Who does the principal contractor work with as 'client' if principal designer takes on client duties?

• A. Principal designer
• B. Domestic client
• C. Contractor
• D. Subcontractor

Answer: (A)

The key idea is who acts as the client when the principal designer takes on client duties. Under CDM 2015, the client is the party that commissions the project and is responsible for ensuring appropriate health and safety arrangements. If the principal designer assumes those client duties, they effectively become the project’s client. The principal contractor must then work with that person in their capacity as the client to plan, coordinate, and control construction work. The other options don’t fit because a domestic client is only relevant for private, non-commercial jobs, and the contractor or subcontractor are delivery roles, not the client. So the principal contractor’s point of contact for the client becomes the principal designer in their role as client.