Contracts are won or lost before signing

Most of the problems we see on hangar and warehouse projects in Syria do not begin on site. They begin at the negotiating table: a one-page quotation with no specification, an undefined tonnage, and a schedule that exists only on paper. By the time disputes surface, the steel is already on site and there is no way back.

Here are seven questions we believe every investor should put to any steel contractor, ourselves included. A serious contractor welcomes them. One who dodges them has already answered.

1. What steel grade, and from where?

An acceptable answer names the grade, S355 or S275 according to the design, and comes with mill certificates from the source. Phrases like premium steel or imported steel mean nothing. Have the grade written into the contract and require certificates with every delivery to the workshop.

2. What is the tonnage, and how was it calculated?

A proper quotation states total weight in tonnes, broken down into columns, rafters and secondary members, because weight is the material you are actually paying for. If the tonnage is a guess with no structural calculation behind it, you cannot tell whether you are being sold excess steel that inflates the price or too little steel that endangers the building.

3. Who signs off the structural design?

Ask for the name of the design engineer, the design code used (the Syrian Arab Code or an equivalent), and the loads the building is designed for: wind, snow in elevated areas, overhead cranes if any, and earthquake. Drawings signed by a responsible engineer and approved by the engineers' syndicate are your protection at permit stage and in any later dispute.

4. What is the corrosion protection system?

Paint is not decoration. Ask for the system to be specified: blast cleaning or mechanical brushing, a zinc-rich primer, a topcoat, and the thickness of each layer in microns. For humid areas or chemical exposure, hot-dip galvanising may be the right choice despite its higher cost.

5. How are the connections made?

Ask about welding and bolting together. Is welding done in the workshop under controlled conditions, or on site in sun and dust? Are the welders qualified, and are main welds inspected? What bolt grade is used in structural connections? High-strength grade 8.8 or 10.9 bolts are the standard; ordinary commercial bolts have no place in column and rafter joints.

6. What is the schedule, and what is delivered at each stage?

Ask for a week-by-week programme that ties each stage to a tangible output: drawing approval, foundations handed over, steel delivered to site, frame complete, cladding complete, final handover. A good programme also lists what is required from you as the owner at each stage, such as site readiness, power and permits, because that is usually where delays start.

7. What does the price include, and exclude?

This question prevents more disputes than any other. Check the quotation's position on:

  • Foundations and floor slab: included or by the owner?
  • Transport and cranes: who pays for haulage from workshop to site and crane hire during erection?
  • Gutters, skylights and doors: small items that become large sums when left unstated.
  • Warranty: on the frame, on the coating and on roof leaks.
  • Payment terms: the advance percentage and progress payments tied to actual milestones, not calendar dates.

A closing word

The lowest price is not always the cheapest. A hangar built from undocumented steel with uninspected connections can cost many times the price difference later, in maintenance or in lost production. Ask the seven questions, write the answers into the contract, and half the project is done before the first foundation is poured.