Supervision is not visiting the site. It is verifying specific things at specific moments — most of which last a few hours and then disappear under concrete.
Setting out and levels before excavation. Foundation reinforcement before the pour. Slab reinforcement, embedded services and pressure testing before the pour. Waterproofing before it is covered. Electrical and plumbing runs before walls are closed. Everything else on a construction site can be inspected later; these five cannot, without breaking something. A supervision arrangement that does not guarantee attendance at these is decoration.
That what is built matches the drawings and the specification. Bar size, spacing and cover in reinforcement. Concrete strength and slump, with sampling. Cable gauges, pipe diameters and equipment capacities. Levels, plumb and dimensions. Drainage falls. Hydraulic and electrical testing. And that materials delivered are the ones quoted, rather than an equivalent that costs the builder less.
A site log with dates. Dated photographs of each stage before it is closed. Laboratory results. An observation list with a responsible party and a deadline against each item. And a change-order register. For an owner abroad, this file is the only real access you have to what happened — which is why loose photographs sent over a messaging app do not qualify.
| Stage | What must be verified | How it is evidenced |
|---|---|---|
| Setting out | Position, levels, setbacks | Photos plus survey reference |
| Foundation reinforcement | Bar size, spacing, cover | Dated photos before pour |
| Slab and services | Reinforcement, embedded runs, pressure test | Photos plus test records |
| Waterproofing | Coverage, laps, upstands | Photos before covering |
| Services in walls | Gauges, diameters, boxes | Photos before closing |
| Handover | Punch list, as-builts, warranties | Signed handover record |
Independent supervision is charged as a percentage of construction cost or per scheduled visit. Where the builder is contracted fixed-price, their own supervision is part of the service; independent supervision is engaged separately, precisely so that the person checking is not the person being checked.
Honest answer: not always. With a fixed-price contract, a line-item budget, milestone payments and disciplined weekly reporting, many owners do not. Where it earns its fee is on large projects, on complex sites, and where the owner is abroad and has nobody they trust attending the pours. We will tell you which of those applies to your project rather than selling you the service by default.
Related pages: The construction contract · Managing a build from abroad · Versión en español · Taking over a stalled project
196+ completed projects. Fixed-price contracts. Reply in 2 minutes.
Ask on WhatsAppThe construction contract · How long a build takes · Concierge construction service · Managing a build from abroad · Contractor stopped? Finishing a stalled build · Home inspection before buying · Connecting utilities