Building work does not get more expensive at the end. It gets more expensive at the beginning — it only shows at the end. We know the three places where budgets break from dozens of sites.
Three breaking points
First: a study with no cost estimate. When the price first appears at the documentation stage it is too late — the house is already drawn too big. Second: “we will sort that out on site”. It will not get sorted. Third: changes along the way. Every change after the contractor signs costs three times what the same change costs on a drawing.
Our insurance is simple: the cost estimate is part of the study, the bill of quantities is part of the documentation, and site supervision makes sure only the things you want to change get changed.
