Avoid Scope Gaps on Remote Projects – What RGWA Covers Others Don’t

In any construction project, “scope gaps” are those dreaded blind spots – tasks or responsibilities that fall outside of what each contractor has agreed to do. They are especially common in complex projects where multiple parties are involved. Perhaps a minor but crucial task wasn’t clearly assigned, or two trades assumed the other would handle some overlap. In the remote project context, scope gaps aren’t just a nuisance; they can lead to costly delays, emergency call-outs and a lot of finger-pointing when something essential is left undone in the middle of nowhere.

Remote Group WA (RGWA) has built its business model specifically to eliminate scope gaps. Our integrated trade approach means we cover end-to-end project delivery – ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. In this article, we’ll highlight common scope gaps in remote projects and, importantly, what RGWA covers that others often don’t.

What Are Scope Gaps and Why Do They Happen?

A scope gap occurs when a specific element of the project isn’t clearly allocated to anyone in contracts or planning. Imagine a scenario: a company is setting up a new mining camp. They hire one contractor to supply the modular units, another to do civil earthworks and maybe another local electrician for hookups. Everyone assumes the other party will handle certain details – “Surely the building supplier will connect the water?” “Surely the civil guy will do the final grading and cleanup?” – and then each does only what’s explicitly in their scope. In the end, you might have beautifully installed buildings on solid foundations, but no one hooked them into the sewage system. That’s a scope gap.

In remote areas of WA, scope gaps often occur because:

Projects involve multiple specialized contractors (civil, electrical, plumbing, etc.) who may not communicate seamlessly.
Logistics and distance complicate things – if a task is missed, it’s not a quick fix to send someone 800 km to tighten a bolt.
There’s an assumption that modular or “turnkey” from one vendor covers everything, but fine print shows some exclusions (e.g., the supplier provides the building but not the onsite assembly of stairs, or not the final commissioning).
Fast-track schedules can lead to hastily defined scopes where some ancillary tasks (like provision of temporary power, or waste management during construction, or final testing) aren’t assigned.

The impact of scope gaps is amplified remotely. If a plumbing connection was left out, you might discover it when turning on the taps at a newly occupied camp – and then have to fly a plumber in on short notice, during which time your workforce accommodation has no working toilets. Not good. Scope gaps lead to delays, extra costs, safety risks and plenty of frustration.

RGWA’s Integrated Trade Model: Covering All the Bases

The simplest way to avoid scope gaps is to have one party responsible for as much of the project as possible – a single throat to choke, as the saying goes. RGWA takes on that mantle by self-performing or managing all major trades. We are a true one-stop shop: civil works, concrete, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, finishing – we do it all in-house or with tightly integrated teams.

What does this mean in practice? It means from the moment we engage on a project, we’re thinking holistically about the entire scope:

If we’re supplying and installing a set of modular buildings, we include the service connections (power, water, sewer) in our scope by default, whereas some modular suppliers might say “by others” for that part. In a recent caravan park project for Lynas, RGWA’s scope ran “from demolition, plumbing and electrical works to fencing, breezeways and appliance installs” – we literally went from breaking ground to plugging in the fridge. Nothing was left for the client to sort out later.
When we build a facility, we handle the civil prep and foundations as part of our package (unless it’s truly a supply-only job at client insistence). For example, at Castle Hill, we didn’t just deliver the workshop buildings; we took care of every concrete slab and footing, earthworks and even on-site concrete batching to ensure quality. Because we controlled the civil work, there was no gap between the civil contractor and the building installer – we were one and the same, so everything aligned perfectly.
We incorporate finishing trades that some general contractors might leave out. Need that perimeter fencing installed? It’s in our scope (as it was at Castle Hill and Boomers). Need the pathway lighting set up and tested? We’ve got it. How about commissioning the water treatment unit? Covered. By contrast, if separate contractors handled these, one might assume “oh, the electrician will wire that pump” while the electrician thought “the mechanical guys will start up the pump” – and the pump sits idle. RGWA’s team ensures that if we installed it, we also make sure it works and is integrated into the whole system.
Importantly, we also fill gaps between trades with our project management oversight. Our project managers are technically savvy (often with trade backgrounds) and they know the typical gap areas to watch. For instance, they’ll ensure that our electrical team and plumbing team coordinate on the hot water system that involves both trades (electrical connection and plumbing lines). Or they’ll double-check that after our excavation crew lays conduits, our communications tech actually pulls the data cables through before trenches are backfilled. These details can be overlooked if teams work in silos under different contracts.

