Shaun Harris

Shaun Harris

Harris Associates | Managing Director

Biography

Shaun provides the management and strategic direction for Harris Associates. With over 35 years of experience in the industry, Shaun has worked across the residential, commercial, public, and private sectors, providing a full range of building surveying and project management services. Areas of expertise include pre-acquisition advice, due diligence, and bespoke analysis work, including the assessment of a building's compliance with relevant statutes, such as the Building Regulations. Shaun has had many years of managing complex major refurbishment and renovation contracts, and in the last 5 years has acted as lead consultant on multiple significant façade remediation and re-cladding contracts.

Other areas of expertise include acting as a retained surveyor and delivering building surveying services to large estates and residential developments. Shaun is heavily involved in the running and development of the façade remediation services, working closely with the façade investigations and technical team. He takes the lead on our Historic Compliance Review services and the development of new services to meet new statutes and regulatory requirements. Shaun also provides bespoke advice and project management services in situations where projects or contracts have become distressed.

The role of the principal designer

On the 6th April 2015, The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) replaced CDM 2007. The regulations govern the management of health, safety and welfare for what are termed “construction projects”. For most property managers a “construction project” typically includes internal common parts refurbishments, external redecoration works and major services renewal projects.  The appointment of a CDM Coordinator is for the most part engrained in the psyche of a property manager and ev

Act now to keep the lights on

Building surveyors have historically been employed to prepare what are widely referred to as planned maintenance programmes. Such plans have been based on the requirements prescribed in leases and the technical requirements of the property in question. For example, how often does the building need redecorating, when do communal boilers need replacing and when does the roof need renewing? The focus is usually based on the capital expenditure of such works with little or no consideration given to running

What is Contract Administration?

Contract administration is the term most often referred to when building surveyors are talking about major capital expenditure works such as external renovation projects or internal common parts refurbishments. Most property managers will be familiar with the term but there will be many RTM directors and freehold management company directors who are not and whom do not have a building, property or construction background. The term “contract administration” is rarely mentioned when a client is considering

The role of the surveyor in licences to alter 

The factors to consider when assessing whether a licence is required or whether a letter of consent will suffice or indeed whether works need any consent are numerous but will for the most part be dictated by the Lease. Other advice might be contained within a buildings own Rules & Regulations and/or specific Licence To Alter Guidance. Let’s assume a licence is required and that you appoint a surveyor on behalf of the Landlord to advise and report on the lessees proposals which are deemed not insignific

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