How we work
Four stages, no retainer required.
Our engagement process is deliberately short, because most of our clients are occupied running projects. The following sets out what occurs from the first telephone call to the handover.
01
Initial consultation
Twenty minutes at no cost. You describe the project, the contract and the matter at hand. We ask the questions that determine whether a genuine entitlement or a genuine exposure exists. If our involvement is not warranted, we will tell you so.
02
Documents and scope of works
Provide the contract, the drawings and such records as exist. We review them, confirm the scope we can undertake, and issue a one page proposal stating the deliverable, the fee and the date of delivery. No work commences until that proposal is accepted in writing.
03
Performance of the work
We draft and you review. You are given a single point of contact for the engagement and a direct mobile number. We will liaise with your project manager or site supervisor where that is more efficient, and we will advise you promptly if we identify anything that alters the position.
04
Handover
You receive the final document, the working file and a short note on the matters to monitor next. Where appropriate we establish the register or templates so that your personnel can serve the next notice without our assistance.
What we need from you
Contemporaneous records reduce the cost of a claim.
A complete file is not required. The following material is, and the earlier it is provided the less time is spent reconstructing the sequence of events.
The executed contract, including annexures and any correspondence amending it
Drawings, specification and the revision history
Site diaries, dockets and photographs for the relevant dates
Program updates, requests for information and the associated correspondence
Claims and payment schedules already issued or received
Fees
Three fee arrangements.
Fixed fee per piece of work
A contract review, a tender submission or a claim, quoted in advance from the documents. The majority of our work is priced on this basis.
Hourly, capped
For correspondence, advice by telephone and matters where the scope cannot be determined in advance. A cap is agreed before work commences and you are notified as it is approached.
Monthly retainer
A defined allocation of hours each month for builders requiring continuing contract support without engaging a full time contract administrator.
Common questions
Raised in most initial consultations
Are you lawyers?
No. We are commercial consultants with construction backgrounds. We do not provide legal advice, and we will advise you when a matter requires a solicitor. We work closely with the practitioners to whom we refer clients.
Do you act for head contractors or subcontractors?
Both, on separate projects. We conduct a conflict check before accepting instructions and will not act for opposing parties on the same project.
How fast can you start?
Urgent notices and adjudication deadlines receive attention on the day of instruction. Reviews and tenders are ordinarily scheduled a week in advance.
Will you come to site?
Yes, anywhere in the Perth metropolitan area at no additional cost. Regional travel is quoted separately.
Do you take a percentage of claims?
No. Our fee is not contingent on the outcome, so our advice on whether a claim should be pursued remains impartial.
Will you correspond with our client on our behalf?
If instructed to do so, yes. Many clients prefer that we remain in the background while their own personnel issue the correspondence we draft.
Ready to discuss the matter?
Bring the contract and the relevant dates. Twenty minutes is ordinarily sufficient to establish your position.