Purpose, constraints and responsibilities are fixed early.
CONSULTANCY / DECISION FILE / MBC
Building consultancy
Some building questions do not fit neatly into a survey product. You might need a specification for remediation works, an independent view before committing to a complex purchase, or a considered second opinion on advice you have already received.
01 / QUESTION → DECISION
Typical instructions
Building consultancy is the flexible end of the practice: independent expert opinion on building matters, scoped to the question you actually have. It draws on the full breadth of the practice’s experience — contracting operations, field surveying, complex insurance claims and specialist damp and timber work.
- 01
Specification advice for remediation works, so contractors quote against a defined scope
- 02
Pre-purchase advice on complex, unusual or problematic properties beyond a standard survey format
- 03
A second opinion on another surveyor’s report, where appropriate
- 04
Independent technical input to disputes between homeowners, contractors or other parties
- 05
Advice on phasing and prioritising repairs across a property
How instructions are delivered
- 01
A clearly agreed scope and fee before work begins — no open-ended engagements
- 02
Site inspection where the question requires it
- 03
Written advice, specifications or reports appropriate to the instruction
- 04
Plain-language conclusions with the evidence and reasoning shown
02 / METHOD
How it works
A clear line from the question to an independent recommendation.- 01
DECISION GATE / 1
Define the question
A short conversation to pin down what you need to know and what the output should look like.
- 02
DECISION GATE / 2
Scope and fee
A written scope and fixed fee (or capped time basis for evolving matters) before anything is committed.
- 03
DECISION GATE / 3
Investigation and delivery
Inspection, analysis and a written deliverable matched to the instruction — specification, advice letter or report.
03 / BEFORE YOU INSTRUCT
Questions worth answering first.
Scope, access, limitations and what happens after the inspection—explained before they become surprises.
When is consultancy better than a survey?
When the question is specific and does not need a whole-property Home Survey — for example "what is the right repair scope for this wall?" or "is this report’s conclusion reasonable?". If a Home Survey is actually the better fit, you will be told so at enquiry stage.
Will you review another surveyor’s report?
Where appropriate, yes. The review addresses the technical substance — evidence, reasoning, conclusions — professionally and fairly. It is not a service for manufacturing criticism.
Can you produce a specification contractors can price?
Yes — a defined scope of works for remediation is one of the most common consultancy instructions, and it is the single best way to get comparable quotes and avoid scope creep.
Do you act as an expert witness?
Formal expert witness appointments are considered case by case depending on the subject matter and forum. Raise it in your enquiry and you will get a straight answer on whether it is within scope.
Standards we work to
The standards and guidance behind this service.
We work to published professional standards and official guidance, not house opinion. These are the references that govern or inform this work — worth reading if you want to check what good looks like.
- Damp in historic buildings — Historic England. Best practice for repairing and managing moisture in traditional buildings.
- Approved Document C: resistance to contaminants and moisture — Planning Portal. Building Regulations guidance on resisting moisture.
- Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — legislation.gov.uk. The law on work to shared walls and excavations near neighbours.
NEW INSTRUCTION / Building consultancy
Make the next decision properly.
Send the property address and the situation for a fixed quote and an honest recommendation.
Request a quote