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What is a Carpentry Contract Lift?
A "contract lift" in carpentry refers to a comprehensive service where the Specialist Carpentry Contractor, such as SC4 Carpenters Ltd, works with the crane provider to assume full responsibility for the entire lifting operation, managing the lift with the crane provider and crane operator.
SC4 win NEW contract with Highwood Group for 68 bed care home
SC4 Carpenters have won a NEW contract to provide carpentry services for a 68 bed care home in Hedge End for primary contractor, Highwood Group. We are excited to work alongside Highwood again, in what looks to be an exciting and interesting project. The two-storey care home will incorporate a brick and timber clad façade with large terraces on the first floor and two accommodation wings either side.
Stunning Show Homes completed at Water's Edge, Mytchett
In March 2021, SC4 Decorators completed the wallpapering and decorating for Nicholas King's beautiful Show Homes on their Water's Edge site in Mytchett, near Camberley. SC4 is carrying out the contract decorating works for 248 new homes over 3 phases. The apartments overlooking the lake are underway and will be completed in April 2021.
Botleigh Grange awarded Certificate of Excellence
High-end 68-bed care home at the Botleigh Grange site in Hedge End has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the Considerate Constructor's Scheme in recognition of Highwood's on-site compliance and consistent high build and operational standards. SC4 are providing the carpentry works at this site. For more on the project so far see: Botleigh Grange Care Home.
Poet's Meadow, Oakley
It's great to use drone video photography to see how a build is progressing from the air. We filmed this at Foreman Homes' site in Oakley in May 2021, where we are the carpentry and decorating contractors for 85 new homes.
Case Study: Timber Frame Installation in Netley Grange, Southampton
In January 2025, we completed an 18-month timber frame installation project for one of our long-term customers, Taylor Lane Timber Frame. Read on to find out about the project, the customer, and our role in delivering a successful outcome.
Turnkey Construction: 3 Make-Or-Break Details
With its clear emphasis on efficiency, reliability, and accountability, turnkey construction is becoming the favoured option among self-builders and small developers. Its association with sustainability, safety, and cost-effectiveness further cements its appeal.
Why The RIGHT First-Fix Construction Company Will Save You Time
The first fix of any construction project will determine its overall success. Get it right, and the second fix will be effortless. Get it wrong, and there will be a domino-effect of delays and spiralling costs. Equally, the pressure is on to get the first fix turned around as quickly as possible. Is this achievable without cutting corners? At SC4 Carpenters, we not only believe it is, we ensure it is. Here’s how.
Clear Communication
The key to a masterful first fix is clear communication between all the trades. All too often, first fix delays are caused because one team doesn’t know or care what another is doing, and this can lead to confusion, errors, and delays. However, when everyone is clear about the project timeline and everyone’s position in it, synchronicity is placed at the heart of operations. It’s worth noting that the more frequently teams work together, the better their communication will be, and this can further enhance the speed of a project. This extra attention to detail can increase the initial cost of the project, but it is quickly recouped when expensive delays are avoided.
Excellent Organisation
Management skills are fundamental to construction project efficiency. When managers and supervisors are invested in the latest best practice, health and safety, working in partnership with site staff and other trades, and techniques such as proactive maintenance of equipment, downtime is always minimised. For instance, by ensuring that materials and labour are on site when they are needed, and works are completed to drawings and programme, the risk of a project being delayed is dramatically reduced. While you will pay a little more for managerial excellence, doing so can help you to avoid expensive errors.
Proactive Planning
Closely linked to managerial excellence is proactive planning. This is where managers collaborate to develop a project plan that is realistic, achievable, and fully legislatively compliant. For the client, the result is a solution that is infused with resilience from start-to-finish. Experienced planners will understand exactly how many personnel are required for each element of the first fix, will establish which materials and infrastructure need to be in place, and will identify any risks that need to be minimised. They will also understand how their works, and those of other trades, fit into the overall project. Consequently, proactive projects tend to run on-time and to budget, saving you money.
Quality Controls
Arguably the most important aspect of keeping a project on target is its quality controls. Strongly emphasised by housing standards such as NHBC and STA (Structural Timber Association), constant quality monitoring exists for crucial reasons. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) also ensures quality monitoring through a rigorous vetting process and independent inspections of members' work. This ensures builders meet high standards before joining and throughout their membership.
During the first fix, quality controls and checks prevent any errors from causing catastrophic delays further down the line. For instance, if the building’s frame is not installed correctly, it may need to be completely replaced. This type of event hit the headlines recently when £20 million worth of newbuild properties had to be demolished due to problems with their foundations, an error that, with the right quality controls in place, could have been avoided.
Find Out More
To keep your first fix on track, both in terms of time and budget, it pays to work with an organisation that is certified by organisations such as STA, FMB or ConstructionLine. Experience, dedication, and careful thought can accelerate a project, so to learn more, please get in touch!
Turnkey Construction: 3 Make-Or-Break Details
turnkey constructionWith its clear emphasis on efficiency, reliability, and accountability, turnkey construction is becoming the favoured option among self-builders and small developers. Its association with sustainability, safety, and cost-effectiveness further cements its appeal.
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