How to assess a steelwork contractor’s portfolio

Look for a comparable scope

A recognisable project name is a starting point, but it does not explain the contractor’s involvement. Ask whether they handled design, fabrication, protection or erection. Compare experience with the scope you need, rather than simply with the size of the building.

Ask about delivery conditions

Airports, shopping centres and industrial halls differ in work organisation and interfaces with other disciplines. Ask about challenging aspects of a completed project and how they were coordinated. This discussion is more informative than a photo collection alone.

Connect references to your own brief

Before a meeting, select two or three projects comparable to yours. Prepare questions about scope, documentation, delivery sequencing and site coordination. Do not assume solutions from one building can be transferred unchanged to another.

• What scope did the company deliver?
• What was the main organisational challenge?
• Which lessons are relevant to my project?