Services Spotlight: Consultancy

As we know, the planning and design stages of any project are imperative to its ultimate success. Getting things right upfront means more accuracy and efficiency later on. Which is why we are delighted to announce our enhanced Consultancy services and survey offering. We listen to our Clients and we understand the importance and benefits of delivering specialised input at the early stages of a project’s development. Here we discuss what Consultancy means to Stonewest and what we can do to best support our Clients. 

“As a chartered building surveyor with the RICS, my role is to ensure best practice in our consultancy provision and services. Our aim is to provide a market leading service with technical accuracy and up to date sustainable methods and techniques for preservation and development of Built Heritage.” Andy Ball, Business Development and Technical Director 

The Importance of Consultancy 

Consultancy and surveys have always been part of our business, offering upfront specialist advice and analysis for project planning and design. Our experience and knowledge are highly specialised and we are proud to deliver real value to our clients through this type of early contractor engagement. Our consultancy work also ensures that all our past learning is brought forward to the benefit of the next or future project.  

In short, our service provision can range from a second opinion on site, to preparing a fully documented project ready to tender, or the identification and planning of necessary remedial works, dependent upon the client and project needs. 

Our Approach 

Stonewest has a partnership approach with long term trusted working relationships. Our survey work supports these relationships and adds value for our clients, partners and colleagues by giving them reliable and accurate technical information that is best for the project with a sustainable approach.  

If we can provide our support early in the project, the client can negotiate the work with us in an open book process or alternatively the output of our work can often be used as part of a tender package. At the point of the tender, we then know the information is valid, accurate and captured appropriately with practical recommendations and contingencies. This gives us great confidence that we can price the project work appropriately and that the scope is reliable. 

The Benefits 

From a survey of a building prior to preparing a tender, we can advise on the most appropriate methods and establish the most suitable repair techniques as well as prioritising defects. This enables us to produce a schedule of work in line with the client’s budget and the statutory protections of the asset and context.  

Where new build traditional masonry is required, we can assist with material selection and procurement, plus advise on stone detailing, profiles, sizes, joint patterns, and inclusion of masonry fixings. 

Sustainable redevelopment of listed buildings and structures is more important now than ever before. As part of this process Stonewest can add value for built heritage projects by advising on appropriate scope and remediation. Every built heritage project has its own particular needs in terms of material defects and repair and a blanket approach to refurbishment and redevelopment is not possible. 

Bespoke Survey Provision 

When defining the approach to an investigation, our surveyors will assess the building and its requirements with the client and design the survey parameters to suit those specific issues. We use drones, mobile elevated platforms, rope access, scaffold, ground level survey, photographic recording, ortho-rectified images and laser scanning for data capture, plus other specialist systems. Our surveyors will establish the most suitable survey package for each building or context.  

Pathology & Investigations 

Following a survey and identification of defects, we are often re-engaged for investigation of specific failures and causal mechanisms. Unresolved, some pathology issues can hinder a programme of works and if surprises occur once work commences, such as steel frame corrosion, this can result in an unwanted commercial impact. Our surveyors will recommend and complete invasive investigations to identify necessary remedial works and assist with planning the repair strategy with minimal disruption to the building or structure and the immediate user environment. 

Description and Quantity 

Without accuracy and defined quantities, managing a project will quickly become impossible. Our survey work is the key starting point in defining an accurate and measured scope of work and planning the works accordingly. Our production of a schedule of repair as part of the survey will form a bill of quantity and measured scope which is invaluable to client, architect, surveyor, quantity surveyor and contractor alike. Through prioritisation, quantification and description of repair items with photographs, annotated drawings and images, we can provide the practical framework for any scheme of built heritage preservation work. 

Working in collaboration with our Clients, from project conception to completion, Stonewest offers a broad range of Consultancy services. To discuss your project needs, please call our Head Office on 020 8684 6646 or email us on info@stonewest.co.uk 

Our Built Heritage services include: Building Research, Investigation Work, Condition Surveying & Reporting, Measured Surveys, Long Term Maintenance Plans, Schedules of Repair, Materials Research, Materials Analysis and Advisory Roles