Contractor selection for small building works in Hong Kong

Contractor selection models have been developed for large scale works with the assumption of the availability of contractor's information for the clients. However, a similar study of small building works, especially building maintenance and repair works, is almost ignored. In light of the small amount of work, the employment of building consultants for the selection of contractors in small works is often not feasible, and the cost of acquiring the contractor's information is often prohibitively high. This research uses case studies to show that a contractor selection model for large scale works does not perform well in small works without the advice of the consultant. The high proportion of specification costs in small works contracting deters the detailed design and documentation stage. A wider variation of tender sums is therefore expected and revealed in the case studies. This paper reviews the building procurement mechanism in small building works in Hong Kong and argues that the employment of a property management agent is conducive to the contractor selection process. Accordingly, further investigations are warranted for a contractor selection model for small building works. © 2002, MCB UP Limited