Source: https://www.quantsurv.com/quantity-surveying/residential-developers/construction-contract-review-before-signing
Content format: Markdown version of the public page.
Content reviewed: 2026-10-19

# Construction contract review before signing

For residential developers

Check the proposed building or package contract against your development’s commercial requirements.

## What is it?

We examine the phase or package boundaries, cost exposure, completion obligations and interfaces with other appointments. A commercial review of one proposed contract and its incorporated documents before you sign. It includes a discussion, one consolidated amendment round and a final-version comparison booked within 30 calendar days of the report.

Legal drafting and enforceability advice, further negotiation rounds, replacement contract forms and later document issues need a separate instruction.

## How does it work?

1.  ### You explain the work and the decision you need
    
    You describe the named development phase, plots and contract packages, the result you need and any urgent dates. The introductory conversation checks fit and availability; substantive assessment starts under an accepted instruction.
    
2.  ### We agree the scope, responsibilities and fee
    
    We check suitability, conflicts and capacity, then agree the scope, deliverables and timetable in writing, with a fixed fee or agreed hourly or daily basis. We explain payment terms, VAT and any separate costs before you accept. We agree the document allowance and questions for one commercial review, one discussion, one amendment round and a final-version comparison within the agreed window. We confirm responsibility for urgent actions and specialist input.
    
3.  ### You accept the scope and provide the information
    
    You accept the written scope and provide the proposed agreement, amendments, incorporated drawings and schedules, relevant tender correspondence and your commercial concerns; identify documents still outstanding. You identify missing items and the versions supplied; we agree who will obtain anything still needed.
    
4.  ### We check the records and resolve gaps
    
    We check the documents against the agreed scope, dates and versions, raise queries and record the basis on which work can proceed. Missing evidence stays identified; we agree any limited assessment or pause affected work until essential information is available. Live deadlines continue to run.
    
5.  ### We establish the proposed agreement
    
    We check the parties, document list, scope and stated order of precedence, identifying missing terms or conflicting versions before assessing risk. We distinguish commercial review from legal drafting or enforceability advice.
    
6.  ### We review the commercial risks
    
    We examine phase and package boundaries, shared works, completion dates and commercial obligations against the development information and other appointments supplied.
    
7.  ### We check and explain the risk schedule
    
    We check each finding against its clause and supporting documents, then issue the risk schedule. We prioritise the commercial consequences and explain proposed negotiation points, uncertainties and specialist referrals before you decide how to respond.
    
8.  ### You choose the changes and risks to accept
    
    You decide which points to negotiate, obtain any required specialist advice and provide one consolidated amendment response. No suggested change is treated as accepted by the other party.
    
9.  ### We check amendments and the final version
    
    We review the included amendment round and compare the final document when supplied within the agreed 30-calendar-day window. We record accepted changes, remaining differences and key duties. If no final version arrives, we record the outstanding comparison when the window closes.
    
10.  ### We explain the result and complete the handover
     
     We issue the commercial risk schedule, amendment record and any included final-version comparison; you decide whether to sign, explain the findings and record unresolved items, next actions, owners and dates. We answer the included clarification and correct our errors. New information, changed scope and later stages need a separate agreement; you decide whether to instruct them.
     

**Timing:** The initial review target is five working days. We agree the discussion and amendment dates separately; the included final-version comparison must be booked within 30 calendar days of the report. Working days start when the agreed scope and required information are available.

We confirm timing after checking the scope and available records. Flag any live deadline when you enquire; it continues to run while information is gathered.

Read [how we agree the scope, fees and instruction](<https://www.quantsurv.com/about#ways-to-work>).

## What do you get?

-   A clause-referenced commercial risk schedule and proposed negotiation points.
-   A record of amendments, accepted risks and matters for specialist advice.
-   One final-version comparison and a summary of key commercial duties.

Each fixed piece of work includes one consolidated clarification round requested within 10 working days of issue, unless agreed otherwise. New records or scope need a separate agreement; we correct our own errors without charge.