Workflow – Structural Retrofitting of Your Building

The tenants’ representative organizes a meeting at which the residents decide on the restoration model.

The decision can go in two directions:

• Organized restoration: a formal notice is sent to the MPGI stating that you have selected this model.
• Self-restoration: the co-owners’ decision is submitted (minutes with signatures representing more than 50% of the ownership shares), along with an application for financial assistance.

This model is chosen by buildings that want to complete the works as quickly as possible.

• Speed (Priority): You choose the designer and contractor yourself. You do not wait for the state to launch public tenders for hundreds of buildings; instead, you go directly to the market.
• You Select the Contractor and Designer Yourself: You can hire a company you know is reliable, rather than one that was simply the cheapest in a public tender.
• Advance payment The state transfers funds into the building’s account. in advance (for the project, and later for the works as well). You do not need to use your own reserve fund.
• Coordination fee: As the building representative (or the manager/expert you appoint), you are entitled to compensation from the state (up to approx. 10.600 €) for all the effort involved in organizing everything. In this case, our company offers a coordination consulting service in which we guide you through the entire process, while your building retains the amount of EUR 10,600 for additional improvements you can make to the building.
• Flexibility It is possible to arrange with “your” contractor to also fix something that is not included in the project during the works (at the residents’ expense), such as new pipes in a wall that is already being reinforced, new vertical drainage stacks, etc.

• Loss of control: You are only the “beneficiary,” not the investor. The state decides who enters your building and when.
• System delays: The state must follow strict public procurement procedures. If no one applies for the tender for your building, which does happen, the process can be repeated for months, or if all bids exceed the estimated value.
• Difficult communication: If the contractor performs poorly, the residents have no legal mechanism to put pressure on them because they did not sign the contract with the contractor — the Ministry did. As a result, the reconstruction process can be lengthy and unpleasant for the residents.
• Unknown start date of the works: It is difficult for residents to plan moving out because the state can rarely give an exact date: “We are starting on September 1.”

Standard solutions: Even during the design phase, you do not have direct communication with the designers, which often leads to solutions that meet formal requirements but fail to reflect the needs of apartment owners and space users.

After choosing the reconstruction model, you will receive confirmation from the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets. 

You can then choose a designer, ukratko ovdje se mi uključujemo a Vaša briga prestaje.

We work with a number of reputable design firms, so we can offer you a complete package: design, construction works, and reconstruction coordination consulting.

Our partners listen to your needs during the design phase and approach each building strategically rather than using a one-size-fits-all model, developing not only the engineering and structural calculations from the outset but also planning the phases of the works themselves so that the reconstruction can be completed as quickly and smoothly as possible.

All you need to do is appoint a supervising engineer so that, through them, you can maintain control over the entire process once the works begin.

By choosing this model, residents do not have to accept the cheapest bid; in fact, they are not even required to carry out a tender procedure. Design and construction works can be contracted directly, without a tender procedure.

Why is this so important?

Today, with many companies engaged in structural reconstruction, price undercutting is often used to secure contracts at any cost. As a result, we often encounter unrealistic price ranges for the reconstruction of a given building, with the difference between the lowest and highest bids frequently exceeding EUR 200,000, which is by no means realistic. 

The cheapest bid is never the best solution, and the highest bid is no guarantee of quality work.

When offering dumping prices, contractors often set very long deadlines because they are aware that the work will be difficult to complete at that price. As a result, they subcontract firms of questionable capability, which drastically affects the quality of the works, the timeline, and the management of the entire process.

What we can guarantee is that, with our price, your project will be completed on time and without hidden costs — and we are prepared to stand behind that at all times.

Within a reasonable timeframe, the designer prepares the project documentation, seeking to align the structural requirements, the wishes of the investor/residents, and the budget as much as possible.

It is important to note that, in accordance with the law, every project is submitted to an authorized reviewer, where it undergoes a review and verification process. Reviewers are the profession’s “second pair of eyes,” confirming that the designer’s calculations are correct and that the building will indeed withstand future earthquakes.

Once the main design has been completed and has passed the technical review, it is submitted to the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets (MPGI) for final approval.

After the project is submitted, the final decision on structural reconstruction is awaited.

This document is crucial because it defines the exact amount of financial assistance.

After receiving the decision, a contract is signed with the contractor. The decision is made in the same way as when selecting the reconstruction model and choosing the designer. The works then begin, and we advise you throughout the entire process.

Under the self-reconstruction model, residents pay all the contractor’s invoices including VAT until the funds are exhausted, since the funds received from the Ministry do not include VAT. The contractor then finances the works until completion, and only after the Ministry reimburses the funds is the remaining amount paid to the contractor.

This is excellent for residents. Why? 

The contractor effectively finances part of the building project, as they receive the remaining payment only once the works are completed, the site records have been signed off by the supervising engineer, and the Ministry has reviewed everything. 

So, for residents, this approach provides absolute security.

• Realistic prices and timelines
• We can arrange visits to our current construction sites
• If you wish, we can provide contact details for residents who have already gone through this process and can share their experience of working with us
• A guarantee that we will stay within budget
• A 10-year structural warranty
• Free consulting and guidance throughout the entire reconstruction process, from application to handover
• The option to arrange additional works during the reconstruction
• We are representatives of the renowned Italian company OLYMPUS srl, one of the leading companies for structural strengthening in Europe
• Cooperation with the academic community and continuous professional development
• A company with healthy growth and realistic ambitions