Design supervision: what a designer does on site and when you need it

The design is finished, the builders are hired, and it seems the designer is no longer needed. In practice, the renovation is exactly where a project starts to drift. The specified light is out of stock, the fitter suggests something simpler, the kitchen measurements do not match the drawing. Each of these decisions is small on its own, but together they change the interior. Design supervision is there to stop that happening.

What it is

Design supervision means the author of the project keeps an eye on how it is being built. The designer visits the site at agreed points, checks the work against the drawings, answers the builders' questions and approves changes.

How it differs from technical supervision

Technical supervision checks the quality of the building work: compliance with codes, waterproofing, reinforcement, concealed work. Design supervision makes sure the result matches the intent: proportions, materials, lighting, the way finishes meet. These are different jobs, and one does not replace the other.

What the designer checks on site

• The setting-out of partitions and openings before they are built.
• The positions of sockets, switches and lighting points before plastering.
• The layout of tiles and panels: where the cuts fall and how the joints line up.
• Ceiling heights and levels.
• Whether the materials bought match the schedule.

When supervision is most useful

• The project has many non-standard details: hidden doors, concealed lighting, complex junctions between materials.
• Several contractors work on site: builders, joiners, electricians.
• You cannot visit the site often yourself.
• Precision matters, for example when tile joints have to line up with furniture.

If the renovation is small and the decisions are simple, you can do without supervision or book a few visits at the key stages.

How often the designer visits

This is agreed in advance. Visits are usually tied to stages: setting-out, electrics, finishes, furniture installation. Daily presence on site is not part of supervision. Just as important is how decisions are recorded. Changes should be written down, so that a month later nobody argues about who approved what.

What stays with you

Supervision does not replace a site manager, and the designer is not responsible for the builders' work. Organising the construction, purchasing and the budget are agreed separately. We recommend putting this in writing before work begins.

More about the service on the design supervision page. If you do not have a design yet, start with a design project. We explain what it contains in our article on what a design project includes.