By covering all bases, RGWA removes the ambiguity that breeds scope gaps. When a client asks, “Who will handle X?” our answer is rarely “Not us” – it’s usually, “We will, it’s part of our turnkey service.”

What Does RGWA Cover That Others Don’t?

Let’s break down some specific items that often cause scope gaps in remote projects – and how RGWA covers them:

Utility Reticulation and Tie-Ins: A common gap is the connection of new buildings to existing site infrastructure. Other contractors might deliver a new accommodation block and leave the connection to the main camp generators or water supply for the client’s maintenance team or another contractor. RGWA includes full utility reticulation – meaning we extend and connect power, water, sewer, communications as needed. In Boomers Village, for example, we took care of utility reticulation, grease trap upgrades and even a sliding gate install as part of expanding the camp. These tasks cross civil, electrical and plumbing disciplines, but our team handled them all, ensuring that the new units weren’t just built, but fully integrated into the site’s systems.
Compliance Upgrades: Remote sites, especially older ones, might need upgrades to meet current standards when you add new components. Some builders focus only on the new build and ignore the interface with old systems. RGWA looks at the whole picture – if adding a new wing means the fire pump needs an upgrade to handle extra hydrants, we alert the client and can include that. At Boomers, part of our expansion involved site-wide compliance works in Stage 2. We didn’t say “not our problem” – we actively took on those works (like updating fire extinguishers and emergency lighting across the village) so the expanded camp met all regulations. Others might have built the new rooms and left without addressing that, leaving a gap in safety compliance.
Quality Assurance and Documentation: Some gaps are not physical work, but documentation. In multi-contractor setups, each may assume someone else will compile the operating manuals, maintenance plans and as-built drawings. RGWA’s turnkey approach includes comprehensive QA and documentation. We plan “every bolt” and keep records. At Castle Hill, our team ran QA systems for everything we did. This means at project’s end, we hand over all test certificates, engineering docs and manuals in one package. We cover that last mile of paperwork and certification that others sometimes drop once the physical build is done.
Ancillary Structures and Features: It’s easy to focus on the big-ticket items (the buildings, the roads), but what about smaller features? Things like bollards, signage, CCTV cameras, even the installation of client-supplied furniture can become orphan tasks if not defined. RGWA, being thorough, often includes these in our scope after discussing with the client. Need a flagpole at the site entrance? We can do that. Need bed frames assembled in each donga? Done. We treat the project holistically, which means if it contributes to a functional facility, we won’t shy away from including it. Many of these are minor individually, but forgetting one can cause major inconvenience later (imagine no exit signs above doors – technically can’t occupy until those are up and if no one was contracted for it, oops!).
Maintenance and Aftercare (Bridging the Gap Post-Completion): Once a project is “done”, scope gaps can appear in who maintains or fixes issues during the defects liability period. Because RGWA has a Maintenance arm, we don’t disappear after handover. Some builders finish and then any fixes require dragging them back. We offer maintenance services (if engaged) meaning even after the main job, our team can stay involved to address any teething problems or to perform regular servicing. This isn’t standard for all contractors, but we cover it because we want the project to succeed long-term, not just at handover.

