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A quantity surveyor reviewing an NEC4 compensation event notification and programme on site

Compensation Events in NEC Contracts: A QS Guide

Compensation events are how NEC4 contracts change price and time. This guide walks QSs through the clause 60.1 list, the 8-week time bar, quotation timescales, PM assessment and the mistakes that lose entitlement.

Date22 Aug 2026CategoryContracts & Law
Architects and quantity surveyors reviewing RIBA stage drawings and a cost plan around a table

RIBA Work Stages Explained: What QSs Do at Each Stage

The RIBA Plan of Work is the framework every UK construction project runs on, and every QS deliverable maps to it. This guide breaks down all eight stages, 0 to 7, and the specific cost documents, estimates and reports a QS produces at each one.

Date20 Aug 2026CategorySkills & Practice
Quantity surveyor reviewing a payment certificate and retention schedule on site — construction retention UK

Retention in Construction: A QS Guide to How It Works

Retention is one of the most contested mechanisms in UK construction contracts. This guide breaks down how much is withheld, when it's released under JCT and NEC, and how the government's proposed retention ban will change payment practice.

Date18 Aug 2026CategoryContracts & Law
A quantity surveyor reviewing a JCT variation instruction and priced contract bills on site

How to Price Variations in JCT Contracts

Getting variations JCT contract valuations right means knowing the clause 5.6-5.10 hierarchy in order: contract rates, pro-rata rates, fair rates, then daywork. This guide walks through each tier with a worked example and the records needed to defend it.

Date17 Aug 2026CategoryContracts & Law

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