The Consultants You’ll Work With as a Property Developer (Part One)

No property developer completes projects alone. Here, Property Development Institute’s Steve Chandler covers the consultants you’ll work with.

You’ll work with an array of experts over the course of your property development project. Each serves an important function in bringing your concept to life.

You’ll engage with these consultants as you move through the phases of your project. This is part one of the list of people you’ll most likely work with along the way.

Consultant #1 – Architects

You’ll involve an architect from the very beginning when you’re still contemplating the project. Plus, you’ll engage them at multiple touchpoints throughout the project. That means they’re with you from concept to completion.

The key here is that you choose your architect wisely. You’ll find that most architects specialise in a certain market sector. Some work primarily with residential properties. But others might focus on commercial or industrial.

This is an important thing to remember as architects do much more than creating design concepts. They’ll help you with certification and likely provide supervision to your construction team. Having specific knowledge of a sector proves invaluable as you move through the development phases.

Consultant #2 – Town Planner

Town planners are critical at the commencement of your project. 

Their job is to guide you on the constraints and opportunities that the town planning legislation provides to your development site.

A town planner will look into the environmental planning impact that your development will have. They’ll also help you to identify heritage issues and may advise you on how to incorporate your development into the suburb you are developing in.

Simply put, they’ll help you to figure out how to fit your development into the overall urban design of the location.

Consultant #3 – Structural Engineers

As the name suggests, these consultants deal with the building’s structural design.

You’ll usually involve this consultant from the initial concept stage. After you’ve come up with some ideas with your architect, a structural engineer tells you if they’re easy to build and if the structure is cost effective.

They’ll help you to refine the concept by telling you if you make things difficult to construct. 

Before you start building, the structural engineer has to design the structural support for the building and for the excavation. They work closely with the architect to ensure a safe and cost effective structure is provided.

And again, they’re involved through the construction stage. Your structural engineer helps to supervise the team and ensures they’re delivering what they need to structurally.

Finally, they provide the building with structural certification at the end of the process.

Consultant #4 – Civil Engineers

These consultants handle all of the civil aspects of the development. These might include the following:

• Drainage and stormwater facilities.
• Pavement and road designs. This could extend to things like parking facilities with some developments.
• Excavation and shoring systems.
• Any other aspects that relate to infrastructure outside the main development site.

Typically, you’ll involve this consultant at the initial concept stage. However, that changes for some industrial projects or if you’re working with land subdivision. In this case, they’ll assist you from the very beginning.

Again, a civil engineer adds value to the approval process. They can provide certification and may even need to conduct a flood study for the project.

Much like structural engineers, they supervise their own aspect of the construction. Plus, they provide you with certification for the project’s civil components at the end.

Consultant #5 – Land Surveyor

Land surveyors help you to interpret aspects related to the legal title of the land that you intend to buy. This means that you’ll involve them from the beginning of the project.

Your surveyor will use specialised technology to map out the area. They will help you to establish its legal boundaries and identify potential issues for you to overcome.

This proves especially useful if you intend to subdivide a block of land. Plus, they’ll highlight any legal issues related to the land that you need to consider.

Consultant #6 – The Principal Certifying Authority

A Principal Certifying Authority issues the occupation certification for your project. That means they’re responsible for checking if the project meets all of the state’s legislative requirements.

Again, you’ll involve a certifier during the early stages of the process.

They’ll decide whether you’re able to go ahead with the planned development. Plus, they may provide guidance on what you need to do to make an unapproved development compliant.

They’ll also issue you with an occupation certificate at the end of the project. This is a crucial part of the process as nobody can occupy the building if it doesn’t get its occupation certificate.

Consultant #7 – A Legal Team

You’ll have to bring in experienced lawyers to help you with all aspects of property development. They’ll advise you on the legal ramifications of your site acquisition and proposed development. Plus, you’ll need them to draft any contracts that you need to create.

These could extend from settlement contracts when you sell through to the contracts you create in relation to working with other consultants. Beyond that, you’ll need lawyers if you’re conducting the development as part of a joint venture.

It’s best to involve your lawyers as early as possible. They’ll offer advice that can help you with your development application. Plus, they’ll help you to conduct your due diligence, stay on top of local regulations, and may even offer taxation advice.

Consultant #8 – Accountants

Most developers have an accountant in place already. If you don’t, it’s crucial that you find somebody with experience in property development.

Your accountant will help you to keep track of the financial aspects of the project. Again, you want to engage them from the start. They’ll help you to create the most appropriate structure to acquire and develop the property and to minimise tax. 

Consultant #9 – Mechanical Engineers

This consultant deals with the internal aspects of the building, such as ventilation and air conditioning.

For example, you may have bathrooms that have no access to natural ventilation. A mechanical engineer will design a forced ventilation system to overcome that problem.

You’ll usually involve them at the initial concept stage. However, some projects may require their involvement earlier. For example, you’ll need their help for the concept of a high-rise building that requires extensive air conditioning.

You also get certification and construction supervision of the mechanical systems from this consultant.

Consultant #10 – Hydraulics Engineers

This is the consultant who focuses on all of the internal water works of the building. All plumbing-related concerns fall on their shoulders.

They cover your hot and cold water systems, gas supply and how your sewerage gets to the facilities that your civil engineer designs. You should introduce them at the same time as you introduce the mechanical engineer. They’ll work in tandem on some aspects of the project and they may require input from one another.

And again, a hydraulics engineer offers certification for their component of the project at the end.

Consultant 11 – Electrical Engineers

Yet another engineer that plays a vital role in the development process.

This engineer designs all of the electrical and communications systems that the project requires. This extends far beyond the wiring. For example, they may need to design a substation to help power the building. This means you’ll require input from them at the pre-acquisition stage.

Post-acquisition, they’ll assist you with wiring design and anything to do with the electrical system in the building. Again, they’re going to prove crucial once the approval phase comes around.

At the post-approval stage, they’ll complete their designs for you and engage with the construction team. Again, you get certification for their design at the end of the process.

Consultant #12 – Fire Engineers

You have to consider fire prevention methods for every development. This is where the fire engineer comes in. They’ll help you to design your hydrant, sprinkler and emergency warning systems. 

You’ll usually use them at the late concept stage. And again, they play a role in the approval stage. You’ll need your fire engineer to help your architect cover the safety aspects of their concept.

As with the other engineers on the list, your fire engineer stays with you until completion. They provide supervision and certification of your fire safety systems at the end of the process.

Consultant #13 – Vertical Transportation Engineers

Not every development will need to engage this engineer. However, they’re crucial for high-rises and retail developments. They help with escalators, elevators, and any moving walkways that the project requires.

You may involve them at the initial concept stage, subject to how many of these things you’ve built into your concept. Again, they’re involved until the end of the project and provide certification upon completion.

Understand Who You’ll Work With

That covers Part One of the list of consultants you’ll work with as a developer. It’s a pretty engineering-heavy list. However, each consultant serves a crucial role, especially when it comes to getting the project over the line at the approval stage.

Of course, you need to find a suitable site before you start engaging these consultants. That’s where Archistar Property can help. Our platform provides data from Cordell and CoreLogic to help you choose a development site.

Talk to our team to book your demonstration.

And look out Part Two of our list.

This content comes courtesy of Steven Chandler of the Property Development Institute. Steve Chandler is a third generation property developer with over 35 years’ experience. He is a lecturer at two of Australia’s most recognised universities and travels Australia delivering property development training at introductory and advanced levels. Steve has also authored a number of books on building and property development