When clients and contractors disagree at the end of a job, it almost always comes back to a written specification that didn’t exist or wasn’t precise enough. Was that tile finish included? Were both bathrooms in the original price? Was the kitchen island fitted on or off-site?

A specification document — even a short one — answers these questions before they’re asked. We produce them as a deliverable on QS engagements, and clients consistently say they’re among the most useful things we leave behind.

For refurbishment projects, a specification is also the easiest way to get like-for-like quotes from competing contractors. Without it, you’re comparing apples and oranges.