For those who don’t know me, I’m a Waterproofing Designer at Trace Basements — a family business approaching 52 years of trading this April.
By James Hockey, Managing Director, Trace Basements
March 27, 2026
For those who don’t know me, I’m a Waterproofing Designer at Trace Basements — a family business approaching 52 years of trading this April.
We specialise in the design and installation of solutions for moisture in buildings, operating as both a design house and contractor in what is, by nature, a high-risk and highly technical field.
My career has been shaped by a combination of hands-on site experience and formal business education, culminating in a BA (Hons) in Business.
During that time, I completed a placement year within the financial sector, working for a management consultancy delivering operational efficiencies for organisations such as Halifax Building Society and Charles Schwab. A key driver of those efficiencies was the implementation of structured, workflow-based systems.
That experience stayed with me.
As specialists in waterproofing, our work is heavily correspondence-driven.
Every project requires detailed and accurate documentation, including:
Producing this level of detail is essential — not just for quality, but for risk management and contractual protection.
However, the reality across the industry is that many businesses rely on:
While functional, these approaches are time-consuming and can lead to inconsistencies, reduced quality, and increased risk — particularly where volume is prioritised over diligence.
This is especially critical in an industry governed by standards such as Property Care Association (PCA) and technical guidance like BS 8102:2022, where clarity, accuracy, and detail are essential.
In 2022, I began developing a system to improve how we produce technical documentation — not to replace expertise, but to support it more effectively.
Over the past four years, that concept has evolved into a web-based platform designed to:
The platform has been built specifically around the realities of specialist contracting:
This isn’t theoretical software it has been developed from within a live contracting environment, with input from experienced developers and UX specialists who have delivered platforms for organisations including JCB and large-scale SaaS systems across rail and logistics.
The importance of high-quality reporting cannot be overstated. As part of our recent audit, conducted by the Property Care Association in October 2025, our documentation was reviewed independently:
“Your survey reports were outstanding; exceptionally detailed, clearly presented and supported with high-quality imagery and diagrams.”
This level of quality is exactly what the system has been designed to support and scale.
We are now introducing the platform to colleagues across the industry, with early demonstrations generating highly positive feedback.
At its core, this is about enabling professionals to:
We understand that new approaches can raise questions — particularly in a detail-driven industry.
But this is something that needs to be seen to be fully understood.
If you’re interested in a demonstration or would like to learn more, feel free to get in touch.
James Hockey
Managing Director
Trace Basements
