EEING fed-up homeowners approaching it for help after plunging into expensive trouble with their building projects ? large and small ? led Bermuda Project Managers (BPM) to come up with the idea of offering a course of structured advice.

A little knowledge at the start of a project can go a long towards avoiding great strife and expense later on, believes BPM director Ian Feathers.

"So many people come to us after the wheels have fallen off their project," Mr. Feathers said. "The most cost-effective way of approaching a project is to completely understand the project from the very start.

"But people often come to us for advice after things have gone wrong and it's expensive to put right. So often when we advise people, they say to us, 'I wish I'd known that a month ago'."

Complaints against building contractors and trades people is one of the biggest areas of concern for the Department of Consumer Affairs. So much so, that it set up a Sub-committee on Trades, including a panel of industry experts, to consider issues that relate to customer service and satisfaction, and safety.

Between 2001 and mid-2005, 209 official complaints were reported against building contractors, 74 in 2004 alone.

According to Consumer Affairs inspector Marisa Sharpe, a few recurring reasons cause most of the problems.

"People often don't have a proper contract in place," Ms Sharpe said. "In many cases, nothing has been put in writing and people have just taken a contractor on his word.

"For example, they may have been quoted $2,000 for a job and it ended up exceeding that by $3,000. But if nothing's written down, then it's difficult for them to get anything back."

When there is a contract, sometimes customers are unaware of everything that's in it, Ms Sharpe added. And another regular occurrence was changes made to original plans without realising what impact these would have on the final cost.

Ms Sharpe welcomed BPM's "coaching" scheme as something that could help people avoid common mistakes.

"In my opinion, it's a very good idea," Ms Sharpe said.

"It's important to have all the information beforehand. People are also welcome to come to our office and we can advise them on what to look out for."

BPM manages large-scale construction schemes from start to finish, but Mr. Feathers said the new "coaching" course was designed for people who wanted to oversee their own project, but needed advice on how to go about it.

"It's aimed at the smaller guy who does not want to spend money on employing us to manage the whole project, but just wants us to point him in the right direction.

"It's like swimming lessons. We will sit on the side of the pool and tell you how to improve your stroke."

The new service is described as a "Ten Step Path to a Successful Project" and is aimed at those extending a home or building a new one. The programme includes modules on the design, construction and completion phases of a project. Owners can choose the modules they require or complete the full programme depending on time, skill and budget.

A "Coaching Plus" service, for those seeking extra help, is also available, under which BPM can perform specific tasks on a client's behalf, such as setting out a budget or preparing a contract.

of the the ten steps are concerned with events before any construction work has started. An initial meeting is followed by three steps of the design stage, the drawing up of a construction documents and the tender-negotiation stage.

Advice is then available for the construction stage, end of construction and the end of warranty period. Prices start at $350 per session.

Communicating exactly what you want to the architect drawing up the plans and to the contractors doing the building is essential to the project's success. Overlooking design details can lead to expensive problems later on.

"For example, if you think you are going to get six-panel doors inside the house, you need to make sure that you point it out," said Adam Hawley, another BPM director.

"Otherwise, the contractor may look at the drawings, give you a competitive quote, and then he will simply put in lighter and cheaper doors.

"And the client only finds out about it when the doors are being hung."

Being clear about what you want right from the start will help to avoid changes to the plans. Such changes force the contractor to reassess the cost of the job and can lead to large increases in the cost of the project.

Drawing up a schedule for the contractor to stick to is also sometimes a neglected task.

"If you estimate it's going to take 12 months to build something and three months in, you try to plan the last nine months, it's going to be impossible," Mr. Feathers said.

It is necessary to plan a detailed timetable, showing what stage the contractor should have reached by a certain time, he added.

Other major issues are to ensure that the clients have sufficient funds to complete the project and that all necessary warranty issues have been dealt with.

Consumer Affairs Board also believes there is a problem with letting the public know who is a qualified trades person. When the Board announced the launch of its Sub-Committee on Trades last December, its accompanying statement read: "The problem with our existing system is the lack of accountability.

"Practitioners are allowed to provide services without full certification and licensing. There is no fair playing field for reputable contractors to compete against fly-by-night newcomers who have little or no experience whatsoever. Unscrupulous businesses and tradesmen tarnish the integrity of the trades industry."

And Consumer Affairs has published a checklist for anybody embarking on a construction project.

Make sure you get three estimates ? some contractors may charge for this service.

Make sure you get things in writing in the form of a contract ? this should include the quote which is the final agreed cost.

Read the contract carefully and state any areas you don not agree with as there could be room for compromise.

You can request your own sub-contractor if that makes you feel comfortable, but the building contractor must agree to this.

If you make changes that are not stipulated in the contract, you may incur additional charges.

In the case of subcontractors:

Make sure to ask for an estimate up front.

Ask whether this includes any service charges.

Ask whether or not the service requires an assistant, and whether or not that is covered in the initial estimate.