Construction projects often encounter many challenges, with the most common ones including disputes, delays and cost overruns. Once these challenges escalate into formal claims or legal proceedings, there are two types of specialists who can help: Quantum Experts and Delay Analysts (often referred to collectively as Quantum and Delay Experts).

By providing technical and contractual expertise, these professionals can identify what went wrong, who is responsible, and what compensation (if any) is due. Quantum and Delay Experts provide crucial reports and testimony that can be used for adjudications, arbitrations, or court proceedings. Quantum and Delay Experts are also employed in preparation for mediation when parties are trying to weigh up their respective positions.

Read on to learn more about what a Quantum and Delay Expert is, what they do, why they are important, how much they cost, and how to hire a reliable and professional Quantum and Delay Expert.

What do Quantum and Delay Experts do?

As mentioned, Quantum Experts and Delay Analysts provide two different services. Here’s a quick overview of what each professional does and how they can help you:

Quantum Experts

Quantum Experts assess the financial value of claims, such as variations, loss and expense, and disruption costs.

They also evaluate costs submitted in claims or counterclaims, provide independent expert opinions on damages' value, and are often called upon to prepare expert witness reports.

By providing an unbiased and objective opinion about the financial value of the dispute, a Quantum Expert can help the court or tribunal decide how to best settle a dispute. This often also serves the dual purpose setting more realistic expectations which helps to better inform clients of benefit (or not) of pursuing an action further.

Delay Experts

On the other hand, Delay Analysts (or Delay Experts) conduct forensic investigations into dispute claims to determine their cause and impact on the project’s timeline. The professionals are often former engineers who have real life experience of sequencing and planning works on site who may have developed some legal experience as expert witnesses in dispute resolution.

A Delay Expert will gather critical data by examining programme schedules and construction timelines, reviewing relevant documentation, and conducting on-site investigations. As well as identifying causes of delays and entitlement of extensions of time, they also explain
complex delay mechanisms in plain language for tribunals.

A Delay Expert can help you by identifying and analysing delays, establishing liability for a dispute and finding a dispute resolution.

Why are they important?

Quantum and Delay Experts are important for construction disputes because they provide an unbiased analysis, which, along with their independent expert opinion, ensures disputes are resolved fairly.

Quantum and Delay Experts' credibility during disputes is also essential, as it is often this and their in-depth reports that help tribunals to arrive at the correct decision.

They can also help you save or recover a substantial amount of money. While the initial cost to hire a Quantum and Delay Expert isn’t cheap, their accurate analysis and reports can work in your favour and ensure you either save money or recover lost costs. Unlike adjudication where parties must bear their own costs in full, in litigation and arbitration, their costs are often recoverable.

How much do Quantum and Delay Experts cost in the UK?

So, how much do Quantum and Delay Experts actually cost?

The cost of a Quantum and Delay Expert can vary depending on a range of factors, including:

• Experience and reputation – The more experience and the greater the reputation of the expert, the more they typically cost.

• Complexity and size – Simple and smaller disputes may mean that the cost of an expert is less, while larger and more complex disputes tend to cost more.

• Type of proceedings – The type of proceedings (e.g., adjudication vs. arbitration) also influences the overall cost of a Quantum and Delay Expert.

• Urgency – For disputes that are more urgent, the rates can increase.

• Documentation and travel – Also factored into the overall cost of a Quantum and Delay Expert is the volume of documentation and the need for travel or site visits.

With all of those factors in mind, here's a guide on how much a Quantum and Delay Expert costs in the UK:

As you can see, the cost of a Quantum and Delay Expert can vary substantially with a lot depending on the business you select from – typically the larger practices that operate internationally charge more. However, the value a professional and reputable Quantum and Delay Expert can bring to your dispute is priceless.

Are they worth the cost?

Are Quantum and Delay Experts worth the cost?

In short, yes, especially if a project faces a substantial claim or delay dispute. That’s because a Quantum Expert can validate or challenge claims often worth millions of pounds.

A Quantum and Delay Expert is also worth the cost because they can conduct delay analysis, which can substantiate extension on time claims or rebut unjustified delays.

