Improved standards needed in construction

Peter Rogers of property developer Stanhope has launched an attack on the lack of standards and unwillingess on the part of the construction industry to take responsibility for its own work.

He said that contractors need to have greater self-regulation. Rogers also called for a single insurance policy to make it easier for the construction industry to back its products.

Rogers claims that building industry contractors retain an "old fashioned approach and it is difficult to get them to give broad warranties for their work."

He drew an analogy with the car industry, which was relatively unregulated some 15 years ago and only offered one year guarantees. The car sector now offers warranties for body work and the mechanical side that are readily transferable.

Contractors need to take a similar attitude in "taking responsibility and standing behind their work," he said.

Rogers said the type of reforms wanted would essentially involve the industry taking a firmer self-regulating role and insurers becoming more aggressive in pushing for better standards.

Roger Craft, Costain's director of Pre-construction Service, said: "The approach adopted by Costain has focused on bringing in all parties earlier and thereby providing a better service."