FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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A Quantity Surveyor manages and controls the financial and commercial aspects of a construction project. This includes cost planning, procurement strategy, contract administration, change control and final account management - ensuring projects are delivered within budget while maximising value and minimising risk.

A Project Manager provides end-to-end leadership of a construction project, coordinating designers, contractors, consultants and stakeholders to ensure delivery on time, within budget and to the required standard. The Project Manager is responsible for programme management, risk mitigation, design coordination, governance and reporting throughout the project lifecycle.

A Contract Administrator is appointed to impartially manage a construction contract throughout the build programme. They issue instructions and variation orders, certify payments, manage extensions of time and loss and expense claims, and ensure the contract is administered fairly and in accordance with its terms, protecting both client and contractor from disputes and delays.

We are built for complexity. We are appointed on projects that are complex, high-value and non-typical in nature, where standard approaches fall short. We provide a genuinely integrated service across quantity surveying, project management and contract administration, giving clients a single point of commercial and delivery accountability. We operate to the highest standards of professional conduct and governance as set out in our policies section and our value-add guarantee ensures our involvement delivers measurable commercial benefit.

A quantity surveyor and project manager should ideally be appointed at the earliest stage of a project. Early involvement allows for accurate cost planning, risk identification and informed design decisions, which significantly reduce cost overruns and delays later in the project lifecycle.

G&G Consulting works with a variety of clients, including commercial and residential property owners, public sector organisations, energy companies, developers, contractors, and architects.

Our Value-Add Guarantee ensures that the measurable savings and efficiencies delivered through our involvement exceed our fees. We benchmark the project’s commercial position at appointment and track savings, cost avoidance and risk reduction throughout the project.

Yes. We are frequently appointed to projects already underway to regain commercial control, resolve disputes, manage variations, stabilise budgets or improve reporting and governance structures.

We manage changes through structured variation control, cost validation and negotiation. This ensures client-led changes are implemented efficiently, fairly priced and do not compromise overall budget or programme certainty.

Complex projects require more than standard cost control. A specialist quantity surveyor brings experience in managing uncertainty, unconventional procurement routes, specialist supply chains and elevated risk profiles - protecting value where traditional approaches fall short.

Beyond cost control, Quantity Surveyors add value by improving decision-making, optimising procurement strategies, reducing disputes, accelerating programmes and ensuring projects are commercially aligned from inception to completion.

A project manager is responsible for the overall delivery of a project including programme, coordination, risk and governance. A quantity surveyor is responsible for the commercial and financial management including cost planning, procurement, valuations and final accounts. On complex projects, both roles are often appointed simultaneously. 

Godfrey & Godfrey Consulting provides both disciplines, offering clients a fully integrated commercial and delivery service from a single point of contact.

Yes. Godfrey & Godfrey Consulting operates globally, supporting clients on international and cross-border projects. We provide commercial oversight, cost management, project management and procurement advice tailored to local market conditions, while maintaining consistent governance and reporting standards.

Across all three of our disciplines, risk reduction is a core deliverable. Our Quantity Surveyors provide early cost certainty and robust procurement strategies. Our Project Managers establish clear programmes and governance frameworks. Our Contract Administrators ensure contractual obligations are met and disputes are avoided. Together, this integrated approach protects our clients from financial exposure, programme delay and commercial uncertainty throughout the project lifecycle.

A variation order, also called a contract instruction or change order, is a formal instruction issued by the Contract Administrator directing the contractor to carry out work that differs from the original contract scope. Variation orders must be properly valued, agreed and recorded to avoid disputes at final account. Godfrey & Godfrey Consulting manages variation control as a core part of its contract administration and quantity surveying services.

A construction cost plan is a detailed financial forecast prepared by a quantity surveyor, setting out the anticipated cost of a project broken down by element, trade or work package. Cost plans are developed progressively as the design evolves, from an initial order of cost estimate at concept stage through to a detailed pre-tender estimate as the design is completed. A robust cost plan is the foundation of effective budget management throughout a project.

Practical completion is the stage in a construction project at which the works are complete for their intended purpose, even if minor defects or snagging items remain outstanding. It is formally certified by the Contract Administrator and marks the beginning of the defects liability period, the release of the first portion of retention and the transfer of insurance responsibility to the client. Correct certification of practical completion is a critical contractual milestone.

Value engineering is the process of reviewing a project's design, specification and procurement strategy to identify opportunities to reduce cost without compromising quality, function or design intent. It is a core part of the quantity surveyor's role and is most effective when applied early in the design process. At Godfrey & Godfrey Consulting, value engineering is built into our cost management service as standard.

Quantity surveyor fees in the UK typically range from 2% to 5% of the total construction cost, depending on the complexity, scale and scope of services required and the cost of not employing a quantity surveyor is always far higher. 

Where project management, quantity surveying and contract administration are appointed together, an integrated joint fee is more cost effective than appointing separate practices. Godfrey & Godfrey Consulting offers combined service appointments across all three disciplines.

Construction Project Manager fees in the UK typically range from 2% to 5% of the total project value, depending on the level of involvement, project complexity and duration and the cost of not employing a project manager is always far higher. 

Where project management, quantity surveying and contract administration are appointed together, an integrated joint fee is more cost effective than appointing separate practices. Godfrey & Godfrey Consulting offers combined service appointments across all three disciplines.

Contract administrator fees in the UK typically range from 1% to 3% of the total construction cost, depending on the scale, complexity and duration of the project and the cost of not employing a contract administrator is always far higher.

Where project management, quantity surveying and contract administration are appointed together, an integrated joint fee is more cost effective than appointing separate practices. Godfrey & Godfrey Consulting offers combined service appointments across all three disciplines.