Example: How RGWA Avoided Scope Gaps at Castle Hill

To illustrate, let’s revisit the Castle Hill Non-Process Infrastructure Delivery project, where RGWA worked with NRW Pty Ltd. This project had many components – workshops, hardstands, an explosives compound, a fire shelter and extensive paths. It’s the kind of multi-faceted job ripe for scope gaps if different contractors did each piece. Instead, RGWA handled it all as a package.

Consider the explosives compound: it required earth bunding (civil works), a security fence (fencing trade), specific grounding points for lightning protection (electrical/earthing trade) and signage (general installation). Because RGWA took responsibility for the compound, we ensured each of those elements was done and coordinated – even lightning protection was in our scope. Many general contractors might have overlooked that detail or assumed a specialist would be brought in by the client. We sourced the specialist knowledge and did it under our wing, so there was no gap in safety systems.

Another example on that project: the fire shelter. This presumably needed concrete footings, the shelter structure, maybe fire-resistant materials and integration with the site alarm. RGWA delivered it end-to-end. We did “every slab, fence and bolt… with QA systems run by our team”, meaning we didn’t rely on others to ensure it was done right. As a result, the client (NRW and ultimately the mine operator) had no loose ends to tie up – everything was use-ready and they could focus on operations.

Why It Matters More in Remote WA

In Perth or a large town, a scope gap can often be resolved the same day by calling a local technician. In remote WA, a scope gap might mean waiting weeks for the next supply flight or driving 5 hours to the nearest hardware store. The costs magnify: if you forgot to include, say, a sewage lift pump in the scope and the camp’s plumbing doesn’t work, you might have to fly in a team and rent pumping equipment in an emergency, costing tens of thousands. Moreover, scope gaps can hurt reputations – a client like a mining company expects reliable delivery; if they have to scramble to finish the job themselves, they won’t be happy.

RGWA’s reputation has been built on the promise that when we finish a project, it’s complete. As we like to say, we cover what others don’t, so our clients can turn the key and get to work. Our integrated approach is not just a bonus – in remote construction it’s almost a necessity for smooth execution.

How to Spot and Prevent Scope Gaps (Advice for Clients)

Even with an integrated contractor, it’s good for project owners to be vigilant in planning. Here are a few tips:

Detailed Scoping: Work with your contractor to list out all tasks, even minor ones. A good contractor like RGWA will help identify these during tender or early contract negotiation.
Interface Meetings: If you do have multiple contractors, insist on interface coordination meetings. For example, if you have a separate telecoms provider installing satellite internet, make sure they coordinate conduit needs with the construction team.
Clear Deliverables: Define what “done” means. For us, done means you have a functioning facility. With others, you may need to explicitly ask, “Will you also do X?” for anything that isn’t obvious.
Contractual Inclusion: It might be tempting to save cost by taking some responsibilities on yourself as the client, but if you don’t have a strong project management arm, those can turn into gaps. Often, it’s worth bundling more into one contract for clarity – that’s essentially what RGWA’s clients do when they engage us: bundle everything and avoid overlaps.

Conclusion: Peace of Mind through Comprehensive Delivery

Scope gaps are like potholes on the long road of remote projects – if you’re not careful, you’ll hit one and blow a tire. Remote Group WA’s approach is to pave the road completely, leaving no potholes (or gaps) for our clients to worry about. By covering tasks that others might omit and by ensuring seamless coordination among all trades, we deliver turnkey remote infrastructure that’s truly ready for use.

Our clients have learned to expect that when RGWA is on the job, they won’t be left making panicked calls for a missing piece of the puzzle. Instead, they get the confidence that every element, from the big-picture civil works down to the last coat of paint, has been handled. Avoiding scope gaps isn’t just about saving money or time (though it does both); it’s about delivering a project that fulfills its purpose completely – something we commit to on every job.

In short, RGWA covers the “what about…?” items so you don’t have to. No “by others” footnotes, no unwelcome surprises – just a job done right, done fully and done to the high standards that remote projects and communities deserve.