VariationCheck

Independent review · Australia

Builder sent you a variation?

Check it before you approve it.

Send us your builder's variation and relevant contract documents. We check whether the new charge appears to overlap what you've already agreed to, identify what needs clarification, and give you the questions to send back before you approve it.

Check my variation

No payment required to submit.

Independent reviewProfessionally verified24-hour turnaround

Variation notice — VO-14

Site works — additional excavation

VariationA$12,450
Status: clarify before approving

3 issues identified

  1. 1Potential scope overlap
  2. 2Pricing not fully itemised
  3. 3Builder margin requires clarification

Questions to send your builder

3 ready-to-send questions included with every review.

Verified by a construction professional before release

Illustrative example only.

Who reviews your variation

Reviewed by experienced construction professionals.

Your review is not generated and sent automatically. Technology helps us compare and structure the documents efficiently; experienced construction professionals verify the findings before release.

Project Director / Infrastructure Professional

25 years' experience

Chartered Structural / Civil Engineer

20 years' experience

Builder / Developer

Extensive portfolio of developments throughout Sydney

Chartered Building Services Engineer

20 years' experience

Independent reviewEvidence-linked findingsProfessionally verifiedNo automated report sent without review

What we check

Four questions every homeowner should answer before approving.

Already included?

We reconcile the variation against your original scope and contract to see what you have arguably already agreed to and paid for.

Why has it changed?

We check whether the basis for the variation is adequately explained and supported by the documents supplied.

Does the cost stack up?

We review the supplied breakdown, labour and material detail, allowances and margins where they are visible.

What should you do next?

A clear status, the exact issues, and ready-to-send questions for your builder before you approve anything.

Our method

How we reach a finding.

  1. 1

    Original scope check

    What did the contract and scope already include?

  2. 2

    Variation basis check

    What changed, and why?

  3. 3

    Evidence check

    What supporting detail has been supplied?

  4. 4

    Commercial clarity check

    Are labour, materials, allowances and margins sufficiently explained where visible?

  5. 5

    Professional verification

    An experienced construction professional checks the findings before release.

We separate what the documents show from what still needs clarification. If the evidence is incomplete, we say so.

Example VariationCheck

We line the variation up against what you already agreed to.

Finding 1 of 3

Illustrative example
Original contract

“Excavation and disposal associated with slab preparation — included”

Illustrative clause / page reference

Builder variation

“Additional excavation — A$4,850”

VariationCheck finding

Potential scope overlap

Reasoning: the submitted documents use overlapping descriptions. Ask the builder to identify the additional work that sits outside the original scope.

Confidence: High
Recommended action: clarify before approving

Confidence is High here because both documents directly contain the relevant wording. Where the documents are incomplete, findings may be marked Limited confidence and we will tell you what information is missing.

Variation requestedA$12,450
Clarify before approving

What you receive

  • A clear status: clarify, or nothing further identified.
  • The specific issues found in your documents.
  • Ready-to-send questions for your builder.
Every paid review is verified by an experienced construction professional before release.

Illustrative example only. Findings depend entirely on the documents you supply.

Ready-to-send questions

You don't have to work out how to ask.

Every review comes with plain-English questions written for your documents, ready to copy into an email to your builder. Calm, professional wording that keeps the relationship intact while getting the detail you need before you approve.

Ready-to-send email to your builder

Thanks for sending Variation 14. Before approving it, could you please clarify:

  1. Which part of the additional excavation sits outside the original contracted scope?
  2. Please provide labour hours/rates supporting the allowance.
  3. Please confirm the contractual basis for the margin.

Illustrative wording only — not legal advice. Your questions are written for your documents.

How it works

Four steps, no payment to get started.

  1. 1

    Send us the variation and relevant contract documents. No payment required.

  2. 2

    We confirm whether the matter is suitable for VariationCheck.

  3. 3

    If your variation is suitable and is A$40,000 or less, we'll send you the fixed A$249 payment link. For larger or unusually complex variations, we'll confirm the fee first.

  4. 4

    Receive the reviewed findings and builder questions within 24 hours.

Pricing

A$249 fixed fee for one variation up to A$40,000

If your variation is above A$40,000, send it through anyway. We'll review it for suitability and confirm the fee before you pay.

A$249
A$5,000
A$10,000
A$20,000
A$40,000

Illustrative variation values for scale. We make no claim of guaranteed savings or any particular outcome. Some unusually complex matters may require a tailored quote or specialist advice.

If we don't think a paid review will add value, we'll tell you before you pay.

  • Free suitability review of your submission.
  • One fixed fee — no hourly billing, no surprises.
  • Findings and builder questions within 24 hours of payment.

Why you can rely on it

Professionally verified. Technology-fast.

A person signs it off

An experienced construction professional reviews and verifies every finding and every question before it is released to you. This is a professional service assisted by technology — not an automated report.

Technology keeps it fast

Behind the scenes we use technology to line your variation up against the contract and scope and structure the review consistently. That's how a 24-hour turnaround is possible.

VariationCheck provides independent commercial and construction document review and decision support. It is not legal advice and not a quantity surveying certification of market price.

Straight answers

What we won't pretend to know.

  • We do not provide legal advice.
  • We do not formally certify market pricing as a quantity surveyor.
  • We do not guarantee that a variation is valid or invalid.
  • We do not accuse builders of overcharging.
  • We do not guarantee savings.

We tell you what the documents show, what they don't show, and what is worth clarifying before you approve.

Escalate when needed: if a question turns on legal interpretation, formal quantity surveying, structural engineering or specialist building-services advice, we flag that rather than guessing.

FAQ

Questions homeowners ask us.

24-hour turnaround

Send us the variation. We'll tell you if it's worth questioning.

Takes a couple of minutes. No payment required to submit — we review your documents for suitability first and email you either way.

Standard A$249 fee applies to variations up to A$40,000. Larger variations are reviewed and quoted before payment.

PDF or image. Required.

PDF. Please include if available — this is what we compare the variation against.

Plans, emails, earlier quotes.

Your documents are used only to assess and, if you proceed, complete your VariationCheck. We do not send them to your builder as part of the review.

No payment required. We'll review the submission first and let you know if VariationCheck can add value.