Hourly-rated commercial support · London & remote
We work with contractors, sub-contractors and developers on the commercial side of a project: pricing, contract terms and cost control. You agree a scope and a rate with us, and the work is carried out by us directly, without subcontracting it on.
Schedule of services
Everything below works the same way: we agree the scope and the rate, we record the time and report it back. No retainers, no minimum term.
Tender pricing, budget estimates and elemental cost plans. Bills of quantities and pricing schedules produced from drawings and specification, with subcontract enquiry packages and quote comparisons.
Pre-signature review of JCT, NEC, framework and bespoke subcontract terms. You get a plain-English schedule of the onerous clauses, what each one exposes you to commercially, and the amendments worth pushing for.
Running the contract properly from day one: instructions, early warnings, compensation events, payment and pay-less notices to the right dates, extensions of time, and the final account through to agreement.
Measurement and take-off, interim valuations and applications, variation accounts, cost/value reconciliation and cash flow forecasting. Ongoing commercial cover for projects that don't warrant a full-time QS.
Independent commercial appraisal before you commit — a project, a portfolio or a business. Cost and value tested against the record, contract position established, risks quantified, findings reported in writing.
Longer engagements covered by commercial staff supplied from our own books — assistant and project QS resource under senior oversight, for contractors carrying more work than headcount.
Rates shown exclude VAT. Travel outside M25 charged at cost. Scope and rate confirmed in writing before any work starts.
Clients
Typically projects where the commercial position matters too much to estimate loosely, but the duration does not justify a permanent hire.
Overflow estimating at tender, or commercial cover on a project when the QS is stretched across too many sites.
Applications, variations and final accounts prepared and defended — so payment reflects what was actually built.
Independent cost plans, tender analysis and valuation certification, keeping the build honest against the budget.
Due diligence and monitoring on projects and portfolios, before money is committed and while it is being spent.
How it works
Twenty minutes on what the job is, where it sits contractually and what "done" looks like. If it isn't work we're the right people for, we'll say so on that call.
A short engagement note: what's included, the hourly or fixed fee, an estimate of hours and how time is reported. Nothing begins until you've agreed it.
Work delivered to the dates agreed, with a time record behind every invoice. Stop, pause or extend whenever it suits the project.
About the practice
ACME QS Ltd is led by Tommy Renyard, a Quantity Surveyor by trade with 15+ years’ experience across multiple sectors; commercial fit-out, hospitality, residential, education, healthcare, infrastructure and public buildings, on projects from £35k to £500m.
The practice exists because good commercial advice is usually sold in the wrong size. Consultancies want a monthly fee and a minimum term; recruiting a QS means a salary, a notice period and a desk. Most of what actually protects a contractor's margin — Expert Contract Management, Cost Control & Risk Review — takes hours, not headcount.
So it's sold by the hour, at senior level, with no layer in between. Every enquiry is reviewed by the surveyor who will carry out the work, and priced before it starts.
Where a project needs more capacity or a specialist discipline, we can bring in trusted partners from our commercial network. Partner resource is agreed with you in advance, works under our direction, and is reported on the same basis as our own time.
Referral bonus scheme
Much of our work comes through recommendation, and we would like to thank the people who make it. No forms or codes are needed; the client simply tells us who referred them.
Paid as cashback by bank transfer once the client has settled. Prefer credit? Take 7.5% against your own next engagement instead — or nominate a charity and we'll send it there.
Introduce us by email or just have them mention your name. When their first engagement is paid, we'll confirm the figure with you and pay it within 28 days.
Open to anyone, unless your employer’s or client’s policies prevent it. Please check first; if in doubt, choose the charity option. There is no limit on the number of referrals.
Bonus is calculated on fees invoiced, excluding VAT, disbursements and any placed-resource costs, and capped at £1,000 per referral. Nothing is payable where the introduction duplicates an enquiry already in hand.
Request a quote
Complete the form to open a pre-filled email in your mail app, or call the office to discuss the project directly.
