Quantity Surveyor's Project Phase Checklist

What a good one includes

• Phase-specific milestones that define clear start and end gateways, such as tender award, monthly valuation cycles, or practical completion.
• A strict calendar of valuation submission dates, payment notice deadlines, and pay-less notice windows to protect project cash flow.
• A dedicated section detailing the exact procedure for identifying, costing, and securing formal approval for contract variations.
• Proactive prompts to review provisional sums, identify emerging material price fluctuations, and update the project risk register.
• Reminders for issuing mandatory notices, such as extensions of time, loss and expense claims, or practical completion certificates.
• Action items for tendering subcontract packages, verifying insurances, and assessing interim subcontractor payment applications.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using a generic template that fails to account for the specific commercial rules of your contract type, such as NEC's early warning systems versus JCT's variation clauses.
• Omitting strict calendar deadlines for payment notices and pay-less notices, which can lead to costly adjudication disputes over default payment obligations.
• Failing to integrate the checklist with the site team's progress reports, resulting in a disconnect between actual physical progress and commercial valuations.
• Treating the checklist as a static document rather than updating it dynamically as variations, delays, and design changes alter the project's financial landscape.

Frequently asked questions