About Us

QBFS runs the same methodology across every engagement, scaled to the matter. The structure isn't proprietary — most experienced forensic and quality consultants work this way. What matters is the discipline of actually following it.

The four-stage framework

Every engagement runs in some version of these four stages:

1. Brief and document review. Before any site work, the consultant reads the project. Contract, design documents, programme, sub-contractor list, defect notifications, prior reports, correspondence. The aim is to understand what was supposed to be built before going to see what was actually built.
2. Site work. Inspection scaled to matter complexity. Time on site is spent on the questions identified in document review, not on a generic property walk. Photographs, measurements, samples where appropriate, notes on adjacent and upstream work.
3. Analysis. Findings compared against the contract, the relevant Australian Standards, and the National Construction Code. Where the cause requires specialist sub-consultants, their input is integrated at this stage.
4. Report. Written in language the report's audience can use. References to the specific contract clauses, Standards, and NCC sections that apply. Conclusions drawn from evidence, with limitations and assumptions stated.

Why the stages happen in that order

Three reasons:

• Document review before site work keeps inspection time efficient. The consultant arrives knowing what to look for.
• Site work before analysis keeps the analysis grounded. Conclusions follow the evidence, not the other way around.
• Analysis before report prevents fragmentation. The report writer has the full picture; the report holds together.

A methodology that skips stages produces reports that don't stand up. We don't skip stages.

Standards we work to

The reference points are:

• The contract — first and overriding reference for what the work was supposed to be.
• Australian Standards — trade and material specific standards applicable to the work in question.
• National Construction Code — overarching technical compliance framework.
• State legislation — home-building or domestic-building acts where they apply.
• Manufacturer install requirements — where products carry specific install protocols, those are part of the conformance test.
• Court / tribunal expert-witness codes — where the work supports a legal matter, the relevant code of conduct applies.

The report names the specific references that apply to each finding. We avoid catalogue-style reference lists where the standards aren't actually being tested against.

What independence means in practice

Independence is the value proposition. A few things we do to keep it real:

• Conflicts checks at engagement. Every new engagement triggers a conflicts review against prior engagements. Where conflicts can't be cleanly managed, the engagement is declined.
• Engagement letters that fix the duty. For expert-witness work, the engagement letter explicitly references the duty to the court overriding the duty to the engaging party.
• Reports follow the evidence, not the brief. Where the engaging party's preferred outcome isn't supported by the evidence, the report says so. We've declined engagements where the engaging party wanted advocacy more than evidence.
• No rectification trade work. We investigate, audit, and advise. We don't run rectification, keeping that separation is part of how the consultancy stays independent.

Quality control on our own work

Internal quality control on the consultancy work itself:

• Peer review on substantive reports. Reports of any consequence are reviewed by a second senior eye before they're issued.
• Methodology documentation. Each engagement's methodology is documented so the work can be traced and tested if challenged.
• Sub-consultant integration discipline. When specialist sub-consultants are engaged, their input is integrated into the QBFS report (not appended as a separate document) so the report holds together.
• Continuous standards review. Updates to Australian Standards, the NCC, and state legislation are tracked and integrated into engagement work.

Engaging QBFS

The methodology runs the same regardless of whether the engagement is a single-defect investigation, a multi-trade audit, or an expert-witness report. Scale changes; structure doesn't.

Call Paul on 0407 146 737.

Start With a Call

Best way to start is a phone call. Tell Paul the project, the issue, where you sit in the build cycle. The next step gets sorted on the call: site visit, desktop review, or a referral if QBFS isn't the right fit.