Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions of Contract when engaging the services of C & A Doherty Building Consultants V2:

Additional design and/or consultancy charges will apply for any work required, or attendance at meetings or requests for assistance following completion of the design and documentation. The charges for this work will be based on the personnel involved at the following rates:

  • Owner/Director/Senior Engineer/Investigation Engineer RPEQ – $200-$250/hour
  • Building Inspector/Engineering Associate/Building Designer – arbitration/mediation/legal court process – $200/hour
  • Engineer – $180/hour – $200/hour
  • Building Inspector/Engineering Associate – $160 – $180/hour
  • Building designer – $140/hour – $160/hour
  • Hard copies of plans as requested extras by client – $50/full set

These fees do not include GST, which will be charged at the required rate of 10%.

To any client, in accepting our quote or engaging of our services, these terms and conditions are the only terms and conditions that we acknowledge and accept. In accepting our quote or engaging our services it is understood that the client is declaring that they accept these terms and conditions and set aside their terms and conditions. If terms and conditions are newly presented on a clients purchase order these will not be accepted.

Site Investigation/Inspection Work

  1. For a site that already has existing structure/s and associated infrastructure – in accepting this quotation the owner of the property gives permission for staff of C&A Doherty Building Consultants (forthwith and here after noted as CADBC) and their direct sub-consultants to enter the property to carry out the works itemized as part of the quotation.
  2. If exploration works (digging and drilling) are to be undertaken the property owner must bear the risk if there is any accidental damage to underground services. In signing of the quotation or giving approval to proceed, you acknowledge that you are accepting this risk. (Please be aware that driving a drill rig onto a site may cause minor damage such as wheel ruts, minor plant damage, sub-siding boreholes, soil on the ground surface etc. Every effort will be made within economics to leave the site in a clean and safe condition. The continuing safety is the owner’s responsibility.
  3. Sub-consultants to CADBC are fully and solely responsible for their reports, comments and actions. CADBC are the sourcing entity only. In accepting this quotation, you are acknowledging this and indemnifying CADBC of any responsibility for the activities, comments and recommendations of the sub-consultant/s.
  4. Sometimes a developer will supply a geotechnical report at the time of the sale of a block. These reports generally do not address the specific location of the final house etc. It is our policy to do the site-specific soil test to ensure that we know what the soil is like in the actual house area subject to the economic constrains dictating the number of test locations.
  5. If conditions are found different to that disclosed by the client at the time of quoting, C&A Doherty Building Consultants reserve the right to discontinue the engagement with no liability/responsibility to complete the quoted item/s.
  6. Geotechnical investigation work is quoted based on a standard utility mounted drill rig being able to drill the required depth. If an excavator is required, the client will be advised prior to excavator engagement at additional cost to the client.
  7. If the standard utility of item 6 can not gain access the investigation work as quoted may be carried out with a hand auger. No change in quoted price.
  8. Where building inspection works are carried out, the service is for the construction’s compliance with existing documentation. The service does not evaluate the correctness of the documentation to the Building Code of Australia, Australian Standards or Governing Authorities nor does it determine the degree of fit for purpose of the product/system used. The Builder, Building Certifier, Building Designer/Architect, Engineer/Designer is still fully responsible for their professional service and decisions.
  9. The primary form of communication will be email.

