EXPERT DEVELOPMENT FEASIBILITY & TECHNICAL AUDITS

Independent Construction Assurance, Technical Oversight & Financial Stewardship

CONSTRUCTION ASSURANCE

Technical Oversight & Financial Stewardship

Once construction commences, my role shifts to active guardianship. I provide the persistent, high-level oversight required to ensure the project maintains its trajectory toward The Prime Standard.

Technical Foresight

(Site Audits) I conduct regular, site inspections to audit all elements of the build.

Financial Oversight

I act as the commercial auditor for your capital. Every monthly contractor valuation and variation request is audited line-by-line. I verify that payments are only authorised for work that has been physically validated on-site and executed to the required specification.

RETENTION STEWARDSHIP & QUALITY CALIBRATION

Throughout the build, the Client retains physical custody of a contractually structured retention fund—typically holding back 3% of all certified valuations during the construction phase and 1.5% during the subsequent rectification period. DG Developments acts strictly client-side to manage the rigorous verification mechanics of these funds. This ensures you maintain absolute financial leverage over the main contractor. No retention capital is released from your account at practical completion, nor at the final conclusion of the 12-month defects liability period, until I have personally inspected and verified that every single technical and finish standard has been flawlessly achieved.

Quality Calibration

Prior to Practical Completion, I perform a final, audit of all finishes and systems. I ensure that the transition from a construction site to a private residence is flawless, providing a final "Sign-Off" that protects your investment.

PHASE 1: Schedule of Pre-Construction Services

Initial Consultation Fee: Complimentary. Thereafter Rate: £150 per hour (aligned with Senior Professional Standards)

1. Acquisition Advocacy & Technical Due Diligence

Professional Liaison: Working directly with Solicitors and Land Agents to provide technical support throughout the purchase process until the point of completion on the purchase.
Strategic Feasibility: Evaluating the site’s potential against your vision, ensuring the property can realistically achieve The Prime Standard.
Practical Site Assessment: Reviewing the land—identifying potential ground condition issues, access restrictions, and any coastal-specific challenges.
Planning Strategy: Collaborating with planning consultants to navigate the local planning authorities specific requirements.
TPO & Ecology Oversight: Managing the complexities of Tree Preservation Orders and environmental constraints to prevent project delays.

Design & Technical Review

Architectural Liaison: Working alongside the architect to ensure the design is not only beautiful but "buildable." My experience allows me to spot technical conflicts in drawings that could lead to expensive on-site variations.
Specification Curation: Advising on the selection of high-performance materials and finishes to ensure long-term durability in the environment.

3. Professional Team & Legal Management

Contractual Support: Working with you to review the build contract, ensuring the terms are fair and protect you, the owner, rather than the contractor.
• Tender Management: I verify that the pricing is realistic for the specified quality— identifying "hidden" exclusions or underestimated provisional sums that lead to budget creep. My goal is to ensure you enter the construction phase with cost certainty, not an optimistic estimate. Transparency & Reporting: All hours are logged with a description of the work undertaken.“An hour of review at this stage typically saves ten hours of rectification work once the build is underway

PHASE 2: CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY & DELIVERY

Fee Proposal

Following the completion of the Pre-Construction phase, the project transitions into the Practical Build. My role shifts to Construction Advisory, providing a "Live Shield" on-site to protect the integrity of the design and the efficiency of the budget.

1. Core Deliverables (Included in Retainer)

Site Audits: Regular inspections to ensure high Standards are the correct quality before works are concealed.
Financial Auditing: Auditing all contractor valuations and payment applications to ensure the Client only pays for verified, quality work.
Variation Control: Vetting and negotiating any "extras" or variations to prevent budget creep.
Conflict Resolution: Acting as the lead authority to resolve disputes between architects, engineers, and contractors.

The "Insurance" Factor: On a build, my ability to catch a single technical error or negotiate a variation often saves the client more than my entire annual fee.

Professional Fee Structure

DG Developments (Dorset) Ltd operates on a fixed-rate consultancy model to ensure total transparency and technical fidelity.

Senior Technical Consultant Rate: £150.00 per hour

This flat rate applies to all professional services, including Technical Stewardship, Project Audit, and Client-Side Management. By consolidating our fees into a single expert rate, we ensure that every hour billed is dedicated to providing high-fidelity oversight and commercial guardianship for your project.

