Quantity Surveying / Project Management / Commercial AdvisoryProject & Cost Management Services from those who know the inside of a project office.
Quantity surveying, project management and commercial advisory for New Zealand's contractors, developers and public agencies. Built by people who came up on the contractor side.
We've sat on the other side of the table.
Upfront was started by people who spent the better part of two decades inside Tier 1 main contractors — running project commercial teams, defending variations, closing out final accounts. We know how the work gets bid, how it gets built, and where margin gets lost in between.
That experience changes how we advise. We don't write reports from the outside. We work the way a project office works: fast, evidence-led, and honest about what a number can and can't carry.
Our clients are main contractors, sub-trades, developers and public infrastructure agencies. Some bring us in early to set a project up properly. Others call mid-build, when something has gone sideways and a clean pair of eyes is needed before things escalate.
Either way, the work is the same: get the commercial position straight, and protect it.
Why Upfront1
We know how construction actually works.
Every senior consultant has come up through the contractor side — site engineering, project QS, commercial management on Tier 1 jobs. We've built the things we now advise on, and we know the difference between a clean variation and one that won't survive a final account.
2
Cost overruns, contested variations, programme slippage, claims that have stalled. The work most QS firms decline. We move quickly, gather what's actually been built, and present the position in a form that holds up when it has to.
We solve commercial problems.
3
We use the right tools for the job.
Custom-built measurement and reporting software, plus a working AI layer for variation assembly and document review. Less time on spreadsheets, more time on the commercial decisions that matter. We've built what we use.
Three Services. One Commercial Mindset.
What We DoQuantity Surveying
Pre-tender estimates, contract documentation, monthly progress claims, variation pricing and final accounts. Measured properly, defended properly.
Project Management
Owner's representative and project management on commercial, civil and infrastructure projects. We sit on the client side and run it like a contractor would.
Commercial Advisory
Variation management, mid-project recovery, contract strategy, claim assembly. The work that defines whether a project finishes profitably.
Selected ProjectsRail. Vertical build. Civil infrastructure.
$275m+
Construction value across showcased projects
20+ yrs
Combined Tier 1 contractor experience
MNZIQS
NZ Institute of Quantity Surveyors
Reg QS
Registered Quantity Surveyor
We've built our own tools.
Digital & AI ToolsOver the past year, Upfront has been developing custom AI tools specifically tailored to construction workflows, designed to solve practical pricing and commercial challenges rather than simply automate existing processes.
The real value of these systems lies in their application to variation management. AI-assisted tools allow Upfront to rapidly compare alternative construction approaches, quantify cost and programme impacts, and present variation options in a clear, concise format. This supports fair, well-evidenced submissions and makes it easier for clients to understand unexpected costs and work collaboratively toward solutions. By reducing ambiguity and manual effort, AI helps prevent overhead blowouts and shortens the time required to reach agreement.
Get In TouchLet’s Work Together
Please get in touch for a confidential discussion of how Upfront can assist you with your Project.