Service 02 of 07 — Construction Cost Management & Quantity Surveying Cost & Commercial Management
Quantity surveying, estimating and procurement strategy that keeps budgets honest and contracts robust across the whole project lifecycle.
Overview
The budget held from first number to final account
Cost overruns are rarely the result of bad luck. They are the result of budgets set too optimistically, procurement managed too loosely, and change control applied too late. By the time the problem is visible, the damage is done.
The October Projects cost and commercial management consultancy exists to prevent that. We establish a realistic cost position at the outset — benchmarked against market evidence, not desktop assumptions — and maintain it carefully through every RIBA stage, every tender, and every variation on site.
Led by a chartered surveyor, our team has procured and administered contracts across the full range of construction forms, from traditional JCT to NEC and bespoke development agreements. We always act independently and in our client’s best interests, giving impartial, objective advice on every contract, every payment and every variation.
Scope of Services
What we do
Our cost management service covers every stage from initial budget appraisal through to final account settlement and close-out.
Cost Planning & Estimating
RIBA-stage cost plans from initial order-of-cost estimate through to detailed elemental cost plan — benchmarked against live market data and calibrated to the specific site, specification and programme.
Procurement Strategy
Selecting the contract form and procurement route that best serves the client’s risk appetite, programme and quality requirements — from traditional tender to two-stage, design-and-build and management contracting.
Tender Management
Preparing complete tender packages, managing the competitive process, evaluating contractor submissions and conducting post-tender negotiation — securing the best commercial outcome before a contract is signed.
Cost Control & Reporting
Monthly cost reports tracking the live cost against the approved budget — forecast final account, cash flow, contingency draw-down and early warning of any cost pressure requiring a client decision.
Valuations & Change Control
Assessing and certifying interim applications for payment, evaluating compensation events and variations, and maintaining the change register — keeping the client informed and in control of every commercial adjustment.
Final Account Settlement
Negotiating and agreeing the final account with the contractor — resolving all outstanding claims, extensions of time and contra-charges to achieve a clean contractual close-out at the lowest justifiable outturn cost.
Our Approach
How we manage cost from appraisal to close-out
Budget Appraisal & Feasibility
We establish the initial budget using elemental cost analysis benchmarked against comparable completed schemes. At this stage the number must be honest, not optimistic — a budget set too low at feasibility simply defers the problem. We include appropriate contingency, preliminaries and fees to give the client a true picture of total project cost.
Concept Cost Plan
As the design develops through concept stage, we produce an elemental cost plan that tests the budget against the emerging scheme. We identify cost risk early — flagging specification decisions that will be difficult to value-engineer later — and advise on design alternatives that preserve quality at lower cost.
Detailed Cost Plan & Procurement
The cost plan is updated at each RIBA stage as design information increases. We prepare the procurement strategy and contract documentation in parallel — bills of quantities, employer’s requirements, pricing schedules — so that tender packages are complete and competitive tenders are meaningful.
Tender & Negotiation
We manage the competitive tender process from invitation through to return, conducting a thorough commercial analysis of each submission. Post-tender interviews, clarification schedules and negotiation are handled by our team — maximising competitive tension and securing the best possible contract sum before commitment.
Construction Cost Control
Monthly cost reports track every variation, compensation event and provisional sum expenditure against the contract sum. We assess the contractor’s applications for payment, challenge items that aren’t properly due and maintain a detailed change register. The client always knows the forecast final account.
Final Account & Close-out
We negotiate the final account with the contractor, resolving all outstanding claims and contra-charges to achieve a clean settlement. A post-contract cost review benchmarks outturn costs against the original budget and identifies lessons for future procurement — a record that informs every project that follows.
Why October Projects
What sets our cost management consultancy apart
Honest numbers from the start
We don’t set budgets to win appointments. Our RIBA 1 cost plans are built from market evidence and carry realistic contingencies — because a budget that surprises the client in RIBA 5 has already failed. Cost certainty begins at feasibility.
Procurement that creates competition
A well-run tender process is the most effective cost management tool available. We build complete, unambiguous packages, manage the process tightly, and use competitive tension intelligently — routinely achieving contract sums materially below initial contractor budget estimates.
Independent advice
Our cost managers work independently, with a clear focus on our clients’ priorities. You get transparent, impartial advice that protects your position and secures a fair, well-justified final account.
See the sectors we work in and meet the team who will manage your project. Builder, contractor or architect? See our estimating and cost planning service.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a cost manager and a quantity surveyor?
The roles overlap. A quantity surveyor traditionally measures and prices construction work, while cost management covers the full commercial picture: budgets, cost plans, procurement, change control and final accounts. We provide both, led by a chartered surveyor (MRICS).
How early should I involve a cost consultant?
Ideally before the design is fixed. Early cost advice tests whether your budget is realistic and lets design decisions be made with cost in mind, which is far cheaper than redesigning later.
Can you check a contractor’s tender or quote?
Yes. We analyse tenders line by line, compare them on a like-for-like basis, highlight risks, exclusions and pricing anomalies, and recommend the best-value option.
How do you manage variations and changes?
We maintain a detailed change register, assess every variation on its merits and agree costs before work proceeds wherever possible, so there are no surprises at final account.
Do you agree the final account with the contractor?
Yes. We prepare and negotiate final accounts, making sure every payment is fair, justified and properly evidenced.
Further reading: What does an Employer’s Agent do? · JCT or NEC: which contract is right for your project?
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