Ongoing Construction Support
Ongoing construction support is the on-call version of QBFS's consultancy work. The retainer puts a senior construction consultant within reach for second opinions, contract interpretation, contentious meetings, and ad-hoc site reviews, without the cost of a full proactive consultancy engagement. The service suits builders who don't need a weekly site presence but want a trusted independent voice they can ring when something on a project doesn't smell right.
What's covered
Most ongoing support retainers include:
Second opinions on technical questions — a trade has interpreted the spec a particular way, the contract is ambiguous, or an RFI response has come back and you want a sanity check before you act.
Contract or spec interpretation — when the contract documents conflict with the design documents, or when the standards being referenced are open to interpretation.
Meeting attendance — difficult meetings such as sub-contractor disputes, defect notifications, or client escalations benefit from an independent technical voice in the room.
Document review on demand — sub-contractor proposals, variation submissions, prior-trade defect lists, and structural design changes, reviewed by a senior pair of eyes inside a short turnaround.
Ad-hoc site visits — for specific concerns about a section of work, a problem reported by the site team, or a one-off inspection ahead of a milestone payment.
Email and phone availability during business hours for the engaged retainer.
How the retainer works
Two common structures:
Hours-banked retainer — a monthly retainer covers an agreed number of consulting hours. Used hours track on a running tally. Unused hours don't roll over indefinitely but typically carry a quarter forward.
On-demand engagement — no monthly minimum; work is engaged as needed at an agreed hourly rate. Suits builders with infrequent but unpredictable demand.
The structure is set at engagement. Most builders start on hours-banked once they've used QBFS for two or three engagements and want the budget predictability.
Why builders engage ongoing support
Three patterns drive engagement:
A specific project has a higher risk profile than usual — the builder wants senior input available without committing to full proactive consultancy.
The business has scaled past in-house expertise — a growing builder doesn't yet have a senior QA or technical lead in-house, and the retainer fills the gap.
A prior dispute has changed how the business operates — a defect matter, an insurance claim, or a tribunal action has highlighted the cost of being under-supported on technical questions.
In each case the retainer is cheaper than the alternative: a missed call on a contentious item, a defect not caught until much later, or a senior hire who's overqualified for the actual workload.
What ongoing support isn't
Across Australia
Ongoing support is delivered nationally over phone and email, with ad-hoc site visits coordinated wherever the project sits. Travel is built into the engagement scope for visits more than a short drive from the consultant's base.
Tell Paul the project. The next step gets sorted on the call.
Common questions, answered.
- What kinds of questions does ongoing support cover?
Anything technical that benefits from a senior independent view. Examples: a sub-contractor saying the spec doesn’t apply, a defect that’s just been notified, a certifier raising an issue with the structural design, or a variation about to be signed that needs a scope check.
- Is there a minimum commitment?
The hours-banked structure has a monthly minimum, set at engagement and typically four or six hours. The on-demand structure has no minimum but charges at the engaged hourly rate. Both can be paused or wound down with notice.
- Will the consultant come to site?
Yes, on request. Ad-hoc site visits are scoped per visit and travel time is included in the time on the clock. For builders with regular site-visit needs, proactive construction consultancy is usually a better fit.
- Can ongoing support cover multiple projects at once?
Yes. Most retainers cover the builder’s full project portfolio rather than one specific job. Hours are drawn against the retainer regardless of which project triggered the call.
- Does the support include written deliverables?
Yes, where they’re needed. Email summaries of advice, written second-opinion notes, and short reports on ad-hoc site visits are all included. Substantial reports such as forensic investigations or expert-witness work sit outside the retainer and are scoped separately.
- What's the response time?
Same business day for most calls and emails. Urgent matters get faster turnaround where the consultant’s calendar allows. Substantial document reviews or site visits are scheduled within a few business days.
- What does the retainer cost?
Fees depend on the hours-banked level. Most retainers run between a few hundred and a couple of thousand dollars per month depending on volume. Call Paul on 0407 146 737 to size the retainer for your business.
