BUILDING surveyors are urging City Hall and municipal councils to require developers and contractors to undertake a pre-construction survey for private projects as a condition for approval of developments.

The proposal is aimed at preventing disputes between developers/contractors and business/home owners, P-CON Building Surveyors Sdn Bhd director Yap Yeong Chwan said.

 

The recommended survey involves inspecting the existing structural condition of surrounding buildings and structures before a demolition, construction or development is carried out.

  

All prominent defects in the form of cracks, open gaps, settlement, movement, water seepage or leakage, spalling concrete, distortion, subsidence and other building defects would be recorded in photographs along with notes before construction.

 

The report can be used as evidence in the assessment of any future allegations of defects, building damages, claims or arguments between developers/contractors and property owners.

 

"The survey will protect the interests of the developers and contractors as it will eliminate fraudulent claims for defects and compensation by property owners. This will save them hundreds of millions of ringgit per year," Yap said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur.

 

He said property owners will also benefit as the survey will provide strong evidence to support their claim in the event their properties are damaged because of neighbouring projects.

 

Yap said there were many unresolved disputes over such damages and defects in the country.

 

He said that less than 20 per cent of developers and contractors here are resorting to the survey to safeguard themselves, although the trend is moving upwards.

 

P-CON, a building surveyor and consultancy firm, has completed more than 220 surveying jobs for companies like Ireka, Mah Sing, WCT Land, Nam Fatt, IJM Corp, Ranhill, Sunrise and YTL.

 

It recently submitted a proposal for a survey for the RM7 billion light rail transit extension for both the Kelana Jaya and Ampang lines.

 

P-CON has been invited by both the public and private sectors to submit proposals for several building and infrastructure projects.

 

 

09-14-2010