How we engage
Two ways to engage. One builder on the permit either way.
Pick the model that suits how well the scope is known. In both, Counterweight is the registered builder named on the permit, supervises safety and quality, and carries the relevant building surveyor liaison through to the final certificate.
Option one
Lump sum
One fixed price, agreed before work starts, covers all of the building works. We engage and manage the trades, hold the permit and relevant building surveyor liaison, and supervise safety and quality from start to finish.
- Best where the scope is documented and the surveyor's position is known.
- One price, one contract, one builder.
- Variations only for changes the owner or lift contractor instructs.
Option two
Cost plus fixed fee
Best where the scope is undefined. We estimate the cost of the works up front, engage and manage the trades, and the owner reimburses the actual costs of labour, materials and equipment plus an agreed fixed fee.
- Best where the scope is still being defined or the building has unknowns.
- Open-book costs with monthly reporting; the fee is fixed, not a percentage.
- Savings against the estimate stay with the owner.
What a typical engagement looks like
A conversation and a walk through the building
Usually with the lift contractor's project manager and the owner or facilities manager. We look at the shaft, machine room, lobbies, fire services and the existing building permit history.
A scope and an estimate
We set out which parts of the lift scope trigger the permit, what the relevant building surveyor will need, and the ancillary works the lift contract leaves out. You get a written scope and either a lump sum or an estimated cost with our fixed fee.
Terms that sit back-to-back
Our contract mirrors the lift contract and the owner's head terms where there is one, so no one carries a gap. Permit fees and levies are shown separately.
Delivery and close-out
We run the five stages on the services page: scope, permit, set-up, deliver, close-out. You receive the certificates, the updated essential safety measures schedule and a final account.
The five delivery stages are set out on the services page: Scope, Permit, Set-up, Deliver, Close-out.
What stays with the lift contractor
Lift design, installation and compliance remain with the lift contractor. The lift contractor designs, supplies, installs and commissions the lift and holds the lift compliance under AS 1735 and the plant registration. Counterweight does not warrant the lift.
Counterweight is responsible for the building works on the permit, the relevant building surveyor liaison, site supervision and the ancillary works it delivers. The split is agreed with the surveyor at the scope stage so there is no gap between the two.
Not sure which model fits? Send us the lift scope and we'll tell you.
No pricing figures on this page by design: every building is different, and we quote once we've walked it.