Business
Final account recovery begins before practical completion
Waiting until handover to assemble the final account turns ordinary records into a dispute over memory.
Author
Jamie Reid
Contributor to Built Report. A verified biography has not yet been supplied.
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Projects
Recovery programmes must change the method not the colour
Reissuing the same activities with shorter bars does not create labour, information or access.
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Bridge-joint repairs can protect much larger structural elements
A narrow strip across the road controls movement and keeps water away from bearings and supports.
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Choosing a home builder requires more than a portfolio
Good photographs do not reveal how a builder managed changes, inspections or defects.
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Mine-adjacent public roads need a shared heavy-vehicle damage record
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Investigations
PRASA’s recovery ledger: record capital spending, reopened rail and the controls still under repair
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Traffic accommodation is a construction project of its own
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Business
Quality failures have a cost code even when accounts hide it
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Project delay explanations tested against the approved baseline programme
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Opinion & Analysis
Balconies can give dense housing valuable breathing room
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Old buildings deserve intelligent adaptation
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Retaining walls should manage the water behind them
Water can increase pressure and carry soil through weak joints.
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Project quality plans should identify real hold points
A long checklist can still miss the few stages where proceeding would make a defect difficult to correct.
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How a delayed plan approval changes a construction start
A contractor appointment does not authorise building work that still requires municipal approval.
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Construction insurance must match the work actually being done
A certificate of insurance is not enough when exclusions, limits or named parties do not match the contract.
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VAT timing can turn a profitable certificate into a cash squeeze
Invoice dates, certification delays and supplier payments can create tax obligations before project cash is available.
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Site establishment is the first test of a construction programme
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Window flashing matters more than a bead of sealant
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Long-lead equipment should drive an integrated procurement programme
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Fire stopping must be inspected before ceilings and shafts close
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The road-maintenance invoice trail behind a repaired kilometre
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Opinion & Analysis
South Africa should celebrate skilled trades more visibly
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Homes & Building
Roof leaks often start at the flashing, not the roof sheet
Junctions, penetrations and drainage details deserve the same attention as the visible roof covering.
Infrastructure
Stormwater culverts fail when the outlet is treated as an afterthought
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A bid-no-bid decision should happen before the estimator starts
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Business
CIDB contractor grades explained: what the numbers and letters mean
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