Post-Contract Services
Keeping control once the build starts
Cost control doesn't stop when the contract is signed. Variations, payment claims and programme changes keep coming, and how they're handled has a big effect on the final cost.
AMS Quantity Surveying supports building owners, developers and main contractors during the build, on projects throughout New Zealand. We assess the claims, value the changes and report where the project stands. At the end, we help settle the final account.
Commercial & Contractual Advice
We give you clear advice on notices, extension of time claims and contract clauses you're unsure about, before you respond.
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Contract Administration
We look after the commercial side of the contract day to day, keeping notices, variations and the contract sum in order.
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Cost Audits
We carry out an independent check of what's been claimed and paid, against what the contract allows and what the records show. It can help part way through a project, or at close-out if the amount paid and the records no longer match.
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Disputes & Final Accounts
We work out what's actually in dispute and what it's worth, based on the contract and the records. We then negotiate the final account and close the project out.
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Financial Reporting
Our cost reports show where the project sits financially now, and where it is heading.
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Payment Claims & Variations
We assess payment claims and value variations against the contract, and recommend what to pay. The Construction Contracts Act sets deadlines for responding to a payment claim, so it helps to get advice early.
Explore Payment Claims & Variations→
What you receive
What the work produces
What you receive depends on the scope of the work.
- Payment recommendations
- Variation assessments
- Cost reports
- Advice on the cost side of extension of time claims
- A final account position
How it works
How a post-contract engagement runs
- 01
Send what you have
We start with the contract, the claims so far and any paperwork on variations or disputes.
- 02
Where things stand
We work out where the project stands and what needs attention first.
- 03
Ongoing support
We keep assessing claims and valuing variations during the build. This helps pick up problems while they can still be fixed.
- 04
Close it out
At the end of the job, we assess the final account and negotiate it so the project can be closed.
Common problems
Where post-contract projects can come unstuck
Post-contract problems can build up from small issues. Each issue is easier to deal with when it comes up than months later.
A variation may be instructed before its price is settled, and the parties can later disagree about what was agreed. Sometimes a payment claim isn't answered within the time the contract allows. Under the Construction Contracts Act 2002, that can make the claimed amount payable in full, regardless of the merits.
Retentions can be held without being tracked, so nobody can say what's held, why, or when it falls due. Cost reporting can also fall behind, and the reported position then no longer matches what has been committed.
When several of these happen on one project, the final account can become hard to reconcile. The project then has to be negotiated to a close.
Why AMS
Why owners and contractors bring us in mid project
Variations checked before they're valued
We check whether the work is really a variation before we put a value on it. That gives you a clear basis to accept or question the variation.
Early sight of cost problems
Cost reporting shows where the project's final cost is heading, so you can act while there's still time.
A project that closes out
We keep the account up to date while the job runs, so it's easier to settle at the end.
Where to next
Not started yet, or pricing the work?
Before construction starts, our pre-contract services cover estimating, tender documents and procurement advice. For builders and subcontractors pricing a job, see measurement and estimating.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take over a project that is already under construction?
Yes, we can come in part way through, depending on the project. Reasons to bring us in include variations building up, a claim that doesn't look right, or cost reports that no longer reconcile. Tell us where the project is up to and we'll say whether we can help.
Who do you act for on a project?
We act for the party that engages us, either the owner or developer, or the contractor. Who we act for is settled at the start of the engagement, because a quantity surveyor normally acts for one party only.
Do we need a quantity surveyor if the contract is a fixed price?
A quantity surveyor can still help when the contract has a fixed price. The price covers the work set out in the contract, but variations, delays and claims can change the final amount. Those need checking as they come in.
What is an extension of time claim?
It's a claim by the contractor for more time to finish the work, where the contract allows it. Being given more time doesn't automatically entitle the contractor to extra costs. Whether those are payable is a separate question under the contract.
Can you work alongside our project manager or architect?
Yes, we can work with your project manager or architect. Our work covers the cost and commercial side, which sits alongside the design and programme work rather than replacing it. It helps to agree who is responsible for what before the work starts.
Need a quantity surveyor for your next project?
Send through your plans or a short description of the project and we will come back to you.