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A field journal for UK quantity surveyors

Building your path to success in quantity surveying.

Honest, well-researched writing on careers, contracts and craft — for the surveyors construction left to figure things out alone.

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A quantity surveyor measuring progress on site during a monthly interim valuation visit

How to Prepare an Interim Valuation: A QS Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing an interim valuation construction teams can rely on takes more than a site walk and a calculator. This step-by-step guide breaks the process into seven clear stages, with a checklist and process graphic you can use on your next valuation.

Date13 Sept 2026CategorySkills & Practice
Quantity surveyor reviewing contract documents and site records to prepare a loss and expense claim

Loss and Expense Claims Under JCT: A Step-by-Step Guide

Loss and expense claims under JCT reward contractors who follow the process and keep the records to prove it. Here's the clause-by-clause guide to Relevant Matters, notices, substantiation and assessment.

Date12 Sept 2026CategoryContracts & Law
A quantity surveyor reviewing a payment application and contract documents at a desk

HGCRA Payment Notices Explained: What Every QS Must Know

HGCRA payment notices govern who gets paid what, and by when, on every UK construction contract. Miss a deadline and you can end up owing - or losing the right to challenge - the full notified sum.

Date11 Sept 2026CategorySkills & Practice
A quantity surveyor comparing FIDIC, NEC and JCT contract documents at a desk

FIDIC vs NEC vs JCT: Which Contract Should You Use?

FIDIC, NEC and JCT solve the same problem - allocating risk and managing change on a construction project - in three very different ways. Here's how to tell them apart and choose the right one.

Date10 Sept 2026CategoryContracts & Law
A quantity surveyor cross-checking site cost records against an NEC4 interim payment application.

Defined Cost vs Disallowed Cost in NEC Contracts

Defined Cost and Disallowed Cost sit at the heart of every NEC cost-reimbursable contract. Here's how quantity surveyors on both sides of the table assess, audit and dispute them.

Date9 Sept 2026CategoryContracts & Law

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