Refurbishment, extensions and conversions

Quantity surveying and claims support for altering, extending and adapting existing buildings.

Commercial challenges and how we approach them

Existing-building work combines retained fabric with demolition, alterations and new construction. Surveys and opening-up work may change what can be confirmed at tender stage. The scope needs to distinguish known work from allowances and explain how the proposed extension or conversion connects to the existing building.

Hidden fabric exposed during opening-up

The Challenge

Removing finishes can reveal deteriorated structure, undocumented alterations or services unlike the survey assumptions. The parties may disagree over whether the resulting work was included in the original price.

Our approach

We preserve the tender assumptions and record what opening-up reveals before it is covered or removed. Photographs, measurements and technical instructions support a comparison with the agreed scope. That establishes whether work is additional, covered by an allowance or already owed, rather than treating every discovery as an automatic extra.

New work connecting to retained construction

The Challenge

The difficult work is often where the extension meets the retained building: matching levels, forming junctions and connecting services.

Our approach

We check that those interfaces have a scope and allowance. As details develop, changes are measured across both new and retained work, with omissions reconciled rather than simply added to the extension price.

Temporary support and continued occupation

The Challenge

Structural alterations may have to proceed around occupants or retained areas. Temporary support can remain longer than anticipated if access or the engineer's sequence changes, even though the permanent alteration is small.

Our approach

We compare the original temporary-work and occupation assumptions with the revised requirements. Additional hire, protection and return visits are assessed against the actual duration and sequence, using the engineer's information for the technical requirements.

Hazardous materials and disposal assumptions

The Challenge

A limited survey can leave the extent of asbestos or other hazardous material unresolved when the price is agreed.

Our approach

We make the survey limits, exclusions and allowances visible before work starts. If specialist findings change the scope, the commercial assessment separates removal and disposal from the effects on adjacent work. We check which activities were actually prevented and for how long, rather than attributing every subsequent delay to the discovery. Specialist advisers determine the safe technical response.