Homeowner guide

Who can independently check my builder’s variation?

The right independent reviewer depends on the question you need answered. If you want to know whether the variation is properly supported by the documents — whether the extra work overlaps with what was already included, and whether the cost detail stacks up — that is a construction and commercial document review. If you need to know your legal entitlements, that is a construction lawyer. If you need an independent measurement of quantities and market cost, that is a quantity surveyor. If the question is technical or about what is physically happening on site, that is a suitably qualified engineer or building specialist.

VariationCheck publishes this guide and offers one of those options: bounded document review. This is not an independent ranking of services, and we are not the right answer for every question below.

Start with the documents and the missing cost support

A variation notice may describe extra work and an extra amount without explaining how the work differs from the original contract, scope and specification, or how the amount was calculated. A document comparison looks for overlap with included work, and for the support you would reasonably expect: quantities, rates, allowances, margin treatment and arithmetic that adds up.

Missing support is not proof of overcharging. It simply means you cannot yet tell, and that asking for the missing detail is reasonable before you approve.

When you need a lawyer, a quantity surveyor or an engineer

A construction lawyer is the right person when the question is about rights and obligations: whether a variation is contractually valid, what a clause means for you, how to handle a dispute, or what to do if the relationship has broken down.

A quantity surveyor is the right person when you need independent measurement of the work and an assessment of whether the cost reflects the market. That is a formal costing exercise: it draws on drawings and documents too, but it goes beyond checking whether the paperwork you supply to us supports the amount claimed, and reaches an independent view of the cost itself.

A suitably qualified engineer or building specialist is the right person when the issue is technical: ground conditions, structural design, defects, or whether what was built matches what was designed. Depending on the issue, this may require a site inspection as well as drawings, reports and other documents.

What VariationCheck actually does

We compare the variation you supply against the contract, scope and specification you supply. We identify where the claimed extra work may overlap with work already included. We check the quantities, rates, allowances, margins and arithmetic that were provided, and identify what is missing or unclear. We then prepare practical, calm questions you can send your builder. An experienced construction professional reviews the findings before they are released.

It is construction and commercial document review and decision support. It is not legal advice, engineering certification or formal quantity-surveying certification, and no saving or outcome is guaranteed.

A hypothetical illustration

Imagine a variation for additional excavation, while the original contract already carried an earthworks allowance. The useful questions are: what changed compared with the original assumption; which measured quantities support the extra amount; and how the original allowance has been credited or accounted for. If those answers are not in the paperwork, you have a gap in the support — not evidence of wrongdoing. This is a hypothetical illustration only, with no figures and no implied saving.

What to gather

Send the builder’s variation notice or quote first — a PDF or a clear photo is enough for a suitability check. Only if you decide to proceed do you need the rest: the signed contract, the scope of works and specification, any earlier variations that touch the same work, and relevant emails or site instructions about the change. There is no need to assemble the full pack before you know whether a review will help.

Fee, cap and turnaround

The suitability check is free. If the variation is suitable for a full review, the fixed fee is A$395 for one variation up to A$40,000. Higher-value or unusually complex matters are quoted before payment. Full findings are returned within 24 hours after payment and once all required documents are complete.

Questions to ask any reviewer

• Are you independent of my builder, and do you receive any referral payment?
• What method do you use, and who checks the findings before they reach me?
• What is in scope, and what will you refer elsewhere?
• What is the fee, and when is it fixed or quoted?
• Exactly which documents do you need from me, and when?

Boundaries

Findings depend entirely on the documents supplied. Specialist legal, costing and technical questions are referred out rather than guessed at. You can read our review method and professional capability in the Trust Centre, how documents are handled in our privacy information, and an illustrative sample review to see how findings are presented. Questions are welcome at reviews@variationcheck.au.

Further reading

Independent sources, listed for background only. Linking to them is not an endorsement of VariationCheck by those organisations.

• Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors: the quantity surveying profession — what quantity surveyors do, if you are considering independent cost measurement.
• NSW Government: resolving building disputes — NSW-specific guidance. It applies in New South Wales only and is not an Australia-wide rule; other states and territories have their own arrangements.