• Valuation and paying subcontractors

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Interim payment applications and the payment cycle

We help you stay cash positive and protect your interests. We achieve this with fair, accurate valuations, processed on time and in line with statutory and contractual payment cycles.

As construction industry contractors, you know the importance of ‘getting valuations in’ upstream. And getting interim certificates and payments from the client’s PQS and architect. It’s about assessing value at a given point in the contract cycle, then proposing properly supported valuations and getting paid. Equally, for subcontractors’ ‘downstream’ valuations, there’s constant pressure to keep atop their work to ensure cashflow (while avoiding overpayment).

Our surveying services are a smart investment

Getting valuations in, interim certifications and maintaining cash flow happens against the ever-changing, complex background of the project. If you’ve dozens of other pressing tasks, but limited in-house valuation capacity, our quantity surveyor’s skills and experience could prove to be a smart investment.

Here are some of our services:

  • Advice on contractual and statutory payment cycles
  • Remeasurement
  • Preliminaries assessments
  • Materials off-site vesting and payments
  • Variation recovery
  • Preparing interim and final payment applications
  • Raising interim and final notifications and certificates
  • Securing retention release
  • VAT assessments (under VAT Notice 708)

To discover more and arrange your no-obligation initial consultation on construction valuation, please call 01483 853 149 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More about valuation

Whether for initial valuations or ongoing interim monthly valuations and the certificates that follow, valuation requires time and resource. It’s not just about measurement and assessment. Negotiation with client-side parties or subcontractors is often required before agreeing values.

After 20-odd years in the business, we offer a valuable blend of capabilities ready for site or office deployment:

  • Practical skill
  • Knowledge
  • Site experience
  • Interpersonal skills

Naturally, we make sure we stay current on contract law and valuation techniques (and we work under many of the main contract forms).

A key to maximising cash flow

We’re told we’re good at what we do. This includes ensuring that all your entitlements are applied for correctly, in line with relevant contractual payment mechanisms.

In fact, we’re a key to all the benefits of maintaining positive cash flow and generally protecting your interests. Think of us as the resource that helps your project run smoothly, to budget and to schedule. Imagine what that means for your industry reputation.

Cash is king and timely, accurate valuations, whether on percentage completion to date or stage payment basis, are vital for cash flow management.

Whether we’re getting you correct stage payments, or ensuring appropriate valuations to subcontractors, we’re a powerful ally. Especially at valuation time when you face street-smart subcontractors or a zealous client-side PQS.

Achieving fair, successful valuations

The process of valuation and payments for work completed has been likened to a series of ‘arm-wrestling matches’ between contract signatories. Fair, successful, valuations and payments rely on timeliness, accuracy, persuasively putting the case for variations and supporting it with robust data.

Understanding contractors’ payment mechanisms is also essential to avoid falling foul of technicalities. We’re sure you won’t want to give anyone legitimate grounds for not paying you (and negatively affecting your cash flow). With commercial pressures on clients, main contractors and subcontractors, some people may be tempted to seek any legitimate opportunity to delay payment. In such circumstances, experience shows that our refined, yet always gentlemanly, ‘arm-wrestling’ skills are invaluable.

Whether it’s for interim valuations and final valuations, we’re fluent with various main contract forms, bespoke forms and contractual amendments.

Getting you everything you’re entitled to

On-time applications, often reached by working with the client’s PQS, must be followed by timely interim certificates and notification of payments due. Not doing this can negatively affect cash flow and increase the possibility of delays. At worst, these could mean contractual claims or, in extremis, contractual disputes. As a skilled QS, we keep on top of all aspects and make sure you get everything you’re entitled to…

Maximising opportunities of valuation involves more than just measurement skills. It’s about ‘understanding what we’re building’ (where possible, ‘better than the other guy’), because knowledge and experience is power.

It’s also about clearly understanding architect, main contractor and subcontractor perspectives on contract terms. Whatever our terms of engagement, and who we negotiate with for you, you’ll always find us scrupulously fair, assertive and willing to take a robust position. As stated elsewhere, we always remember that we operate in a hard commercial world where your cash flow is king.

Right-first-time valuations and applications

That’s why, over the years, we’ve become skilled at getting valuations and applications for payment right first time. This relies on the following:

  • Complying with project stages
  • Submitting on time
  • Chasing vigorously to secure payments due to you

Years working in demanding sectors mean we’ve developed a finely tuned eye for finding, valuing and applying for your entitlements.

With an important part of the professional quantity surveyor’s (PQS) brief being the reduction of the value of contractors’ accounts, you may find our support useful to fairly and assertively protect your interests. From experience, we know this is especially helpful when time is short and you face pressure from many project management and commercial challenges.

Your partner when the pressure is on

We’re a valuable partner when your in-house surveyors are stretched to capacity. And if you choose to outsource all your valuation work on a forthcoming project we’ll complement your team perfectly – from contract start to the intricacies of post-practical completion applications.

Above all, we’re here to ensure that you use valuation to get everything you’re entitled to during a project. We do this fairly, ethically and assertively, in line with the relevant contract management mechanism.

The result? Your interests are protected, cash keeps flowing and reputations are enhanced.

To discover more and arrange a no-obligation consultation on construction valuations, call 01483 853 149 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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