Construction consultancy for contractors
Experienced project managers embedded within your team. Programme oversight, NEC and JCT contract administration and delivery governance for contractors across the UK.
Based in Liverpool. Supporting Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 contractors across the UK.
Discuss your projectWhat we do
Most contractors can deliver the work they win. The issue is having dedicated project management resource to run the programme, manage the contract correctly and produce the governance your client expects while your site team focuses on building.
We provide experienced project managers who work inside your team, on site or in your office. We work directly with Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 contractors, from principal contractors on major schemes to specialist subcontractors on a single package.
Need dedicated planning support? Planning and programme management is available as a standalone service.
What we provide
How we help
Open any service to see what it covers.
Contractors win work on their track record. They lose margin when the management resource is not there to run the job properly. We provide experienced project managers who work within your team from mobilisation through to handover.
We sit in your progress meetings, own the programme, manage subcontractor interfaces, track risk and produce the reporting your client expects. When problems emerge we raise them early, set out the options clearly and help your team make the right call while there is still time to act.
Most contractors know what they are owed. What costs them is not being able to prove it. Missed compensation events, late early warnings and poorly maintained programmes leave money that cannot be recovered at final account.
We manage NEC3 and NEC4 obligations with the same rigour we apply to JCT contracts. The early warning register is maintained, compensation events are notified on time, programme submissions are kept current and variations are assessed with proper supporting information.
On contracts with multiple packages the programme is the most important document on the project. When it is not actively governed it stops reflecting reality. Clients often notice first.
We establish the baseline, manage the lookahead, measure progress accurately and produce the recovery analysis when plan and progress diverge. For contractors running several packages or subcontracts we provide the governance layer that keeps each work stream coordinated.
Why contractors use us
Senior project management without a permanent salary or the delay of a recruitment process. Engaged for the project.
We manage NEC and JCT obligations from the start, so early warnings and compensation events are dealt with while entitlement still exists.
We track, report and recover so your completion date is credible to your client and defensible to your subcontractors.
We handle the reporting and correspondence your client expects, so your site team can focus on delivery.
We raise issues while options still exist. By the time a problem reaches the final account it is expensive for everyone.
Contractor programmes do not wait for long onboarding. We are structured to mobilise within days of appointment.
Need project management resource on a live contract?
Speak to our teamWhat poor delivery management costs
They build up quietly. By the time they are obvious they are expensive. These are the most common ways contractors lose money that should have been theirs.
Under NEC the contractor has eight weeks from becoming aware of an event to notify it. Miss that window and the entitlement can be lost regardless of merit.
Without an Accepted Programme under NEC the Project Manager assesses compensation events using their own view of the programme. Attributing delay becomes much harder.
Late or inconsistent reporting signals a project that is not in control. Once that perception forms it is hard to reverse.
On projects with multiple packages one delayed package affects others. Without active management the effect compounds quickly.
Unrecorded change is absorbed by the contractor. By final account there is no contemporaneous record to support recovery.
Poor delivery management turns fixable issues into formal disputes that cost far more in time, resource and relationships.
When you need us
Some contractors appoint us at mobilisation. Others call when a live project has become difficult and needs to be stabilised.
The team can build it, but nobody has the time to run the programme, manage the contract and produce the governance your client expects.
Milestones are moving and the programme no longer reflects reality. You need a clear position and a recovery plan.
Change has not been recorded properly and the contractual position needs to be rebuilt before it reaches final account.
Reporting has become late or inconsistent and confidence needs to be restored through structured, regular information.
Early warnings, compensation events and programme submissions are falling behind the timescales the contract sets.
A project manager has left or is stretched across several jobs and you need experienced cover without a recruitment delay.
The detail
The level of involvement scales with what your project needs and what your team already has in place.
NEC rewards contractors who manage it actively. Early warnings are raised as soon as a matter could affect the Prices, Completion, a Key Date or the performance of the works. Compensation events are notified within the eight week window. The Project Manager accepts a submitted programme or gives reasons within two weeks. The Accepted Programme is then the basis for assessing the time effect of change.
Under JCT forms the contractor must give notice of delay and support any extension of time with clear records. We keep notices, variations and supporting information in order so your entitlement is set out properly as the project progresses.
Related services
Early warnings are the NEC4 tool for dealing with problems before they become cost and delay. This guide explains what clause 15 requires, how the Early Warning Register and meetings work and what a missed early warning can cost a contractor.
Read insightThe Accepted Programme is the most important management document on an NEC4 contract. This guide explains what clause 31 requires it to show, how acceptance works, when revised programmes are due and why the programme decides how much time a contractor recovers.
Read insightAn extension of time protects a contractor from liquidated damages when the works are delayed by events at the employer's risk. This guide explains how JCT extension of time works, what the 2024 editions changed and how contractors can protect their position from the first sign of delay.
Read insightFAQ
Yes. We work directly with Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 contractors. We embed within your team to provide programme oversight, reporting, interface management and delivery governance. You do not need to be the client organisation to engage us.
Yes. We provide NEC3, NEC4 and JCT contract administration support for contractors. We manage early warnings, compensation events, payment applications and programme submissions so your contractual position is protected throughout the project.
We attend your progress meetings, manage your programme, coordinate subcontractor interfaces and produce the reporting your client requires. We work as part of your team on site or in your office. The level of involvement scales with what your project needs.
Under NEC3 and NEC4 the contractor should notify a compensation event within eight weeks of becoming aware that the event has happened. If it is not notified in time the contractor can lose the entitlement to a change in the Prices, the Completion Date or a Key Date, unless the Project Manager should have notified the event.
Yes. We prepare baseline programmes, manage programme submissions under NEC and JCT requirements, track progress against the baseline and identify delay early. A programme that falls behind without notice or a recovery plan becomes a liability rather than a tool.
Yes. Whether the programme has slipped, a commercial dispute is developing, the client relationship is under strain or there is an internal resource gap, we assess the situation quickly and provide targeted support to stabilise delivery.
Once scope is agreed and a purchase order or letter of appointment is in place we can typically mobilise within two to five working days. Tell us about the project and we will give you a straight answer about what is achievable.
We are based in Liverpool and support contractors across the UK, including Liverpool, Manchester and the wider North West.
Talk to us
Tell us about the project. We will give you a straight answer about what we can provide and how quickly we can start.
The Client Portal provides secure access to project documents, progress updates, and direct communication with your Matthews & Roberts team.
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