Design Work

  1. Design time varies depending on work schedule at the time of acceptance and project design may be terminated without client consent due to change in employment status. No responsibility is taken for any resulting economic impact on the client if project design is terminated.
  2. Additional design and/or consultancy charges will apply for any work required, or requests for assistance following completion of the design and documentation and for works outside the scope of works. The charges for this work will be based on the personnel involved at the rates listed above.
  3. The quotation does not allow for Client/Owner requested meetings during the design process nor does it allow for client requested site/office meetings during construction. These shall be charged as per the rates stated above (travel time will also be added/included).
  4. This quotation does not allow for Environmental or Civil works or other requested engineering input or building design not specified, that may be requested, depending on the conditions imposed by the relevant authorities during the approval process.
  5. Additional survey works may be required to cater for proper design. If not listed in the quote it will be at additional cost to the client.
  6. At the time of quote, it is not possible to guarantee that the proposed structure will comply with design principles and it may be necessary to request changes to the layout & materials proposed to be used for compliance with design standards.
  7. At times, it is not possible to foresee what Requests for Information that are going to come from the relevant Council or Covenant Approval process. Any reasonable requests for information will be dealt with and charged at the specified rates in the quotation. The costs of the additional works or reports are in addition to the already quoted price.
  8. All work by sub-contractors to CADBC issue fee proposals with inclusions and exclusions these are considered to be included as part of the documentation whether attached or not and a copy may be provided upon request.
  9. All Building Design & Structural Design by CADBC are subject to copyright and intellectual property agreements. No documentation can be copied or reused in part or in whole for another site without the specific written permission of CADBC. Permission may be given at CADBC sole discretion subject to fees and charges as determined by CADBC.
  10. In accepting your quotation, you are indicating your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
  11. We reserve the right to amend our price or withdraw our offer if the scope of works is varied.
  12. CADBC are Building Consultants registered with the Queensland Building Construction Commission (QBCC) as such the structural framing is form 15 certified as a competent person (subject to the certifiers acceptance) and the foundations, site retainer walls, and swimming pool are form 15 certified by a RPEQ as required by legislation. Where required by the certifier or local council, structural framing is Form 15 certified by the RPEQ for a fee to cover the administrative process of the RPEQ and CADBC.
  13. CADBC notify the consumer in writing, that they do not hold professional indemnity insurance that complies with QBCCs minimum financial requirement for “Completed Residential Building Inspection” Licence or “Site Classifier” Licence.
  14. Any supplied documents are taken on professional face value and are not verified for their correctness or accuracy. No responsibility is taken for documents supplied to CADBC.
  15. The quotation does not include any items that are not shown on the plans and/or listed in the quote at the time of quoting.
  16. If the dimensions to boundaries and infrastructure become critical, a survey by a licensed surveyor will be required at the owners cost. This will not have been listed as it’s necessity at the time of quoting is unknown.
  17. There may be times where boundary setbacks change from the time of the estate disclosure plan and the final government approved setbacks. This does sometimes happen without CADBC being notified. In the event that this happens CADBC take no responsibility of the latency of this aspect or the the financial impact this may have on the client and their proposed project.

Invoices/Payments

  1. Please note that credit card facilities are not available. Payment will be upon issue of the invoice. Payment will be accepted by direct deposit or cash through the books. Any non-payment of invoices will suspend our services as soon as a non-payment comes to our attention. Further services will not be carried out until payment is received in full.
  2. As a policy of our business documentation will be released when payment is received into our listed bank account in full.
  3. Credit account is only granted by prior arrangement.
  4. Any late payments will attract an interest payment of 2.5% or $55 per/week/invoice whichever is greater. This is to be applied at CADBC discretion.
  5. Where recovery costs are incurred these will be passed onto the client.
  6. Where CADBC deems necessary fees will be requested in advance and upon receipt of the payment the service provided will be commenced/continued. We reserve the right to implement this action after engagement.
  7. Currently account for credit is not being offered due to economic times.
  8. The client is advised that when the design is completed and emailed/posted the quoted works are deemed to be complete and fulfilled. While ongoing service is available the time to do so is not part of the quoted works and will be invoiced as additional works to the original engagement.
  9. Where no payment has been received as an account holder or in signing any supplied quotation/s you provide permission for legal claim/caveat to be made against your property until the debt is paid in full including interest added as specified in item 3. Claim date is as specified on the invoice as due.

Emails and attachments

  1. Email message/s (and any accompanying file attachments) may contain confidential or privileged information and is intended for the sole use of the addressee(s) named. If you are not the intended recipient, or the person responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, please notify C & A Building Consultants immediately and destroy any copies of the original message. Any unauthorized review, use, alteration, disclosure or distribution of this email (including any attachments) by an unintended recipient is prohibited. While all care is taken, C & A Doherty Building Consultants cannot guarantee that this email message (and any accompanying file attachments) are free of viruses. C & A Doherty Building Consultants accepts no responsibility for the content of any email which is sent by an employee which is of a personal nature or which represents the personal view of the sender.
  2. Any attached drawings/views or embedded images in the email are subject to copyright by C&A Doherty Building Consultants.
  3. Any member size/s and/or information provided in an email are for the expressed purpose of obtaining budget/estimate costs. Do not build using any sizes or details supplied. Member sizes and construction methods and processes must be on a properly designed and drafted plan to be a valid design for construction use by the acknowledged client/s or their formally engaged Principle contractor. No emailed information is to be supplied to a subsequent party unless the party is named and written approval given for the information to be used by such party.
  4. Emails, plans and documentation are never intended to be misunderstood, when in doubt, contact our office for clarification.
  5. If any information emailed or supplied is in conflict with Regulations or NCC or Australian Standards then these take precedence over the information supplied by CADBC. No responsibility or liability is taken in such an event for any financial implication.
  6. Any product information supplied is in good faith and no responsibility or liability is taken in such an event that the product is not fit for purpose.