Section 20 Major Works: What Property Managers Should Look for in a Building Contractor

Major works across leasehold residential blocks can be some of the most demanding projects a property manager has to coordinate.

Roofing, external decoration, masonry repairs, communal refurbishment, windows, rainwater systems and wider building-fabric works can affect multiple residents, require careful phasing and generate substantial expenditure.

Where qualifying works will cost an individual leaseholder more than the statutory threshold, the landlord may also need to follow the Section 20 consultation process before the contract is awarded.

That makes contractor selection particularly important.

The cheapest quotation is rarely the only consideration. Property managers need a contractor that can understand the scope, price it clearly, work safely around occupied properties, communicate properly and provide the records needed to manage the project from instruction through to completion.

A quick note on Section 20

Section 20 is commonly used to describe the statutory consultation requirements applying to certain service-charge expenditure under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and associated regulations.

At the time of writing, consultation is generally required for qualifying works where any one leaseholder would be required to contribute more than £250. Separate rules apply to qualifying long-term agreements where the contribution can exceed £100 per leaseholder per year.

The Government has been considering reforms to the major-works regime, including changes to the current thresholds and consultation process. Property managers, landlords and freeholders should therefore use current professional or legal guidance when determining their own consultation obligations.

For contractors, the important point is different: once a major-works project reaches the market, the quality of the scope, quotation and subsequent delivery can have a direct effect on the property manager’s ability to control cost and communicate confidently with clients and residents.

1. A contractor that can understand the full scope

Major works often involve more than one trade.

A roofing package may uncover defective timber, failed rainwater goods, damaged masonry or internal water damage. External decoration may require joinery repairs before finishes can be applied. Communal refurbishment can involve ceilings, flooring, doors, decoration, joinery and associated making-good.

Contractors therefore need to understand how individual elements interact.

A strong tender or quotation should demonstrate that the contractor has considered access, sequencing, preparation, protection, disposal, making-good and completion requirements rather than simply pricing the most obvious work items.

Ambiguous scopes create risk for everyone.

The clearer the work specification is before commencement, the easier it becomes to compare bids, manage leaseholder expectations and control variations later.

2. Clear and transparent pricing

Major-works pricing needs to be understandable.

Property managers should be able to see what has been allowed for, what has been excluded and where assumptions have been made.

That does not necessarily mean every quotation needs hundreds of separate line items. It means the commercial structure should be detailed enough to understand what the contractor is actually offering.

Typical areas to clarify include access equipment, scaffolding where required, waste removal, protection, preliminaries, specific repair quantities, finishes, making-good and any provisional allowances.

A contractor should also have a defined process for variations.

Unexpected conditions are not unusual in existing buildings, but discovering additional work should not result in uncontrolled expenditure. Variations should be identified, evidenced, priced and approved through an agreed route before additional work proceeds wherever circumstances allow.

3. Experience working around occupied properties

Residential major works are rarely delivered in an empty building.

Residents may still need to access communal routes, entrances, parking areas and their individual homes while works are under way.

That changes how a project should be planned.

Contractors need to think about safe access, housekeeping, noise, working hours, materials storage, protection, temporary restrictions and how work will affect residents day to day.

The technical work may be straightforward, but poor site management can quickly damage confidence in the project.

Property managers should therefore look for contractors that understand the difference between completing construction work and delivering construction work in an occupied residential environment.

4. Resident and client communication

Communication is one of the most underestimated parts of major-works delivery.

Property managers should not have to chase repeatedly to find out whether a project is on programme, why access was missed or whether an issue has been resolved.

A contractor should have clear lines of responsibility and a practical process for reporting progress, access problems, additional defects, programme changes and completion.

For larger programmes, regular updates can help the property manager keep residents, directors, freeholders and other stakeholders informed.

Communication does not need to become bureaucratic. It needs to be reliable.

Short, accurate updates are usually more valuable than lengthy reports that arrive too late to influence the job.

5. Health, safety and site control

Major works can involve working at height, external access equipment, occupied communal areas, tools, dust, waste and multiple trades operating on the same site.

Contractors should therefore be able to demonstrate suitable health and safety arrangements for the work being undertaken.

Depending on the project, this can include appropriate RAMS, risk assessments, method statements, competency checks, PPE, toolbox talks and working-at-height controls.

Property managers should also consider how the contractor will maintain safe public and resident access around the work area.

The paperwork matters, but it must translate into sensible control on site.

6. Multi-trade coordination

One of the biggest sources of delay on property works is the gap between trades.

A roofer completes one element, a joiner is required before another can proceed, decoration then waits for repairs to dry, and a separate contractor is needed to complete making-good.

Where appropriate, using a multi-trade contractor can reduce those interfaces.

The benefit is not simply having several trades available. It is having one organisation responsible for coordinating the sequence, communicating progress and managing the work through to completion.

For property managers with multiple blocks or recurring major-works requirements, that can also reduce administration across the contractor base.

7. Quality control and evidence of completion

A project is not complete simply because operatives have left site.

Property managers should understand how the contractor checks work before handover and what completion records will be available.

Depending on the work, useful records can include photographs, inspection notes, snagging information, completion summaries and details of approved variations.

A defined quality check can prevent the property manager becoming the first person to discover incomplete works or avoidable defects.

It also creates a clearer record if questions arise after completion.

8. Capacity and realistic programming

A contractor promising an unrealistically short programme can create as much risk as one that is too slow.

Property managers should establish whether the contractor has sufficient labour, supervision and supply-chain capacity to deliver the proposed programme.

This matters particularly when the same contractor is being considered for several properties or phases.

A realistic programme should take account of mobilisation, access, lead times, weather-sensitive works, sequencing and dependencies between trades.

Good contractors should be prepared to explain how they intend to deliver the programme rather than simply committing to a date to win the work.

9. A professional approach to variations and defects

Existing buildings frequently reveal conditions that were not visible at tender stage.

The real test is how the contractor responds.

Additional defects should be recorded clearly. The impact on cost and programme should be explained. Where possible, the property manager should be given enough information to make an informed decision before the work changes.

This commercial discipline protects both sides.

It reduces disputes, helps maintain accurate project budgets and provides a stronger audit trail for works funded through service charges.

10. A contractor relationship that works beyond one project

Major works can expose wider maintenance requirements across a property portfolio.

A contractor that understands a client’s buildings, reporting expectations and approval processes can become increasingly effective over time.

For property managers, the objective should not necessarily be to appoint one contractor for everything. A resilient supply chain is usually more valuable.

However, developing reliable regional contractors that can handle planned works, reactive repairs, refurbishment and multi-trade projects can make future procurement and delivery significantly easier.

How NTS supports property managers

Northern Trade Solutions provides building, maintenance and refurbishment services for property managers and organisations across Lancashire and the North West.

Our capabilities include roof repairs, fascias, soffits and rainwater goods, joinery, masonry and building-fabric repairs, internal and external decoration, refurbishment, flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, general repairs and wider multi-trade works.

We support clients from initial survey and quotation through planning, delivery, quality checks and completion, with a focus on responsive communication and practical project management.

If you are preparing upcoming major works, reviewing contractor capacity or looking for regional multi-trade support across your portfolio, contact NTS to discuss the scope.