Turnkey Contract
What Is a Turnkey Contract?
A turnkey contract is a business arrangement in which a project is delivered in a completed state. Rather than contracting with an owner to develop a
project in stages, the developer is hired to finish the entire project without owner input. The builder or developer is separate from the final owner or
operator, and the project is turned over only once it is fully operational. In effect, the developer is finishing the project and “turning the key” over to
the new owner.
This concept is ideal for working non-working busy people who cannot devote their time for supervise and find skill carpenters,
masons, labors etc.to build their dream home.
This type of arrangement is commonly used for construction projects ranging from single buildings to
large-scale developments. Under a traditional lump-sum contract, the owner agrees to pay the developer to complete a project that is built to the
owner's specifications. The owner is given many opportunities to make decisions throughout the project, and to make changes as needed. In a
turnkey contract, the owner is generally left out of the building process entirely as the developer handles all decisions and problems related to
construction.
A turnkey contract may also be used in the residential home building industry. With a turnkey agreement, a builder or developer
completes both the construction and the finishes in the home before turning it over to the homeowner. The homeowner is often offered a chance to
select finishes, including, paint for the contract and curtains colors and carpeting(optional).
Turnkey contracts offer many advantages over traditional
building contracts. Because the developer still owns the building until the project is complete, he has financial motivation to complete the job as
quickly and efficiently as possible. A turnkey contract also provides more time for an owner to seek financing and investors before he is required to
pay for a completed project. These agreements also save inexperienced owners from making difficult construction decisions, leaving these decisions
in the hands of the developer or builder.
Before choosing a turnkey contract for your project, it's important to understand the potential drawbacks of
this type of agreement. The primary drawback is the lack of control the owner maintains over design and construction decisions. For some owners,
this may mean the project is not perfectly suited to their needs once it is complete. For others, this drawback may be canceled out by the potential for
cost savings and shorter construction schedules.
Some owners may choose a turnkey-plus contract, which leaves the developer with some financial
long-term interest in the project. For example, a builder will construct a retail establishment for an owner, and the builder will receive a percentage of
the gross receipts for a specific period of time. This may encourage the builder or developer to make construction decisions based on the long-term
needs of the project, rather than just the short-term decisions needed to get the job done.
