01 · PLAN
Preliminary budgeting
Articulate scope and cost before the design is locked. Stakeholders make informed decisions while changes are still cheap — protecting the architect's intent before it meets a value-engineering knife.
Quantity surveying for architect-designed custom homes across the Pacific Northwest. With our extensive experience building and estimating costs for architectural homes, we're confident you will experience an informed and considered pre-construction budget that shapes a project of architectural significance while maintaining budget alignment.
Each phase is structured so the architect, builder, and owner share a single source of truth on cost and schedule.
Articulate scope and cost before the design is locked. Stakeholders make informed decisions while changes are still cheap — protecting the architect's intent before it meets a value-engineering knife.
Compete trades against a complete IFP package across architecture, structure, geotech, and interiors. The objective: 75% of the budget fixed-priced before construction starts.
A one-page summary on cost and schedule, backed by the detail. Owners stay in the driver's seat. Builders stay focused on the build. Architects stay focused on design.
“This is where Ben's experience has proved invaluable: in the absence of consultant drawings, he and his team call upon their depth of knowledge to provide reasonable allowances for things like structural steel, glazing and finishes when no specifications exist yet.”
“What sets Ben apart is his dedication to leaving no stone unturned. He goes beyond what is simply visible in the drawings, ensuring that every conceivable scope of the project is discussed and documented.”
“Construction estimating is one of Ben's strengths. He consistently provides accurate and timely estimates that help us make informed decisions during both pre-construction planning and active project phases.”
About
Brott Development Group is a quantity surveying firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia. We provide pre-construction budgeting, takeoffs, trade tendering, and cost reporting for architects and builders working on architect-designed custom homes across the Pacific Northwest. Most projects fall between $3M and $40M of construction cost.
Ben spent nearly two decades estimating and building for some of Vancouver's premier custom-home builders before founding Brott Development Group in 2022. Today, Ben and his team bring that discipline to every engagement — protecting design intent from the budget realities most projects discover too late.
Investing in this initiative provides clarity early on in the process. Some benefits include:
The Airey Group, Battersby Howat, Burgers Architecture, Cutler Anderson Architects, Falken Reynolds, Frits de Vries Architects + Associates, Garret Cord Werner, hunter OFFICE Architecture, Kelly Deck Design, Leckie Studio, McLeod Bovell, Measured Architecture, Olson Kundig, Omar Gandhi, ONE SEED Architecture + Interiors, Paul Sangha Creative, Peter Rose Architects, RSA AW, Scott & Scott, Scott Posno, Sophie Burke Design, Splyce, and Studio Balcaen Kwan.
Brott Development Group engagements across Vancouver, the North Shore, and the surrounding Pacific Northwest. Markers shown at neighbourhood level only — specific project addresses are not published.
Earliest is best — ideally at schematic design, when the budget can shape design decisions before they're locked in. Most of our engagements begin at design development; earlier engagements allow more opportunity to align design intent with budget through value engineering before drawings are committed.
A quantity surveyor (QS) prepares the cost framework for a construction project — measuring quantities from drawings, pricing trades, building and managing the construction budget, and reporting costs throughout the build. We sit independently from architect, contractor, and owner, providing third-party verification of cost at every phase.
Architect-designed custom homes typically ranging from approximately $3M to $40M of construction cost. Most projects fall in the $5M to $10M range. Our largest project to date is approximately $37M.
Yes. Brott Development Group works across the Pacific Northwest including the North Shore, Whistler, the Gulf Islands (Salt Spring, Mayne, Pender), and select coastal British Columbia projects.
A general contractor's estimator works for the contractor. We work for the project — independently. That means we flag scope creep, identify cost risks before they become trade RFIs, and challenge a price the GC submits if it doesn't align with our market data. Owners and architects engage us when they want a number they can defend, not just a number they were given.
We are happy to discuss your project further.