Interim valuations and payment certificates
Monthly or milestone valuations with measured quantities, correct deductions and a payment recommendation issued before the money moves.
Paying against measurement, not against a request
An interim valuation is the document that stands between a contractor's request for money and your bank transfer. Done properly it states what work exists at a date, what it is worth at the agreed rates, and what should be deducted. Done badly, or not at all, payment becomes a negotiation conducted without evidence.
We prepare interim valuations and payment certificates on projects across Nigeria, for owners and for diaspora clients who need the recommendation before they release funds.
What a valuation contains
Measured work done
Quantities for each item completed to the valuation date, measured on site, not estimated from a percentage.
Materials on site
Delivered materials owned by the project, counted and recorded, with a check against what has already been valued in earlier certificates.
Deductions applied correctly
Retention, advance payment recovery, materials you supplied, dayworks without records, and all previously certified amounts.
A recommendation
The amount we consider payable, with the basis stated and any item we advise withholding until it is corrected.
The discipline that prevents disputes
Valuation submitted or visit scheduled
The contractor's claim arrives, or a visit is booked ahead of the payment date.
Attendance and measurement
Work done is measured on site; materials are counted; quality and specification are noted.
Valuation prepared
Quantities, rates and deductions assembled into a document with its basis stated.
Certificate issued before payment
You receive the figure and the recommendation in time to act on it, not as an explanation afterwards.
Interim valuation questions
What should an interim valuation contain?
Measured quantities for the work done to the valuation date, the rates applied, the value of materials on site that are owned by the project, then the deductions: retention, advance payment recovery, materials you supplied, and previously certified amounts. A valuation that shows only a total is a claim, not a valuation.
How often should valuations be done?
Monthly is the normal rhythm for an active site, or at agreed milestones for a shorter project. The interval matters less than the discipline: a valuation before each payment, not a reconstruction after a dispute.
Can you certify a payment if I am abroad?
Yes, and this is the most common arrangement we work under. You receive the valuation and a recommendation before the payment date, with the measured basis stated, so the decision and the money stay with you.
What is retention and how much should it be?
Retention is a percentage held back from each certificate and released at completion and after the defects period, so there is money available if defects appear. The percentage and release terms belong in the contract; we apply what the contract says and flag it when the contract is silent.
What if the contractor disputes your valuation?
We show the measurement basis, so the dispute becomes specific: a quantity, a rate, or a deduction. That is a far better conversation than arguing about a percentage, and it is usually resolved by walking the site together with the schedule.
Spending money every month?
Send the last claim you received and the site location. We will tell you what a valuation would establish and what it costs.
We read everything sent to info@peterch.org. Replies go out by WhatsApp — include a working number, with country code, in your first message.