Site Recovery & Dispute Diagnostics For clients seeking to engage DG Developments (Dorset) Ltd to resolve ongoing site issues, technical disputes, or "recovery" scenarios on active builds, an initial Technical Diagnostic Audit is required. This is a fixed engagement of 4 hours (£600.00)

This audit allows for a rapid, high-intensity review of the current site status, contract compliance, and technical drift. Following this, ongoing recovery stewardship is billed at the standard rate of £150.00 per hour

TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT

The Appointment

The Client hereby appoints David Godfrey DG Developments (Dorset) Ltd (the "Consultant") to provide Construction Assurance, Technical Oversight, and Owner’s Representation. The Consultant’s role is that of a professional advocate and technical auditor; the Consultant is not the Main Contractor, Lead Designer, or Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Principal.

Scope of Services

2.1 Phase 1 (Pre-Construction): Tender Analysis, Technical Specification Review, and procurement advice charged at the agreed hourly rate of £150.00
(Subject to a minimum 1-hour charge per engagement).

2.2 Phase 2 (Construction Assurance): Monthly technical auditing, site quality inspections, and Financial Oversight.

Fees & Payment Terms

3.1 Hourly Rate: £150.00 per hour for ad-hoc consultation or works undertaken outside the core project lifecycle scope.
3.2 Monthly Retainer: A fixed monthly retainer framework for long-term project stewardship is available on request and will be tailored to the specific scale of the project.
3.3 Retainers: Agreed Phase 2 retainer fees are invoiced monthly in arrears.
3.4 Settlement: All invoices are payable within 7 days of the invoice date.

Value Engineering: Professional Fee Comparison

Most high-end developments require a fragmented team of consultants. DG Developments (Dorset) Ltd provides a consolidated Technical Stewardship model that dramatically reduces project friction and professional overheads. (Based on total build contract value).

Service Role	Market Standard Fees	DG Developments (Dorset) Ltd
Lead Project Management	6.0% – 8.0%	Consolidated
Commercial Oversight (QS)	1.5% – 2.5%	Consolidated
Independent Technical Audit	£1,500 / visit	Consolidated
TOTAL PROFESSIONAL FEES	Approx. 12% - 15%	Target 3.5% - 4.5%*

Note: Based on the total build contract value. Our £150/hr flat-rate consultancy model is designed to provide comprehensive guardianship while maintaining a lean, high-fidelity project structure.
"Our objective is not just to manage the build, but to ensure that the professional savings generated by our oversight often entirely offset our consultancy fees."

Notice Period & Terms of Engagement

5.1 Flexibility: This agreement operates on a rolling monthly basis to ensure total Client control.

5.2 Notice Period: Either party may terminate the engagement by providing 30 days' written notice. Upon termination, all due payments for hours worked and services rendered up to the end of the notice period must be paid in full.

• Minimum Engagement: All professional consultations, site visits, and technical reviews are subject to a minimum charge of 1 hour per engagement.

• VAT: All professional fees and rates quoted in this prospectus are subject to VAT @ 20%.

6: Retention & Final Audit

6.1 Withholding: As per the build contract, a 3% retention will be held, with 1.5% released at Practical Completion and the final 1.5% held for 12 months.

6.2 Final Audit: At the conclusion of the 12-month Defect Liability Period, the Consultant will perform a "Quality Calibration" audit.

6.3 Billing & Certification:The time associated with this final audit, contractor liaison regarding defects, and the issuance of the Final Retention Certificate will be billed at the standard consultancy rate of £150.00

6.4 Certification:The final 1.5% retention shall not be released by the Client until the Consultant has issued a formal Certificate of Quality Calibration

07 Privacy & Confidentiality

7.1 Non-Disclosure: The Consultant shall maintain absolute confidentiality regarding the Client’s identity, financial arrangements, and property location, to protect the Client’s privacy and project security.

8. LIABILITY & INSURANCE

8.1 Professional Indemnity: The Consultant maintains Professional Indemnity Insurance appropriate for the scale of the advisory services provided.

8.2 Scope of Liability: The Consultant’s liability is limited to the provision of advice and oversight. The Main Contractor remains legally responsible for site safety, structural integrity, and Building Regulations compliance.

09 Governing Law

This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.