Two regimes, overlapping duty-holders, and a lot of confusion. We untangle which set of rules bites on a domestic extension, a commercial fit-out and a higher-risk building.
Why this matters
Most projects that overrun did so long before anyone broke ground. Getting this right at the outset is the cheapest risk reduction available to you.
- Define the scope. An estimate is only accurate for the works it describes, and it is the silence that costs money.
- Use current rates. Material prices have moved sharply; last year’s figures are not conservative, they are wrong.
- Allow for risk. Ground conditions, party wall awards and planning conditions all carry cost, and all are knowable in advance.
What good looks like
A professional piece of work should be legible to a non-specialist and defensible to a contractor. If it is not itemised, you cannot meaningfully compare it with anything else.
An estimate is not a prediction of what your project will cost. It is a statement of what a defined scope of work is worth at today’s rates.Sarah Proctor
Next steps
Send us what you have — drawings, sketches or a description — and we will tell you within a day what we can produce.
Placeholder article — replace with the final copy before launch.