The main part of the Contractors All Risks insurance is the Contract Works section which provides cover for the property being worked on (e.g. new house, etc.). But it’s important to be aware of what’s not covered by a contractors all risk policy, these are just a few examples:
Your onsite machinery (plant) is vulnerable to a number of problems such as breakdowns, vandalism and theft. Missing a project deadline can be bad news for your bottom line as well as your reputation. Plant All Risk Insurance covers you for loss of, or damage to, construction plant and equipment whilst in storage, transit, on the contract site or being use as a tool of trade.
Yes, damage to surrounding property is covered by a construction all risk policy, provided it’s included as an add-on to the Contract Works cover. This means an extra premium would be charged to get the specified surrounding property covered.
When applying to get a Performance Guarantee, you’ll have to answer basic questions about your professional work experience and your company’s financial history. If your business has more than one owner, the financial credentials of all owners must be submitted.
A Latent Defect is a defect that is not detected by ordinary inspection, but lies hidden until sometime later, when it’s discovered because it causes a problem that everyone can see. An example of latent defects would be weak concrete in part of a bridge column, that looks the same as strong concrete, but collapses when a heavy truck drives over the bridge.
The term Performance Bond is often misleading, which can leave contractors confused about the difference between a performance bond and a performance guarantee. Most construction Performance Bonds are actually Guarantees. Bonds and Guarantees are related but are different. The right to claim under a Guarantee is linked to non-performance of the underlying contract. Under a Bond, the bank usually pays on demand regardless of the underlying contract.
Construction bidding is the process of submitting a proposal/tender to build or manage a construction project. Public tenders, or those with a government department, follow different rules than private tenders. They must be advertised in advance, and they allow any qualified contractors to bid if they choose to. Private owners may opt to limit the construction bidding process to contractors they have chosen as bidders.
A Contractor can claim for an extension of time, thus extending the Due Completion Date for a project. He can also claim for any costs which will increase due to being on site for longer (called time-related General Items).
The Defects Liability Period starts when the Certificate of Completion is issued and continues for the period agreed to in the Contract. During the Defects Liability Period, the Contractor has to obey all written instructions from the Engineer to carry out repairs and fix any defects which appear in the Permanent Works, so that, at the end of the Defects Liability Period, the Permanent Works are in the condition required by the Contract.
