The position you are in
You are a trustee, probably unpaid, and the scheme's exterior is visibly overdue. There are damp complaints from two ground floor units, a leak above unit 14 that has been patched twice, and a reserve fund that will cover most but not all of it. At the AGM you will be asked why the cheapest quote was not accepted.
That last question is the one this guide exists to answer, because on schemes it is a genuinely dangerous one. A repaint that fails in three years is a second special levy, and the trustees who approved it are the ones who have to ask for it.
Scope it before you price it
The single most common mistake on schemes is asking three contractors to quote a repaint without a defined scope. You then receive three different jobs at three different prices and no basis on which to compare them.
- 1Get a condition survey first, in writing, with photographs and measured areas by block and elevation.
- 2Separate the work into water related repairs, substrate repairs, and decoration. These are three different budgets with three different urgencies.
- 3List every leak and damp complaint on record and have each one physically inspected and diagnosed, not assumed.
- 4Decide access strategy early. Scaffolding versus rope access materially changes cost, duration and disruption on a multi storey scheme.
- 5Write the scope once, then send the same scope to every contractor. Now the quotes are comparable.
- 6Require each quote to price the same schedule of line items, including provisional sums for what cannot be seen yet.
On a scheme, the scope document is worth more than the quotes. Without it you are not comparing prices, you are comparing interpretations.
What quietly goes wrong on schemes
Phasing, when the reserve fund will not stretch
| Phase | What goes in it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | All water related work: roofs, parapets, balconies, flashings, gutters, downpipes, damp affected walls | Protects the asset and stops the complaints that generate the most owner pressure. |
| Phase 2 | Substrate repairs and the weather-facing elevations | The elevations taking driving rain deteriorate fastest and cost the most to leave. |
| Phase 3 | Remaining elevations, common areas, steelwork and railings | Visually important, structurally patient. |
Phasing this way is also much easier to defend at an AGM, because each phase has a reason attached to it that is not aesthetic. Owners argue about colour. They rarely argue about a documented leak.
Managing the disruption
- Written programme by block, so owners know which week affects them.
- Notices on doors and in the scheme's group at least a week ahead of each block.
- Defined working hours and no work on Sundays or public holidays unless agreed.
- Clear rules on balcony access, pets, laundry and parking, communicated before day one.
- A single site contact and a single trustee contact. Not five people talking to the foreman.
- Weekly progress report with photographs, which doubles as your AGM evidence.
How we work with trustees
We survey the scheme and give you a written condition report with photographs and measured areas, separated into water related work, repairs and decoration, so you can phase it against the reserve fund. One fixed price per phase, a programme by block, and weekly photographic progress reports you can put in front of owners.
If the honest answer is that the scheme should spend this year's money on roofs and parapets rather than a repaint, that is what the report will say.
Common questions
No pressure
If you would like a second opinion on your own property, we will come and look.
The inspection is free, you get the findings in writing with photographs, and you are under no obligation to do anything with them.