Quantity Surveying and Cost Management

Understanding our Clients Needs

Our starting point is an appreciation of our Clients needs, requirements and aspirations for the project. Some Clients may have a detailed business case and brief for a project whilst others may require assistance to develop a full brief. We establish our clients' needs from the initial meeting, and we then focus on understanding what is required from the design and construction process.

Our confidence in advising on the cost implications of our clients' requirements, from the earliest stages, rests on our extensive experience, data and specialist knowledge across virtually all market sectors and building types.

We remain constantly alert to what drives value for our clients. Our service is therefore about managing our Clients interests and thinking as part of the design team, helping to capture the client’s objectives within the team’s proposed solutions.

Our Cost Management service is in essence about delivering a construction project within budget and we know that to achieve this costs must be managed at every stage in the process. It is about liaising closely and cooperating with the Client to ensure that he makes the right decisions at the right time to add more value to a project.  In practice, however, projects are multi-faceted and demand an appreciation of all stakeholder agendas. Successful Cost Management therefore requires the adoption of an optimum procurement strategy, designed to balance the sometimes conflicting requirements of risk, certainty, speed, design, quality, budgets and benefits.

Inception and Feasibility

At the inception and Feasibility stage we will liaise with the client and other consultants to determine the Clients initial requirements, advise on the selection of other consultants if not already appointed, look at all the feasibility procurement routes and options and advise accordingly, and preparing the initial budgets.

Cost Planning, Design Developement and Control

Once the requirements and Budget is established we would agree an outline specification for the project with the designers and prepare a detailed Cost Plan from preliminary designs. At this stage key decisions would be made in terms of the design  size, shape, form of construction and choice of materials and advice would be provided on the cost of alternative designs and concepts. We fully appreciate that the choices made at this stage in a project have the greatest impact on the outturn cost.

During the design development stages of a project, it is of paramount importance that regular cost checks are carried out throughout each design stage to ensure the design is developing in line with the agreed outline design, specification and detailed Cost Plan. In instances where design proposals or particular elements would be more expensive than budget, the Client and Design team would be advised accordingly and suggestions would be put forward with a view to bringing costs back within budget. During the pre-contract stage this process would end with a pre-tender estimate based upon final tender drawings, as a final cost check before a project is put out to tender.

Tendering

We would advise on prospective tenderers and where necessary interview to investigate their experience and financial standing and general suitability to tender for the project.

We would collate the design and specifications prepared by the designers and prepare Tender documentation and contract information in line with the agreed method of procurement.

Tenders would be issued to the approved tenderers and we would manage the tender process and issue any clarification or tender amendments that may be required.

Returned tenders would be reviewed and checked, we would correspond or interview tenderers, as appropriate, to clarify any particular matters and prepare a tender report for the Client with recommendations.

Contract Documentation

After a decision of an award has been made by the Client, we would prepare and collate the Contract Documentation and incorporate any agreed changes that may have been made post-tender. Standard or bespoke Forms of Contract would be completed and we would arrange for the Contract to be signed by the Client and the successful contractor.

Post-Contract Services

Whilst the project is under construction we would carry out regular site visits and attend site meetings. We would check the contractors monthly Interim Valuations and issue recommendation for payment in accordance with the conditions of contract. Furthermore we would rigorously manage the cost of variation or changes instructed during the project, and prepare regular Cashflow forecasts and Financial Reports to keep the Client informed on costs expenditure.

Within the timescales required by the contract and in consultation with other consultants and the contractor, we would prepare and agree the Final Account.