Independent project verification and valuation
Progress claims, payment certificates and variations tested against measured work on site, so that money moves on evidence rather than assertion.
Independent verification, before money moves
Almost every construction dispute in Nigeria has the same shape: somebody sent money against a claim that nobody independently tested. The claim may have been entirely honest. The point is that neither side could prove it either way, so the relationship broke instead of the argument being settled.
Verification is not an accusation. It is the ordinary discipline of paying for measured work. A quantity surveyor attends, measures, values, and produces a figure with a stated basis. That protects a good contractor as much as it protects a client.
- Progress claimsThe contractor's claim compared with measured work done, item by item.
- Payment certificatesInterim certificates prepared or checked, with retention and deductions applied correctly.
- VariationsWhether a variation is a genuine change, and what it is actually worth.
- Materials and plantValue of materials on site, and whether they are owned by the project.
- Final accountsThe closing account checked against the contract, the BOQ and every approved variation.
- Property and work valueWhat has been built, what it would cost to replace, and whether the price reflects it.
The five things we test on every claim
These are the usual places a valuation inflates.
1. Quantities that were not measured
A percentage of completion applied to a section is not a measurement. Where work is claimed as 70% complete, we measure what exists and value it.
2. Materials counted twice
Blocks delivered to site may already be paid for inside a previous certificate. Without a running record, they get valued again.
3. Work behind the claim but not on site
Excavation backfilled, formwork struck, services buried. Documents must support what cannot now be seen.
4. Rates that drifted
Rates in the claim that do not match the agreed schedule, or that quietly include a margin that was never negotiated.
5. Deductions omitted
Retention, advance payment recovery, dayworks, and the value of materials supplied by the client, which must come off the claim.
And the sixth: specification
Work is done, and it is measured correctly, but it is not what was specified. That is a quality question with a cost consequence, and it belongs in the report.
Valuation of an existing property or completed work
Separate from progress valuation, clients often need to know what a building is actually worth, or what it would cost to rebuild. Common situations:
- Buying a property and needing an independent view of what has been built and what it would cost to put right.
- Inherited or family property, where nobody can say what condition the structure is in.
- Insurance reinstatement, where a rebuild cost is needed rather than a market price.
- A project abandoned halfway, where the value of work done must be established before anyone continues.
- Diaspora owners who have been told a house is finished and want to know what “finished” means.
Where the question is market value rather than construction value, a registered estate surveyor and valuer is the correct professional. We will tell you when that is the case instead of stretching our own scope.
Verification and valuation questions
What is the difference between this and a bank valuation?
A bank or mortgage valuation answers the lender's question: is this property adequate security for a loan? It is usually brief and desktop-based. Our work answers the owner's question: is this work actually done, is it worth what is being claimed, and is it built as specified? Where a mortgage or insurance valuation is required, you need a registered estate surveyor and valuer; we will say so rather than take work outside our competence.
Can you value a project I have never seen, from documents alone?
We can review documents: claims, certificates, contracts, payment schedules and BOQs. But a valuation of physical work done requires attendance. Document-only reviews are cheaper and we will do them where that is what you need, with the limitation stated in the report.
What if the contractor refuses to let you on site?
That is itself information, and we will report it plainly. Access is normally a contractual right of the client, not the contractor. Where access is obstructed we record the refusal, the date and the persons involved, and value only what can be observed.
Will you tell me not to pay?
Yes. We recommend payment, part payment or withholding based on measurement. Clients sometimes find that uncomfortable, but an independent surveyor who always agrees with the person paying the bill is not independent.
Can you act as an expert in a dispute?
We can prepare a quantity surveying assessment of work done, quantities and value, which is often what a solicitor needs to frame a claim. We are not lawyers and we do not give legal advice. Where a matter is in litigation, we will say at the outset whether the instruction is as an adviser or as an independent expert.
Have a figure you need checked?
Send the claim or certificate and tell us the site location. We will tell you what can be established and what it will cost.
We read everything sent to info@peterch.org. Replies go out by WhatsApp — include a working number, with country code, in your first message.