What’s more, an expert can help you avoid litigation, especially if you involve them early in the dispute, and this can lead to quicker settlements and better outcomes for all parties.

Example case study

If you’re wondering how a Quantum and Delay Expert can help you, here’s an example case study showcasing how a delay and quantum expert helped.

In this scenario, an office was undergoing a £10 million fit-out. However, the fit-out project experienced a four-month delay and a £500,000 claim for loss and expense.

The client then hired a Delay Expert to analyse the project timelines and determine the cause of the delay. The client also hired a Quantum Expert to assess the value of additional works and claimed losses.

Upon analysis, the Delay Expert demonstrated that half of the delays were due to late client decisions, and the other half was due to other parties, which meant that the Quantum Expert could adjust the claim value accordingly.

In the end, the dispute settled for £275,000 without resorting to formal dispute proceedings.

Thanks to the involvement of the Quantum and Delay Experts, the client saved more than £200,000 but more importantly, both sides avoided the time consuming, costly and draining experience of a formal dispute.

How to hire a Quantum or Delay Expert

If you have a situation similar to the above example, or if you’re wondering whether a Quantum and Delay Expert might be able to help you, here’s a quick guide on how to hire an expert.

Where to find reputable experts:

First things first, you can’t hire a reputable expert if you don’t know where to find one. There are many resources and companies that you can consult before choosing the right Quantum and Delay expert for you, including:

• Expert directories – A good place to start is in directories, such as RICS or The Academy of Experts, as these directories consist of an extensive list of qualified and experienced Quantum and Delay Experts.

• Specialist consultancies – The next place to start is with a quick web search, which will pull up a list of specialist consultancies, such as HKA, Diales, Turner & Townsend, etc.

• Legal referrals – Construction solicitors may be able to refer you to a reputable Quantum and Delay Expert who can help you with your specific needs.

• Expert witness panels – You could also consult an expert witness panel to discover who has the specialised knowledge and skills to provide expert opinions in your specific area.

What to ask before hiring:

Once you’ve found a potential Quantum and Delay Expert, you need to vet them and ensure they are the right person for you and the dispute. The best way to do this is to ask them about their qualifications, experience and previous cases.

However, before you book a meeting with any experts, be sure to check out their website and client reviews – this will allow you to better understand who they are, what their experience is and if they might be able to help you.

Here are some very important questions that you need to ask a Quantum and Delay Expert before hiring them:

• What’s your experience with disputes of this nature?

This question allows you to determine if the expert has previous experience with similar disputes. If they have previous experience with similar disputes, they might be able to help you.

• Have you acted as an expert witness in court/arbitration?

By asking this question, you will be able to identify if this expert can act as an expert witness in court or arbitration for you (if your dispute comes to it). Those with previous experience as expert witnesses are able to demonstrate that track record.

• Can you provide anonymised sample reports?

If your expert can provide you with anonymised sample reports, you will be able to better understand their work, identify if their skills are what you need and see how they have helped previous clients.

• Are you familiar with JCT/NEC/FIDIC contracts?

It’s essential that your Quantum and Delay Expert is not only familiar with various construction contracts, but that they know them inside and out. After all, if they are to help you, then they need to know construction contracts even better than you do!

Red flags to watch out for

When it comes to hiring a Quantum and Delay Expert, you need to be 100% certain that the expert you choose is not only right for you but also that they are legitimate.

Here are some red flags to watch out for when hiring an expert:

Academic and professional qualifications

Whilst experience counts for a lot, your expert witness needs to be able to demonstrate that he/she possesses the necessary credentials to be considered an expert in their field before a tribunal. Like it or not, for Quantum and Delay Experts this usually means holding the requisite affiliations such as MRICS or CEng. Lacking these will give your opposition plenty of ammunition to challenge your expert’s credibility.

Conduct and complaints

Following on from the above, has your expert been the subject of a complaint? If so was it upheld or dismissed? Or of harsh words by a judge in a court judgment? You should ask your potential expert these questions as the last thing you want is your Quantum of Delay Expert’s credibility being question under cross examination.

