Point 01
A price with gaps
A builder’s quote can look complete and still leave out work that will come back later as extras.
For homeowners building, extending or refurbishing
A quantity surveyor on your side of the build
Building or rebuilding a home is often the largest contract a family ever signs, usually with less protection than a developer would accept. We give you the same commercial control.
The problem
Where home projects go over budget
It rarely happens in one moment. It happens in small steps nobody is checking.
Point 02
A contract that says little
Payment, changes and completion are often vague, and vague terms favour whoever is holding the money.
Point 03
Paying ahead of the work
Payments based on what is promised rather than what is built leave you exposed if the job stalls.
Point 04
Extras agreed on site
Small changes agreed in conversation add up, and arrive together at the end.
Services
How we protect your budget
Service 01
Builder’s quote check
We review the price line by line and tell you what is missing, what is high and what is likely to come back as an extra.
Service 02
Comparing quotes
We put two or three quotes on the same basis, so you compare like with like rather than headline totals.
Service 03
Contract review
We make sure what you sign says what you think it says: payment, changes, completion and retention.
Service 04
Monthly valuations
Each month we value the work actually in place, so you pay for what has been built.
Service 05
Changes and extras
Every extra is tested against the contract before you agree to pay it.
Service 06
Final account and disputes
We close the account on evidence, and support you if it turns into a dispute.
Project types
Projects we work on
Extensions
Single and two storey, where the price is agreed before the ground is broken
Basements
Underpinning and excavation, where the unknowns sit below the house
Whole-house refurbishment
Everything opened at once, with the budget tested as the house is stripped
Period and listed homes
Specification led work where consent and fabric drive the cost
New build homes
One house or a small plot, built under a contract you can hold
Timing
The best moments to call
- 01
Before you choose a builder
When the price can still change.
- 02
Before you sign
When the contract can still change.
- 03
During the build
Monthly, before each payment.
- 04
When something goes wrong
A dispute over extras, delays or the final bill.
How we work
How an engagement runs
01
Short call
You tell us about the house, the plans and where you are.
02
Scope and fee
We confirm in writing what we will do and what it costs.
03
Review
We read the drawings, the quote and the contract.
04
During the build
Monthly site visit and valuation, extras checked as they arise.
05
The end
Final account agreed on evidence.
What you get
What you get from us
- 01
A plain-English report on the builder’s price
- 02
A clear view of the contract terms that matter
- 03
A monthly valuation before each payment
- 04
A running list of extras with our view on each
- 05
One senior QS from start to finish
Terms
How we take the work on
On your side only
We do not work for your builder on your project, and we take no commission from anyone. If we have acted for a party on your project, we tell you before we start.
How we charge
A quote check or contract review is a fixed fee. Support through the build is usually a fixed monthly fee or a percentage of the build cost. The basis is agreed in writing before anything begins.
I am a homeowner. Can you check my builder’s quote?
Yes. That is one of the most useful moments to bring us in, because the price is still open to change.
Is my project too small for you?
Tell us what it is. If it is not work we should take, we will say so and point you somewhere sensible.
Do I need an architect as well?
Usually yes for design and planning. We do not design. We look after the money and the contract.
The build has already started. Is it too late?
No. We can start at any monthly payment, and earlier problems can often still be addressed.
Do you work outside London?
Yes, across the United Kingdom.
Insights
Further reading for homeowners
Procurement and contracts
How to Choose a Contractor
The lowest tender and the lowest final cost are frequently different bids. What to examine before awarding, beyond.
Read the article
Cost control
Certifying Interim Valuations
An interim certificate values work in place, not the application. What the difference costs across a two year.
Read the article
Cost control
Verbal Instructions on Site
A verbal instruction on a construction site is not worth nothing and not worth much.
Read the articleClients
Who else we work with
We act for one party on each project. Never two sides of the same build.
01
Main contractors and subcontractors
Senior QS capacity without a full-time hire. Applications, variations and final accounts, prepared so they stand up when the other side checks.
02
Property developers
Cost certainty before the scheme is committed, and a defensible position later on, when the numbers are challenged by a contractor or a funder.
03
Funders and lenders
Independent appraisal, drawdown certification and monthly progress reporting, written to be read by a credit team, and not by another surveyor.
04
Private investors and family offices
Commercial oversight on schemes where the exposure is direct, the margin for error is small and nobody else is testing the numbers for you now.