Vague scope
Contractors price what they think you mean. Gaps become variations later.
Services · Before you build
Know your build cost before you sign a contract
From approved drawings to an agreed contract sum: a cost plan to tender against, contractors compared like for like, and terms you understand.
Where budgets go wrong
Prices you can't compare
Three quotes, three formats, three different exclusions.
Contracts signed in a hurry
The wrong form or missing terms leave you carrying the risk.
How we help, stage by stage
- 1
Cost plan
An elemental cost plan to the RICS NRM1 structure, priced at current market rates and checked against benchmarks. Your budget before you tender.
- 2
Tender documents
A clear scope or schedule of works and a pricing document, so every contractor prices the same job.
- 3
Tender analysis
Returns compared line by line, exclusions and provisional sums flagged, and a recommendation you can act on.
- 4
Negotiation and contract
Clarifications and price negotiation with your preferred contractor, and a recommendation on the right JCT contract form and key terms.
Take one stage or all four. Each has a fixed fee, agreed before we start.
Why developers use us
We know how contractors price
Over ten years in contractor commercial teams on major projects, including HS2.
We know what lenders check
As a former lender's monitoring surveyor, we build budgets that stand up to scrutiny.
We've built our own
We've converted commercial buildings ourselves, so our numbers come from real projects.
Good fit / not a fit
Good fit
- Conversions, refurbishments and small new-build schemes
- Developers using a main contractor or managing their own trades
- Schemes with approved drawings or prior approval in place
Not a fit
- Design work – we work alongside your architect
- Principal designer or CDM roles
- Legal advice on contracts – we work with your solicitor
Questions
Can't see your question? Email hello@msurveying.co.uk
Each stage has a fixed fee based on the size and complexity of the scheme. We quote after a short call and a look at the drawings.
Yes. The cost plan becomes more detailed as the design develops, and we tell you what is assumed at each stage.
Yes. We issue the documents, answer contractor queries, analyse the returns and recommend a contractor.
Usually a JCT form suited to the scheme size and procurement route. We recommend the form and key terms; your solicitor advises on the legal drafting.
Got approved drawings?
Tell us about the scheme and we'll quote a fixed fee for the stages you need.