The right procurement route depends on how well defined the project is, how much cost certainty you need before you commit, how much programme you have, and how much risk you want to carry yourself.
McBride Construction works under all of the common New Zealand delivery models. This page explains each one plainly, when it works well and what it asks of you, so you can decide which suits your project before you go to market.
If you are not sure, call us. We will tell you what we think, including when the answer is that you should go to open tender rather than negotiate with us.
You complete the design, your consultants produce a full documentation set, and contractors price the same scope in competition. Lowest conforming price generally wins, subject to whatever non-price attributes you weight.
Works well when: the design is complete and well documented, the scope is unlikely to change, and price certainty at award matters more than programme.
What it asks of you: a finished, coordinated documentation set. The quality of the tender outcome is entirely determined by the quality of the documents.
Watch for: an incomplete documentation set produces a low price and a variation-heavy job. Tendering also takes time, typically four to eight weeks from issue to award, before you have a contractor mobilised.
McBride tenders competitively for public and private work, and we respond to registrations of interest, expressions of interest and formal request for tender processes, including government and Ministry of Education procurement.
You select a contractor on the basis of capability, relationship and track record rather than competitive price, then work with them to agree the price against the design.
Works well when: you have a relationship you trust, the programme is tight, or the project has characteristics that make it hard to tender cleanly.
What it asks of you: confidence that the price you are being offered is a fair one. Open book pricing, an independent quantity surveyor, or benchmarking of subcontract packages all help.
How we do it: we price negotiated work open book if you want it. You see the subcontract prices, the labour build up, the preliminaries and our margin. We would rather have the conversation about margin openly than have you wondering.
You bring McBride in during design, on a fee basis, to advise on cost, buildability, programme and procurement before the design is finalised. The construction contract may then be negotiated with that contractor, or the project may still go to tender.
Works well when: the project has cost risk, unusual construction, a difficult site, long lead items, or a budget that the design needs to be shaped to fit. Refurbishment, strengthening and staged work in occupied buildings all benefit.
What you get from us during early contractor involvement:
What it asks of you: a modest fee, and a willingness to let the contractor influence the design. If the design is not going to change in response to what we tell you, the exercise has limited value.
Why it works: the cheapest time to change something is on a drawing. Every project we have been involved in early has been cheaper and more predictable than the equivalent project handed to us complete.
We take responsibility for both the design and the construction, working with our design partners or with a designer you nominate, and deliver against your brief for an agreed price.
Works well when: you know what you need the building to do but do not want to manage a design team, and you want a single point of accountability.
What it asks of you: a clear brief. The quality of a design and build outcome is decided by the quality of the brief and the performance requirements set at the start.
We manage the construction and the trade contractors on your behalf for a fee, with the trade contracts held either by us or by you.
Works well when: the project needs to start before the design is complete, the scope will evolve, or you want visibility of every trade price.
What it asks of you: acceptance that the final cost is not fixed at the start. You carry more of the cost risk and get more transparency and flexibility in return.
Rates are agreed up front and the work is measured and paid as it is done. Common for maintenance contracts, repeat works, insurance repair programmes and works where the quantity is not known when the contract starts.
Works well when: the type of work is known but the volume is not. This is how most of our maintenance and facilities management work is contracted.
We also work as a subcontractor to larger main contractors, taking on carpentry, structural carpentry, fitout and building fabric packages. If you are a tier one or tier two contractor looking for a Canterbury subcontractor with in house project management and quantity surveying, we would like to hear from you.
Design complete and fully documented. Consider competitive tender.
Design incomplete or evolving. Consider early contractor involvement, or construction management.
Design at concept or preliminary stage. Consider early contractor involvement.
You have a brief rather than a design. Consider design and build.
Any design stage. Consider a negotiated open book contract, or construction management.
Scoped by type, not volume. Consider a schedule of rates.
Any design stage. Consider a negotiated contract.
We are experienced with the standard New Zealand construction contracts, including NZS 3910 Conditions of contract for building and civil engineering construction, NZS 3915 for contracts without a defined engineer role, and NZS 3916 for design and construct. We also work under Ministry of Education and other public sector contract forms, client specific and bespoke agreements, and standard subcontract forms including NZS 3910 based subcontracts and SA 2017.
We read contracts properly before we sign them, and we will tell you if there is a clause we cannot accept rather than signing and arguing later.
Early conversations cost nothing and usually save money.
Brock Vuleta, Client and Business Development Manager
Phone 0800 90 90 80 or 021 373 770 · Email brock@mcbrideconstruction.co.nz
Building Christchurch with excellence since 2009
Stay updated with our latest projects and news