Quantity surveyors in London.
Knightsbridge · a panelled reception roomCase study
An in-house quantity surveyor, open book pricing, and two prices before you sign.
The person who prices it works for us.
Quantity surveying prices the build before you sign, then controls its cost. We are NU Projects, design and build in Fulham SW6 since 2010. Matt Coverley, our in-house quantity surveyor, measures and prices every project. A budget estimate comes first, then a cost plan priced line by line. Call 020 7731 6841 to talk the work through.
Matt Coverley is our quantity surveyor. He works in house, not as a subcontractor. He measures, prices and controls cost on every project.
A quantity surveyor measures the work and prices it. Ours then controls the cost through to the final account.
We price twice. A budget estimate comes first, usually within seven days. A detailed cost plan follows, built line by line from the drawings. Provisional sums are named, never buried.
Contractors’ and specialists’ prices are compared against the same scope and the same exclusions. A lower total can hide missing work.
That second price is the one you hold when you sign. Valuations, variations and payment certificates follow, from the same team, through the build.
Through the build he keeps a live forecast. It separates the contract sum, approved variations and pending decisions.
Architects and designers can bring him in at concept. He advises on cost and buildability before tender.
Kimberly, in Chelsea, wrote that it came in “on budget and on time.”
What the work includes
- An in-house quantity surveyor, not a subcontractor
- Open book pricing, line by line
- A budget estimate typically within seven days
- A detailed cost plan built from the drawings
- Provisional sums named, never buried
- Tenders compared against one scope and one exclusion list
- Value engineering that keeps the design whole
- A live cost forecast, valuations and variations through the build
- Final account support, depending on your appointment
- What it costs
- See a range in a minute. Then send us the address for a proper number. Open the calculator
- Where we work
- Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Mayfair, Notting Hill and Holland Park, Chiswick, Wandsworth, Putney and Barnes, Hampstead and St John’s Wood, Weybridge, Cobham and Oxshott, South Kensington, Marylebone, Bayswater and Maida Vale, Pimlico and Westminster, Battersea and Clapham, Richmond, Twickenham and East Sheen, Islington, Highgate and Primrose Hill, Greenwich, Dulwich, Camden, Wimbledon, Bermondsey, Brixton, Ealing, Acton, Hammersmith and Brook Green, Earl’s Court, Queen’s Park and Kensal Rise, Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury
We price twice. The second price is the one you sign.
Measured and priced, line by line.
From the first number to the final account.
- 01
The budget estimate
A first price from the brief and the property, typically within seven days.
- 02
The cost plan
Measured and priced line by line from the drawings. Provisional sums named.
- 03
Tender comparison
Every price read against the same scope and the same exclusions.
- 04
The contract sum
The second price, the one you hold when you sign.
- 05
Valuations and variations
A live forecast through the build. Changes priced before they are made.
- 06
The final account
The contract sum adjusted for approved variations and provisional sums.
Three numbers, and what each is for.
Each comes from the same quantity surveyor, on the same open book.
| Question | Budget estimate | Cost plan | Live forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| When | Typically within seven days of the brief | Before you sign | Through the build |
| Built from | The brief and the property | The drawings, line by line | The contract sum, variations and decisions |
| What it is for | Deciding whether to go on | The price you hold when you sign | Knowing the forecast final cost |
See it built, in Chelsea.
What owners ask before the first number.
Further reading, from the blog
What does a quantity surveyor do for a private client?
Our quantity surveyor develops cost plans, measures and prices the work, and compares tenders.
Financial changes are tracked throughout the project. The role can also cover valuations and final account support, depending on your appointment.
When can the construction price be fixed?
Price certainty improves once surveys, coordinated drawings, specifications and responsibilities are settled.
We identify and allocate any remaining unknowns. We never describe a price as fixed without setting out what that covers.
What is a provisional sum?
It is an allowance for work not fully defined when we price the job.
The final adjustment depends on the contract and the scope we actually instruct. We keep it visible in your budget.
How much contingency should I allow?
The right reserve depends on survey quality, building condition, scope and design maturity.
A basement or extensive strip-out carries different risks from a light refurbishment. We never give one percentage as right for every home.
How are cost changes tracked during construction?
We keep a live forecast. It separates the original sum, approved variations and pending decisions.
It also shows allowances and remaining exposure. Money already paid is not the same as the forecast final cost.
How fast is a budget estimate?
A budget estimate is typically ready within seven days. It comes from your brief and the property.
What is a cost plan?
A cost plan prices the design line by line, from the drawings.
Provisional sums are named, never buried.
It is the second price, the one you hold when you sign.
Do you compare contractors’ tenders?
Yes. Each price is read against the same scope and the same exclusions.
A lower total can hide missing work or larger allowances.
Can my architect bring your quantity surveyor in early?
Yes. Practices bring us in at concept, for cost and buildability advice.
That happens before tender, while the design can still change.
What happens at the final account?
Depending on your appointment, our quantity surveyor supports the final account.
It adjusts the contract sum for approved variations and provisional sums.
See it builtCase studies
See it built.
Finished homes, designed, priced and built by NU.
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Two new-build houses with triple basements, built under one contract.
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Chelsea · SW3 Townhouse
Chelsea townhouse, opened up and fitted out
A 4,300 sq ft townhouse with a new basement under its whole footprint.
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Tell us what needs pricing.
Your name and one way to reply are enough. It goes straight to the studio.