Concept and feasibility
Understand whether your idea is realistic before spending money.
- What do I actually want to build?
- Is it realistic for my property, budget and timescale?
- What early risks should I understand before spending money?
How we help
See where you are in the process.
From the first idea through design, planning, budgeting, choosing a builder, the build itself and handover. You do not need to become a construction expert. You just need to know what to ask, what to check and when it is fine to pause.
Built from real experience
This is not a checklist someone invented at a desk.
The Clinic was built by people who price, manage and finish real homes. Founded by Reisa Malaj, Quantity Surveyor, Commercial Manager and Project Manager, with real site insight from Eddie, builder and project manager.
The same things kept happening: quotes nobody could compare, budgets that moved, payments that felt awkward to question, delays, variations and a stressful finish. Everything below comes from those real situations.
A real project
The walk-in wardrobe that cost £15,000 to put right.
A homeowner hired an architect and had her renovation designed, including a walk-in wardrobe she had wanted for years. On the drawings it looked fine. Once the walls were up, the wardrobe was too small to hang a hanger in. The partition had to be taken down and moved again, at an extra cost of £15,000.
WHAT WENT WRONG
- The design was never properly checked from her side before work started.
- The mistake was only found once it was built, when fixing it meant doing the work twice.
- Nobody followed the project through from start to finish on her behalf.
- The £15,000 cost of putting it right landed on her, not on anyone who designed it.
WHAT SHE TOLD US AFTERWARDS
- Everyone involved was, in some way, selling something.
- The advice she received usually made money for the person giving it.
- There was always a conflict of interest, even when no one meant any harm.
- What she wanted was one impartial person, on her side, for the whole project.
That is the gap The Construction Clinic exists to fill. We do not design your project, build it or introduce you to anyone for a fee. We help you check what you are being told before it costs you.
Photos from residential projects delivered by the team behind The Construction Clinic.
“Everyone advising me was also making money from the advice. I just wanted one person who was only on my side.”
Design and drawings
Know what decisions need to be made before drawings go too far.
- What drawings do I need, and at what level of detail?
- Do I need an architect, structural engineer, party wall surveyor, planning consultant or building control advice?
- What should be decided before design goes too far?
Planning and approvals
Understand what approval means and what still needs to happen before work starts.
- Do I need planning permission, or is it permitted development?
- What does planning approval actually mean?
- What still needs to happen after approval before I am build-ready?
Scope and budget
Build a clear scope before asking builders to quote.
- What is included in the project, and what is excluded?
- What is a realistic budget, including contingency?
- What assumptions still need to be clarified?
- The Scope & Budget Builder is coming to the Clinic Portal to make this simple.
Builder quotes
Compare like-for-like and spot missing items.
- How do I compare quotes properly?
- Why are three quotes not enough unless everyone is pricing the same scope?
- What should I ask before choosing a builder?
Contracts and payments
Know what should be agreed before money changes hands.
- What should be written down before work starts?
- What deposit or payment schedule is reasonable?
- How are changes, delays and retention dealt with in writing?
Build stage
Stay clearer on payments, delays, variations and communication.
- How should payments, variations, delays and quality be managed?
- What should I check before approving a payment or a change?
- What is normal on site, and what is a warning sign?
Snagging and handover
Know what to check before final payment.
- What should be checked before final payment?
- What certificates, warranties and documents should I receive?
- What should happen after handover?
Aftercare
Know where you stand once the builders have left.
- What is covered if a defect appears after completion?
- How long do warranties and guarantees last?
- What records should I keep for insurance or a future sale?
Comparing quotes
Three quotes are often three different projects.
You may not be comparing three prices. You may be comparing three different scopes.
Builder A£68,000
Structural steel· IncludedWaste removal· IncludedDecoration· ExcludedFoundation depth· Assumed
Builder B£61,500
Structural steel· ExcludedWaste removal· Not statedDecoration· IncludedFoundation depth· Assumed
Builder C£74,200
Structural steel· IncludedWaste removal· IncludedDecoration· AssumedFoundation depth· Included
A quote can look cheaper because something important is missing. What is left out today usually turns up later as an extra.
And a quote is not the whole budget.
A builder's quote is not your whole budget. This is what the real number usually has to cover.
- Structure32%
- Services16%
- Finishes22%
- Professional fees10%
- Contingency10%
- Still unknown10%
Rough proportions for a typical extension. Yours will differ. The point is that fees, finishes, contingency and the unknowns are rarely inside the builder's price.
Not sure what to do next?
Start with the free checklist, or bring your question to one of our free live clinics with builders, architects and other construction people.
Keep going
Want the same kind of help for the rest of your project?
We cover the whole journey, from first idea and design through quotes, payments, changes, snagging and handover. Get the homeowner checklist by email and we will send one useful decision a month, nothing else.