that their projects may face. The lawyer makes sure that the projects undertaken by the firm runs maintaining the health and safety regulations of Chicago. The attorney also takes care of the fact that the project doesnt get affected by any financial and regulatory risk.

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Construction Estimating Software Keeps Your Budget Safe

Construction blogger

Building your dream home? You will soon learn that it takes plenty of compromise to see this dream into reality. You need to balance the features you want in your new home versus your budget.

Many a dream home has turned into a money pit that is a major task to finish just because these self-build projects did not first consider the overall budget. To make sure that you are able to build your own home and see it to its completion, you have to estimate the construction costs and discuss the budget with your architect and builder. You should do this even before you buy the lot. Fortunately, there are plenty of free software that help you estimate construction costs, even before you start.

A brief search on the internet using the phrase “construction estimating software” will reveal dozens of cost calculators that will give a detailed breakdown of construction costs. The overall cost will depend on the location, home size and the features that you build into your new home. These online calculators can take into account fairly precise details using the zip code, property style and square footage to provide a reasonable estimate of the build cost.

Using these construction estimating software solutions is only part of the overall story. We’ve already mentioned that building your own home is likely to require you learn the art of compromise and this is where a good builder and architect will help you enormously. With subtle differences such as the pitch of the roof used making a significant difference to your total cost, working with your builder to explore the alternatives that are available can make the difference between success and failure.

When negotiating with your builder, you can use construction estimating software to highlight the areas where you can negotiate on the price. You can use the estimates you get from the online calculators with quotes and estimates from different builders. You can compare these and use them as bases for negotiation.

You do not do cost estimation once. You need to do this at varying stages of construction because once you start on the project, you will still need ensure that the costs stick to the budget. This will definitely be a big headache. As you continue with the construction, you should run a construction cost estimate to help you manage costs and plan for changes in the design before it is way too late. The earlier you identify the changes that are needed, the more you are able to avoid additional expenses incurred by reworking work that has already been finished.

Remember that materials and labor costs can change during the course of the construction. That is why you should understand that an estimate is just that, an estimate. You will do well to prepare a reserve fund in the event that costs increase midway. Of course, a decrease in costs will work in your favor.

Construction estimating software is freely available and is an easy-to-use tool to help you manage your costs. However, you will still have to carefully go through your budget to ensure the successful completion of your dream home.

Construction Scaffolding

Construction blogger

Cape Town, like many other major cities around the globe, is undergoing massive construction, renovation and restoration projects. People are taking notice of how striking the mixture of old and new buildings within a metropolis look, and how valuable and impressive a buildings heritage is, especially when it is centuries old.

Scaffolding enables workers, architects and construction engineers to perform their tasks safely and reliably, without danger. New makes of scaffolding allow for extra safety and allow workers to assemble and dismantle the equipment quickly without compromising safety.

Restorations
With South Africa, and especially Cape Town, establishing itself as one of the worlds favourite holiday destinations and a favourite spot to buy property, a lot of restorations are being undertaken.

Cape Town is rich with history, but the CBD and many other areas were starting to look a little dilapidated, until now. Major restorations are occurring all over the city and old architecturally beautiful buildings are being restored to their previous state of glory and aesthetic beauty whilst retaining their historical identities.

Scaffolds are contracted to help with the restorations, helping the construction teams to perfect every inch of the structures. Sky high or medium rise, scaffolding reaches the necessary locations and allows the building and construction workers to reach all the areas necessary with the highest safety standards. Scaffolding systems allow safe and quick assembly to reach every part necessary without risk of injury. Therefore the job can be done quickly and efficiently.

Building and Construction
With the 2010 Football World Cup being hosted by South Africa, the race is on to build massive sports stadiums and increase the capacity of existing stadiums in every major city within the set time constraints of the event preparations. New roads are also being constructed to manage the increased traffic in the cities and hotels are being up-sized to cope with the influx of fans needing accommodation.

Construction teams are making use of modern and technologically advanced scaffold and formwork techniques to achieve brilliant results in less time. With these new developments, less labour is needed and projects can be completed is less time than normal. This cuts costs dramatically.

Access Scaffolding
Access scaffolding is scaffolding which is often erected at construction sites for the easy passage of workers and equipment. In most construction sites, the terrain is uneven and littered with obstacles which could prove harmful if a collision of some sort were to occur. For example, steel reinforcements for concrete could cause grievous harm to a persons body if they overbalanced on an uneven surface and fell on the pins.

Equipment such as wheel barrows and heavy tool containers are allowed easier access to a construction site with the use of scaffolding and the safe passage it allows to the most hard-to-reach places of a project.

Scaffolding at a construction site is also a time saving tool. Without having to navigate the dangerous parts of the site and having a short, safe passage to the part of the project where they are working, workers cut a considerable amount of time out of their tasks.

At locations where construction is a potential injury hazard to passersby, access scaffolding can be constructed to provide a safe passage over the construction work. For example, if a building is being renovated and the pavement is inaccessible, a ramp can be built above the construction for people to pass over the top of the danger. Scaffolding can also be used as a protective cover above people in the danger zone, protecting them from any objects or dust which could fall from above them.

Scaffolding can be used in many ways to aid construction efforts. Scaffolding provides a way for builders to reach every spot on a building, as well as remain safe. Bystanders are also kept safe and work is completed more reliably and quickly as new scaffolding is easy to assemble. The many benefits of scaffolding keep it a well-used and popular construction aid.