How Do You Know the Consultant Is Supervising Your Home Properly? Signs of Good and Weak Supervision

A consultant who supervises your home properly visits the site regularly, inspects and accepts the work before it is covered, approves materials and compares the work with the drawings, writes up their observations for the contractor and follows them until they are closed, and sends you clear reports with photos. The best way to know their level of supervision before you sign is to see the work on the sites they are supervising now, not just to take their word for it.

In this guide we explain the role of the supervising consultant, 9 signs of good supervision, warning signs of weak supervision, questions to ask before signing, and how the Fahison team's Consultant Evaluation service helps you decide.

What does the supervising consultant do when your villa is being built?

The contractor builds, and the supervising consultant monitors that work on your behalf. Their duties usually include:

• Following the contractor's work on site and making sure it matches the drawings, the specifications and the contract.
• Approving materials and shop drawings before they are used.
• Accepting the work at each stage before the next stage starts.
• Reviewing the completed work before approving the contractor's payments.
• Telling you about important observations and decisions during the project.

The details depend on your contract with the consultant and on the municipality requirements in your emirate, so read the scope of their work in the contract carefully. If their supervision is weak, the contractor's mistakes slip through without anyone noticing, and the owner usually discovers them after they are covered or after moving in.

9 signs that the consultant is supervising your home properly

1. They visit the site regularly and attend the key stages

They agree the number of visits with you from the start, and they or their engineers are on site at the critical stages, not only on special occasions.

2. They accept the work before it is covered

For example, the steel and formwork before the concrete is poured, the services before the plaster, and the waterproofing before it is covered. Anything covered without being accepted can only be checked later by breaking it open.

3. They approve materials before delivery

They review material samples and specifications before use, and reject anything that does not match the approved specifications.

4. They compare the work with the drawings

Dimensions, levels, openings and service routes are checked against the approved drawings, not left to the contractor's judgement.

5. They write up their observations and follow them until closed

Every observation for the contractor is in writing, and they make sure it is corrected before the next stage.

6. They send you clear reports with photos

Their reports tell you what was done, what the observations are and what is needed from you, without you having to chase them.

7. They check payments before approving them

They only approve a contractor payment for work that has actually been completed and complies.

8. They stay independent of the contractor

They represent you, so they do not do the contractor favours or let mistakes pass to speed up the work.

9. They answer you and explain clearly

You can reach them when you need to, and they explain technical decisions in language you understand.

Warning signs of weak supervision

If you notice one or more of these signs, you have every right to ask questions and request a written explanation:

• Concrete was poured without the consultant attending or accepting the steel and formwork.
• You receive no reports, or only general reports without photos or observations.
• The contractor tells you "the consultant approved it" without any written approval.
• Visible defects such as cracks or leaning walls pass without comment.
• Materials on site differ from those approved in the specifications.
• Payments are approved for work that is not finished yet.
• The relationship between the consultant and the contractor seems too comfortable.
• They are hard to reach, or slow to answer your questions.

Questions to ask the consultant before signing

The answers show you how they work. Write what you agree into the contract:

1. How many site visits are included in your fees, and which engineer attends?
2. Which stages do you accept in person before they are covered or poured?
3. Do you send a report after every visit, and does it include photos?
4. How do you approve materials and shop drawings before they are used?
5. How do you follow up your observations to the contractor until they are closed?
6. Do you check the completed work before approving each payment?
7. Can I see projects you are supervising now?

How do you evaluate a consultant before you sign?

The firm's name and its offer are not enough. The real level of supervision shows on the sites they are supervising now: the quality of the work there, whether it matches the drawings, and whether issues are found and corrected on time.

With Fahison's pre-contract Consultant Evaluation:

• You send us 3 sites the consultant is currently supervising.
• Our engineers visit all three sites and evaluate the work carried out under their supervision.
• We evaluate workmanship quality, compliance with the drawings and supervision competence.
• You get a final report showing their strengths and weaknesses, and how suitable they are for your project.
• A fixed price of 1000 AED, including visits to all three sites and the report.

In the same way, you can evaluate a contractor before signing with them through our Contractor Evaluation service.

What if construction has already started?

You can check the quality of the work independently at any stage:

• Construction Stage Inspections: inspections at the right time, such as footings inspection and slab inspection before the pour, and plaster inspection before painting.
• Owner's Representative packages: the Fahison team follows your project on your behalf with weekly or near-daily visits, or full management.
• For more on the stages themselves, read: Villa construction inspection: 8 stages you should not leave uninspected.

Frequently asked questions about consultant evaluation

Q: What is the difference between the consultant and the contractor?
A: The contractor carries out the construction work, and the supervising consultant monitors that work on your behalf, making sure it matches the drawings and specifications before approving the work and the payments.

Q: Does a Fahison evaluation or inspection replace the consultant?
A: No. The consultant supervises your project under their contract with you, and the Fahison evaluation helps you choose them before signing. Once construction starts, stage inspections give you an independent check of the quality of the work.

Q: How do you evaluate a consultant before the contract?
A: You send us 3 sites they are supervising now, and our engineers visit them and evaluate their supervision from the work carried out there: its quality, its compliance with the drawings, and their commitment to properly supervising the contractor's work.

Q: Who chooses the sites you visit?
A: You send us 3 of the consultant's sites, and we visit them and evaluate their supervision there.

Q: What does the report include?
A: A final report showing the consultant's strengths and weaknesses, and how suitable they are to supervise your project, with photos from the sites.

Q: How much does the Consultant Evaluation cost?
A: A fixed price of 1000 AED, including visits to all three sites and the final report.

Book a consultant evaluation before you sign

Have an offer from a consultant and want to check their level of supervision? Send us 3 sites they supervise, and we will arrange the visits with you. Book a consultant evaluation on WhatsApp, or see the Consultant Evaluation service details.