Lack of expert witness experience

The scale of dispute and likelihood of it going to a hearing will be a significant factor in this area – if you are sure it is going to court then you are probably better advised to select an expert with previous experience under cross examination. This really is where your expert witness earns his/her fee. If the case seems likely to settle (warning: there are never any guarantees with that proposition!) or where the opposition is not participating, then an inexperienced expert witness might be appropriate and more cost effective.

Conflicts

Has your expert worked for you or your opposition previously? If so in what capacity? It is vitally important that your expert is open and honest with you about his/her previous dealings and to avoid any accusations of a conflict of interest.

Vague fee structure

This red flag should be obvious; you need to know how much your Quantum and Delay Expert will cost you. If they have a vague fee structure or are reluctant to provide you with a reasonably detailed budget, you may wish to reconsider working with them.

Overpromising outcomes

Sure, everybody wants to hear that they’re “guaranteed to win” a dispute, but let’s face it, these types of promises are unrealistic and probably mean that the expert is overpromising and underdelivering. Too many expert witnesses are happy to run a dispute and drum up their billings as opposed to helping clients to set more realistic expectations.

Due to their highly specialised and skilled nature and the often vast sums of money in dispute, Quantum and Delay Experts often don’t come cheap. The services they provide, however, can be invaluable, especially in the context of high-stakes construction disputes.

While upwards of £2,500 a day for a Quantum and Delay Expert may seem steep, their ability to provide credible and well-reasoned analysis can actually save you a lot of money meaning you’ll be better off in the long run.

What Will Novus Resolve cost you?

When determining the cost of an expert appointment, we consider a range of factors tailored to the specific needs of each case. These include:

1. Quality and specialism of the expert

The calibre of the Quantum or Delay Expert Witness required will influence pricing. More experienced or in-demand experts naturally command higher rates due to their value in complex or high-stakes disputes.

2. Dispute forum

The forum in which the dispute is being heard significantly impacts costs:

• Advisory work: we often fix prices for smaller more defined and narrow scopes of work.

• Adjudication: parties almost always bear their own costs, regardless of the outcome. This can make adjudication expensive, even for the winning party.

• Litigation or arbitration: The successful party typically recovers a significant portion of its legal and expert costs. These cases are often higher in value, with more at stake, which justifies greater investment in expert input.

3. Type of client and flexibility

While our duty as Quantum and Delay Expert Witnesses is always to the tribunal (meaning we cannot work on a conditional fee basis), we try to be flexible where possible:

• We tailor our pricing in select cases, especially those involving private homeowners versus better resourced businesses.

• For example, in a recent Technology and Construction Court (TCC) matter against a leading national housebuilder, we maintained our 2021 until 2025 rates to accommodate the homeowner.

• Homeowner disputes, while highly significant to those involved, are typically lower in value than business-to-business disputes and often place considerable financial pressure on clients.

• Business-to-business matters are usually higher in value and involve larger legal teams, which naturally increases overall costs.

4. Market conditions

Prevailing market factors also influence pricing:

• In busy markets with high demand for experts, firms generally command higher fees.

• Newer or smaller firms may offer more competitive rates to establish a foothold in the sector.

• At Novus Resolve, we began by offering competitive pricing and continue to do so, despite modest rate increases in recent years. We remain better priced than many of our competitors.

5. Novus Resolve fee structure

Our current rates are as follows:

• Quantum Expert Witnesses: £185 – £225 per hour + VAT

• Delay Expert Witnesses: £200 – £250 per hour + VAT (reflecting high demand and complexity)

• Assistants: £135 – £175 per hour + VAT

These are our typical ranges, but we are always open to discussing bespoke arrangements based on individual client needs and specific cases.

As a privately owned, small practice, we benefit from lower overheads than many larger firms, enabling us to offer lower, more flexible and client-focused pricing.

Not sure yet?

If you're still deciding whether to appoint us, we're happy to have an exploratory conversation. And if we’re not the right fit, we’ll gladly recommend a trusted alternative.

Do you need help assessing a construction dispute?

At Novus Resolve, our team of experts are here to help you resolve disputes quickly, efficiently, and effectively. By delivering bespoke quantum and delay advice and support, we can add much more value to your business than the cost of our day rates.

Contact our team today to discuss your dispute or to get a Quantum and Expert Delay quote.