Managing Cladding Remediation Projects with Care and Precision

11th February 2025 | Liz Clarke | Reading Time: 4 minutes

Cladding remediation is a complex process that requires specialist project management experience to ensure safety, compliance, and minimal disruption to residents in affected buildings. At Evolution5, we take a proactive and structured approach to managing cladding remediation projects for our clients, ensuring that every phase is delivered efficiently, transparently, and with the highest level of professionalism.

This article explains our approach to managing cladding remediation projects with care and precision.

A Comprehensive Approach to Cladding Remediation

1. Initial Planning & Pre-Construction Phase

Cladding remediation is typically a long-term project, potentially spanning two to five years from initial planning to completion, depending on the project’s complexity, licensing issues, freeholder arrangements or other matters.

Our approach begins with a detailed pre-construction phase that lasts around 12 months. Before a project goes live on site, it can look like nothing much is happening. However, many crucial activities are undertaken in this phase to ensure the project runs smoothly when work on-site commences.

Planning and pre-construction activities include:

Conducting in-depth surveys and assessments to establish the condition of the building.
Procuring and coordinating specialist consultants, including fire engineers, architects, and structural engineers.
Preparing funding applications where applicable, ensuring compliance with schemes such as the Building Safety Fund (BSF) and Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS).
Developing a clear programme with key milestones, including planning applications and tendering processes.
Stakeholder engagement and communication activities so occupiers understand what will happen during the construction phase.

2. Two-Stage Procurement Process

To ensure quality and compliance, Evolution5 utilises a two-stage procurement process:

Stage One: Engaging a contractor early to collaborate on finalising the design, conducting further investigations, and ensuring all necessary approvals are in place.
Stage Two: Tendering and contractor appointment based on cost and quality assessments, ensuring our clients receive the best value without compromising safety.

This structured approach ensures we mitigate risks, optimise cost efficiencies, and maintain high-quality standards from the outset.

3. Legal & Compliance Management

Cladding remediation projects involve extensive legal and regulatory requirements, which our team supports our clients in navigating. We manage:

Party Wall Agreements and freeholder licences.
Insurance procurement and compliance with indemnity requirements.
Planning permissions and building control approvals.
Specialist permits for high-risk buildings, including approvals from the Building Safety Regulator.
Depending on the project funding route, additional compliance matters, including Section 20 notices and procedures.

With substantial experience in negotiating the legal elements and coordinating the project approach, we streamline the process, reducing administrative burdens for clients.

Overcoming Challenges in Cladding Remediation Projects

Unforeseen Building Conditions

One of the biggest challenges in cladding remediation projects is that buildings are often not as expected. Even with detailed pre-construction surveys, hidden defects can and do emerge once work begins.

An expedient change control process proven to be effective
Advanced and specialist surveying techniques, such as abseil surveys, drone surveys, or core sampling, depending on the building’s specific characteristics.
Close collaboration with contractors and design teams to adapt solutions efficiently.
A rigorous quality control process to ensure compliance with all building regulations.

Logistical & Site Constraints

By the nature of the buildings affected by the need for cladding remediation, projects typically occur in densely populated urban areas or on constrained sites, requiring creative solutions to access buildings safely and minimise disruption.

Examples include:

Securing river access for a building in Bristol to transport scaffolding via barge.
Coordinating road closures and pavement licences for scaffolding installations.
Managing access agreements for adjacent properties through careful planning and negotiation.
Liaising with stakeholders, including TfL and Network Rail.

Resident Communication & Support

Cladding remediation projects significantly impact residents, who may face months of scaffolding, noise, and reduced natural light, impacting their quality of life in their homes.

We prioritise regular, clear communication to keep residents informed and engaged throughout the process.

Our approach includes:

Appointing a dedicated Resident Liaison Officer (RLO) as a key point of contact.
Hosting regular coffee mornings, stakeholder communication sessions and virtual Q&As to explain current and future work or to address concerns.
Issuing monthly newsletters with progress updates and upcoming milestones.
Following the “Good Neighbour Guide” to ensure considerate working hours and minimal disruption.

Why Choose Evolution5 for Cladding Remediation Project Management?

With a wealth of experience in cladding remediation projects, Evolution5 offers a professional and structured approach. Our key strengths include:

Extensive experience: Our team has managed multiple large-scale cladding remediation projects, bringing in-depth knowledge and proven processes to each one.
A trusted consultant network: We have a known and trusted supply chain of highly knowledgeable fire engineers, architects, and surveyors to ensure technical excellence for your project.
A trusted contractor network: Our involvement with multiple cladding remediation projects means we have established a trusted and known supply chain of contractors with the requisite skills for the successful completion of projects.
Commitment to compliance: Our meticulous approach to legal and regulatory requirements gives clients confidence that every aspect of their project meets the highest safety standards.
Resident-focused solutions: We recognise the human impact of these projects and work hard to ensure residents feel supported and informed at every stage.

Proven Success in Cladding Remediation

Evolution5 is successfully managing cladding remediation projects with care and precision for numerous developments, including landmark projects such as the Cask Store, Castle Wharf and Putney Plaza. Our service has earned us repeat business from leading developers, architects, and property management firms, demonstrating our reputation as a trusted and reliable partner.

For a project management consultancy that combines technical expertise with a client- and resident-focused approach, choose Evolution5.