A construction project abroad carries all the challenges of a project at home and adds new ones: different regulations, a different permit process, a different climate, a different supply chain and a different business culture. If these differences are not seen at the start, their effect on cost and time shows up while the work is under way.
1. Know the country and the site
Planning starts with reviewing the country’s conditions:
- Regulations and standards: building, fire, energy and seismic codes; accepted material standards.
- Permits: building permits, work permits, import licences and how long they take.
- Climate: temperature, humidity and rainfall; in which season concreting and facade work can be done.
- Local market: which materials, equipment and skills are available locally.
2. Build the cost for the country’s conditions
Unit rates from another country cannot be used directly. Local labour and material prices, freight and customs costs for imported items, currency risk and local taxes should enter the budget as separate items. An itemised bill of quantities makes these differences visible.
3. Tie supply to the programme
One of the most common causes of delay on international projects is materials not reaching site on time. Products that cannot be found locally should be identified, and their production and shipping times written into the programme from the start, with time allowed for customs and possible waiting. We describe this on our supply and international trade page.
4. Clarify roles and risks in the contract
On international work, the contract language, governing law, payment currency, who carries the exchange-rate risk and how disputes will be resolved should be written down at the start. In tenders entered as a partnership or consortium, each partner’s share of the work and responsibility should be clearly defined.
5. Work with local crews and partners
Local subcontractors and suppliers know the country’s conditions. Building fair, open and long-term relationships with them, defining their scopes item by item and applying the same quality and safety rules are conditions for a healthy project.
6. Set up reporting between head office and site
Distance means information arrives late. A regular written progress report should cover completed work, delays, the budget position and pending decisions. It lets both head office and the investor follow the project from afar.
7. Plan around climate and season
Concreting in extreme heat, earthworks in the rainy season or facade work in freezing cold affect both quality and time. The programme should be built around the country’s climate calendar.
DEMAFT’s experience
Besides Türkiye, DEMAFT has run projects in Kyrgyzstan, Algeria, Cameroon and the United States. It built social housing projects of 5,100 and 1,016 homes in Oran and a 50,000-seat stadium complex in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria; a private luxury mansion and 50 m and 100 m indoor shooting ranges in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; and a private mansion, a petrol station and the ART headquarters building in Yaoundé, Cameroon. We carry out our work in the US through our licensed affiliate CNK Contracting LLC in Maryland.
We describe this experience, gained in 5 countries under different regulations, climates and supply conditions, on our international construction projects page. We welcome partnership proposals for tenders in Türkiye and abroad.
