Body Corporate Repainting Tender Checklist for Trustees and Managing Agents

A body corporate repainting tender should make competing quotations easier to compare, not leave trustees decoding different assumptions. The strongest starting point is a shared written scope: the same buildings, surfaces, preparation standards, access conditions and handover requirements for every contractor. Price then has context, and the body corporate can see what each tender includes or excludes.

Start with the property and tender boundaries

Before inviting prices, record exactly what is being painted. A complex may include rendered façades, boundary walls, passages, stairwells, soffits, fascias, metal railings, timber doors, service rooms and roof elements. “Paint the exterior” is too broad when contractors could interpret it differently.

Create a schedule by block, elevation and surface type. Mark areas that are excluded, such as privately maintained interiors or specialist items outside the painting scope. Note whether the tender includes common-area interiors, garage walls, gates, balustrades or outbuildings. If there are cracks, damp marks or failed plaster, identify their locations and request a defined method rather than a general allowance.

A site briefing is valuable because drawings and photographs cannot show every access constraint or surface defect. Give all tenderers the same information and a common deadline for written questions. CDC Painters’ body corporate painting service outlines the types of shared residential areas that may need to be considered.

Define preparation instead of asking only for paint

The finish depends on what happens before the final coat. Tender documents should ask contractors to describe cleaning, removal of loose paint, surface repairs, priming and treatment of different substrates. Without this detail, one quotation may allow for thorough preparation while another assumes little more than a wash and repaint.

Ask for cracks to be classified where practical. Stable surface cracks, open joints and signs of movement do not necessarily need the same response. Likewise, hollow or loose plaster should not be hidden beneath new paint. The scope can include measured repair rates for uncertain quantities, together with an approval process before extra work begins. The crack repair and plaster preparation page gives useful context for this stage.

Damp and water entry also need separate attention. Painting a stained wall does not correct a failed parapet, leaking joint or other moisture source. List known problem areas and determine whether waterproofing work is part of the contract, a provisional item or a separate investigation.

Use a tender checklist that supports like-for-like comparison

Requesting this information in a fixed returnable schedule makes comparison more reliable. It also exposes gaps early. A low total may exclude repairs, access or protection that another tender includes. Trustees can then ask targeted questions instead of choosing on headline price alone.

Plan access, residents and day-to-day disruption

Occupied complexes require practical coordination. The tender should explain where contractors may store materials, obtain water, use power and establish work areas. It should identify parking restrictions, security procedures, pet considerations and times when noisy preparation may take place. Residents need reasonable notice when windows must remain closed, balconies must be cleared or vehicles need to move.

Access assumptions must be explicit. Ground-level work, internal passages and ordinary ladder access are different from high or difficult elevations. Do not assume every painting contractor provides rope access or other specialist methods. If an area cannot be safely reached by the proposed method, obtain appropriate specialist input and price that requirement separately.

Ask tenderers to set out the intended sequence by block. A realistic programme should account for preparation, drying, inspections and Cape Town weather rather than listing only start and finish dates. The managing agent can then prepare a communication calendar and give residents one consistent point of contact.

Compare coating proposals and colour decisions

A tender should identify the proposed coating system for each substrate, not merely a brand name or total number of coats. Previously painted plaster, bare repaired areas, metal, timber and roof surfaces may need different preparation and primers. Ask for current technical information and confirm that the proposed system suits the substrate and exposure.

Colour selection can affect timing and cost. The body corporate should agree who approves colours, whether existing colours are being matched and where sample panels will be placed. A sample area lets trustees review preparation, colour and finish under real daylight before broad application. It should be signed off in writing and retained as a reference.

If both common-area interiors and façades are included, separate them in the pricing schedule. CDC Painters provides information on exterior painting, interior painting and wider commercial painting work; separating these work types helps make the tender clearer.

Set a controlled process for extras and quality checks

Large repainting projects often reveal defects after washing or scraping. The contract should explain how unforeseen work will be photographed, measured, priced and approved. No variation should rely only on an informal conversation on site. A written record protects the body corporate and contractor from later disagreement.

Build inspection points into the programme. Useful stages include after cleaning, after major repairs, after priming and before final handover. Trustees or their appointed representative should check against the agreed scope and sample area. Inspections should focus on preparation and coverage as well as appearance.

Payment stages can be linked to clearly defined progress rather than dates alone. The body corporate should have its own professional or legal advisers review the final procurement and contract documents where needed. A painting tender checklist helps organise technical information, but it is not a substitute for project-specific contractual advice.

Handover documents to request

Handover should be more than a walk-through. Prepare one snag list, allocate responsibility for issuing it and record when each item is closed. Ask for a final schedule of colours and coating products used, locations of completed repairs, approved variations and relevant care information. Keep dated photographs of key preparation and completed elevations with the scheme’s maintenance records.

The final account should reconcile the accepted tender, approved variations and payments. Record any areas not completed and why. These documents make future inspections and maintenance planning easier because the next set of trustees will not have to reconstruct the project from invoices alone.

For a site discussion and a clearly defined quotation within CDC Painters’ service scope, contact CDC Painters. Provide the property schedule, photographs and intended tender timetable so the requirements can be reviewed consistently.

Frequently asked questions

How many painting quotations should a body corporate obtain?

The required process depends on the scheme’s governance documents, approvals and procurement rules. Whatever number is requested, each contractor should receive the same scope and return schedule so trustees can compare the submissions fairly.

Should the cheapest repainting tender be accepted?

Not automatically. Compare preparation, repairs, access, protection, coating systems, exclusions, programme and commercial terms. A lower price may reflect a narrower scope rather than better value.

How should unforeseen plaster repairs be priced?

The tender can request unit rates or provisional quantities and require photographs, measurements and written approval before extra work proceeds. The final account should show how the approved amount was calculated.

Who should communicate with residents during repainting?

Nominate one authorised body corporate or managing-agent contact and one contractor contact. Issue notices through an agreed channel so residents receive consistent information about access, parking, balconies and work sequencing.

What should trustees check at final handover?

Check the work against the accepted scope, approved sample and snag list. Collect the final colour and product schedule, repair records, variation approvals, care information and a reconciled final account.