In a renovation, there should always be one company or person clearly accountable to the client, even when demolition, plumbing, electrics, plasterboard, joinery and painting are carried out by different teams. The key is not to ban subcontracting: it may be used on private works unless the contract restricts it. The key is to know who coordinates the trades, who confirms a change and who takes responsibility when one trade leaves a problem for the next. Set this out before appointment, in writing, with operational contacts.
Contents
- Subcontracting is normal; having no accountable lead is not
- What should be in the contract before setting a start date
- Which qualifications and details should you check?
- How to build a simple responsibility matrix
- How should site-requested changes be handled?
- Keep responsibilities visible through handover
Subcontracting is normal; having no accountable lead is not
A renovation company may carry out part of the work with its own staff and use subcontractors for specialist trades. The IMPIC guidance on contracts and subcontracting states that, on a private project, subcontracting may cover all of the contract work if the contract does not say otherwise. That does not turn the homeowner into the coordinator of separate teams.
Ask the quotation to identify:
- the contracted company and the site contact;
- the trades that will be delivered by third parties;
- who programmes the sequence between teams;
- who receives and checks materials;
- who resolves damage or clashes between trades.
A familiar example is an electrician cutting chases, a plumber changing a route and the finishes team then finding that a wall has not been made ready. Without defined coordination, every trade may say the task belongs to the previous one. With one accountable lead, the issue goes on a list, receives an owner and gets a resolution date.
What should be in the contract before setting a start date
“Full renovation of a two-bedroom flat” is not enough. The contract should connect the price to documents that make the agreed work recognisable: an itemised quotation, approved drawings, finishes schedule, exclusions and programme. IMPIC notes that private-work contracts above the legal threshold must be in writing and must include the parties, qualifications, scope, price, completion period and payment terms.
Add a practical subcontracting clause. It does not need to name every painter, but it should state that the appointed company retains coordination, remains responsible for the contracted work and gives prior notice of any replacement that changes sequencing, access, safety or the expected standard.
It is also sensible to set out:
- Decision channel: email, a shared app or weekly minutes; a corridor conversation does not approve extra work.
- Response period: requests for material choices or execution clarifications should state when they will affect the programme.
- Cost rule: no variation proceeds without a description, price or pricing method and written approval, except urgent action needed to prevent damage.
- Access rule: who opens the property, holds keys, protects common areas and receives deliveries.
This provides a working base for a renovation kick-off meeting, where documents become tasks for the first week on site.
Which qualifications and details should you check?
Before appointing anyone, check the company taking responsibility for the project, rather than only the trading name on the quotation. The IMPIC consultation portal provides access to company records, licences, certificates, registrations and recently cancelled statuses. For a private project, the company responsible for execution must hold a licence class that covers the total value of the works, according to IMPIC guidance on the responsible contractor’s qualification.
Keep the legal company name, tax number, address, site contact, qualification reference and accepted quotation version in the project file. Where the work needs specific technicians or procedures, ask for them to be identified in the work plan and establish who contacts you when a design issue arises.
Do not treat the main-company check as an automatic guarantee for every site decision. Qualification is a necessary control; day-to-day quality still relies on clear drawings, decision records and confirmation before walls, ceilings or floors are closed.
Avoid two recurring problems: appointing a “team” without an identified contracting entity, and allowing each trade to invoice you separately when the quotation was offered as a single main contract. Both make it harder to establish who must resolve an interface defect.
How to build a simple responsibility matrix
Use a short, shared and current spreadsheet. Each line should cover a decision, delivery or work front that can hold up another. There is no need to turn a domestic renovation into a burdensome process; the point is to stop information disappearing.
For each line, record:
- Subject: for example, shower-drain position, outlet height or door swing direction.
- Person proposing it: who puts forward the solution.
- Person carrying it out: the team that makes it happen.
- Approver: homeowner, designer or both, depending on the issue.
- Deadline: before ordering, chasing walls or laying finishes.
- Close-out evidence: photo, product reference, revised drawing or written confirmation.
When a decision changes, do not delete the previous one. Mark it as superseded, date it and link the new instruction. This is particularly useful in kitchens and bathrooms, where a small change can affect joinery, water points, electrics, finishes and delivery dates.
For work in an apartment building, coordinate access and deliveries as well. Our guide to a three-week Lisbon renovation plan shows how to connect decisions, teams and materials without leaving one trade waiting for another.
How should site-requested changes be handled?
Not every change is a problem. Some reveal a concealed condition: a wall out of square, old pipework, a slab that blocks the planned route or a discontinued product. The mistake is solving it verbally and discovering the consequences at the end.
When a team proposes a change, ask for a note answering four questions: what was found; what solution is proposed; which work, materials or drawings are affected; and what the effect is on cost and programme. The coordinator should check whether the solution affects another trade before asking for your approval.
Do not accept “we will sort it out later”. If work must continue to prevent a leak, electrical risk or damage to the property, record the urgency and request immediate written confirmation afterwards. For purely aesthetic changes, stop the affected work front until there is a decision. Losing a morning is preferable to ordering incompatible tiles or joinery.
For works requiring municipal communication, confirm the applicable procedure and the identification of the person in charge of execution through Lisbon City Council’s work-commencement guidance.
Keep responsibilities visible through handover
In the final weeks, coordination should not disappear simply because the teams look finished. Inspect room by room and organise outstanding items by responsible party, with a photo, location and target date. Separate workmanship defects, ordinary touch-ups, missing materials and operating questions.
Before the final payment, check at least the following:
- equipment has been tested and maintenance access remains available;
- manuals, warranties and product references have been collected;
- approved changes appear in the final project file;
- keys, controls and operating instructions have been handed over;
- outstanding items have an owner and a date, rather than vague promises.
A well-coordinated project does not rely on having one team on site. It relies on the client knowing who decides, who carries out the work and where each commitment is recorded. If you are preparing a renovation in Lisbon, Obra Lisboa can help structure the scope, programme and coordination between trades before appointment.
Key takeaways
- Appoint one identified contracting entity to coordinate the project, even where subcontractors are used.
- Record every change in writing, including its effect on scope, cost, timing and affected trades.
- Use a simple matrix assigning an owner, deadline and close-out evidence to critical decisions.
- Keep outstanding items assigned until handover; a photo without an accountable person does not fix a defect.
Preparing to request renovation quotations? Ask Obra Lisboa for an initial discussion about the project scope and coordination needed, bringing your drawings, preliminary quotation and the decisions already confirmed.
Sources and further reading
- IMPIC guidance on contracts and subcontracting
- IMPIC guidance on the responsible contractor’s qualification
- IMPIC consultation portal
- work-commencement guidance
Editorial image; it does not depict an Obra Lisboa project.
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