The Yelverton project ran a fairly conventional kitchen-diner extension to the rear of a 1960s house. What made it run smoothly was the cost plan structure agreed at the start: trade packages mirroring the contractor’s production schedule, a fortnightly valuation cycle, a variation log open from day one.

Six weeks in we’re tracking three small variations (one a client upgrade, two the kind of fabric discovery you expect on works of this scale) and the percentage complete numbers match what my eyes see on site. The client sees a running total, the contractor’s invoices clear on time, nobody is having an awkward conversation.

None of this is exotic. It’s what consistently delivers calm projects.