Self Build Stress Tests
Choose by the commitments already made, not just whether the main building work has started.
Both are one-off reviews at an evidence date. Buying land, appointing designers, planning, surveys and investigations alone do not make a project live, although their costs and obligations count. Construction procurement commitments or substantive enabling or building work do.
Pre-build Stress Test
Before construction procurement commitments or substantive enabling or building work.
Challenge the proposed scope, cost assumptions, omissions, funding, payment dates and contingency while the choices remain open.
You can already own the land and have designers, planning work, surveys or investigations in place.
Read about Pre-build Stress TestLive Build Stress Test
Once a construction procurement commitment has been made or substantive enabling or building work is under way.
Reconcile money paid, commitments, unpaid liabilities, changes, remaining work, cost to complete, remaining reserve and dated cash shortfalls.
An accepted building, trade, package or material order, or a kit/build deposit, is enough. A partially procured or paused project remains live, even before work on the main building begins.
Read about Live Build Stress TestRIBA and self-build stages are indicative. Procurement can happen at different design stages, so the commitment-based boundary above takes priority over the position on a stage diagram.
Useful decisions, not just a list of problems
The report closes with what was reviewed, what was found, what it means, what to do next and how I can help further. Necessary actions come first, with owners and decision points. You can act yourself or through your current team and specialists. Any further service is optional and separately scoped; the report does not depend on another purchase.
The fee and timetable are agreed in writing after scope and evidence review.
Each build stress test has its own Pre-build or Live Build page, with its information request and relevant resources. The review provides a report, financial workings and scenarios, with an explained risk profile. Severity is assessed only where the evidence supports it, and evidence confidence is reported separately. A material area can be marked “Not assessable” when information is insufficient; a missing record is not a favourable score.