The D&B office fit-out contract review that pays for itself - or it's free.

  • Design & build (D&B) contract reviews performed by workplace cost consultants, Fidgens.
  • Receive a concise, board-ready report outlining project risks and potential savings within 14 working days.
  • Remove that commercial anxiety, and be confident that you are signing at a fair price and the right contract terms.
  • Proven track record: trusted by Monday.com, Bank of China, Grosvenor, Jamie Oliver, Coca-Cola and more.
  • Risk-free: if we don't save you at least the value of our fee, we'll refund it in full.
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Construction Worker and Office Worker Reviewing Office Plans

Typical D&B contracts contain

£75k-300k
financial exposure typically found on a £1-3M D&B contract
8-15
Commercial risks identified per review
5-20x
Typical return on the review fee

Your D&B contractor has done this hundreds of times. This might be your first...

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Inflated rates and pricing gaps

Contractors build margin into unit rates, preliminaries, and overheads in ways that aren't visible to a non-specialist. We compare every line against benchmarking data from completed projects to show you exactly where you're overpaying.

Understated provisional sums

Provisional sums are estimates for work that hasn't been fully specified yet. Set them too low and you'll face cost increases once the project is underway and you've lost your negotiating position. We test every provisional sum against real output data, not guesswork.

Hidden risk transfer in bespoke JCT amendments

Most D&B contracts start with a standard JCT template, then the contractor adds bespoke amendments that quietly shift risk onto you. We help identify every clause where liability, cost exposure, or programme risk has been moved in the contractor's favour.

Vague scope definitions and gap risk

When the boundary between what's included and what's excluded isn't precisely defined, the contractor can claim additional costs for work you assumed was covered. We flag every scope gap and ambiguity before it becomes a variation claim.

Weak change control and dispute mechanisms

If the process for agreeing variations, extensions of time, or resolving disputes is poorly defined, you'll end up paying more and waiting longer with no clear route to resolution. We assess whether your contract gives you genuine protection or just the appearance of it.

Why trust Fidgens

Stephen Berridge MRCIS

We've done this before.

Fidgens is led by Stephen Berridge MRICS, a chartered surveyor with 20+ years experience in commercial office fit-outs across London.

We've worked with organisations ranging from global investment firms to fast-growing tech companies, including PIMCO, Monday.com, Spotify, Bank of China, Grosvenor, TrueLayer, Coca-Cola, and Jamie Oliver. They come to us for the same reason: independent commercial oversight from a team that understands workplace fit-outs.

Every review is backed by proprietary benchmarking data from hundreds of completed projects. We test your contractor's pricing, provisional sums, and contract terms against what we know these things actually cost and how they actually play out. That's a level of specificity a solicitor simply can't offer.

And we stand behind our work. If you don't believe the review identified more value than you paid for it, we refund your fee in full. We can make that guarantee because in every review we've conducted, the commercial exposure we've identified has been worth many times the fee.

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Monday.com-Logo_transparent

"Steve and the Fidgens team helped us prepare a robust early-stage project budget that our board approved with full confidence. He negotiated openly and professionally with our preferred contractor, giving us the financial governance we needed without slowing down the programme. The project was successfully delivered under budget, and Steve’s commercial leadership was a major contributing factor. I’d happily recommend him to any client or company who needs certainty, clarity and commercial protection."

Keren Reznik
Head of Workplace Projects
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"Stephen has supported us for 9+ years across multiple office projects, helping us set up accurate budgets for board approvals and maintain strict financial governance throughout delivery.

Each project has been delivered on time and on budget, with clear reporting and strong negotiation with our contractors. Steve and his team continue to be a trusted commercial partner to the Bank of China."

Alan Fang
Head of Facilities

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Contract Clarity review cost?

Our fee is less than 1.5% of the contract value you're about to sign. On a typical £1-3M D&B fit-out project, that's a fraction of the £75k-£300k in financial exposure we typically identify. And if you don't believe the review identified more value than you paid for it, we'll refund your fee in full.

How long does the review take?

Up to 14 working days from the moment we receive your documents - guaranteed. We know you're working to a deadline, and our process is designed to fit within that window without slipping your programme. You send us the contractor's pricing document, the proposed contract, and your brief. We handle everything else

What's the difference between this and getting my solicitor to review the contract?

A solicitor can tell you whether a clause is legally enforceable, but they can't tell you whether your contractor's rates are inflated, whether a provisional sum is realistic, or how your deal compares to hundreds of similar fit-out projects. We're construction contract specialists with proprietary benchmarking data - that's a level of commercial insight a generalist law firm simply doesn't have. We also negotiate on your behalf, which most solicitors won't do. 

What exactly do I receive?

You receive a report covering a line-by-line commercial review of your contractor's pricing, a provisional sum risk assessment tested against real project data, and a full analysis of your contract terms and clauses - including any bespoke JCT amendments that shift risk onto you. On top of that, you get a board-ready executive summary for your CFO or leadership team summarising the procurement process, and a 30-minute debrief call to walk through every finding. Lastly, we provide negotiation support at no extra cost, where we go back to the contractor on your behalf.

What if the review doesn't find anything significant?

In every review we've conducted, we've identified commercial exposure worth many times the fee. But if you do not believe the review identified more value than you paid for it, we will refund your fee in full. You either save significantly more than you spend, or it costs you nothing. 

Is there a guarantee?

Yes, we offer a full money back guarantee if we cannot save you more than the cost of our fee. (Making our service completely risk free)  

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