A paid study first
It ends with a written recommendation: go ahead or stop. You can commission only the study.
We study it first, then we build it.
Before signing for any construction we carry out a study. If we go ahead, we work open book: you see what each thing costs, our fee is charged separately and you only pay for work that is done.
The first commission: an initial study.
Before starting, we agree what it includes, what it costs and what we hand over.
First we look at the location, the intended use and whatever documents you have. If the project fits what we do, we send you the study proposal in writing: the questions it answers, the technical and cost work involved, what we hand over and what it costs. You can commission the study on its own.
Sending an enquiry does not commission a study or commit you to construction.
The open-book construction model starts at €20,000 of construction budget. This is an entry threshold for works, not the study fee; that fee is agreed for its scope.
The stages of a project.
You can hand us the management of the whole project or just one stage. Either way, before moving on we make clear who does what.
Assess the opportunity
We look at the site, what you want to do and the information available, in a paid initial study.
Define the project
We coordinate the specialists, compare solutions and settle what will be built, what it costs and on what timeline.
Prepare procurement
We gather comparable bids, make clear who answers for what and agree how costs will be paid, all before work starts.
Coordinate construction
We organise the specialists, track milestones and costs, and put any change in writing.
Plan the maintenance
At handover we leave an inspection plan and calendar, and coordinate whoever carries out each inspection.
You see what each thing costs.
You pay the real cost of each trade, with the invoices in view, and our fee separately. Before buying we set a ceiling for each chapter and ask for several bids. You only pay for what is done and certified.
Open book
Real cost of each trade plus a fee agreed in the contract, not hidden in the price of the timber.
Payment by milestone
Each phase is certified before it is paid. If the job stops, what has been built and the fee for that phase are settled.
We take on works from €20,000 of construction budget.
The detail (show or hide)
How Madercon contracts
We work open book, with a target price for each trade. Our fee is shown separately, and the client can supply materials or trades wherever law and insurance allow.
Admissible-cost ledger
Material and subcontract invoices in view. The management fee is charged apart, agreed in the contract, not buried in the timber rate.
Target costs
An acceptable ceiling per chapter is set before tender. If a subcontract exceeds it, it is justified or an alternative is found. This is not guessing the exact cost: it is marking the maximum before buying.
Guaranteed maximum (GMP) when measured
If the execution project is measured, a global ceiling can be agreed. Below it, the saving is visible. Above it, the excess has to be argued — it is not swallowed in silence.
Payment on certified milestone
Work done is certified. If the job stops, completed work and that phase's fee are settled. It is not “the client forfeits everything paid”: it is settlement of what was built.
Open-book versus lump-sum
Two ways to contract the same job. The difference is not the material: it is who sees the margin and who pays the unforeseen.
We take on works with their own character: houses, structures, roofs and buildings. The client sees the invoices and the fee. We do not compete to be the cheapest opaque figure.
An open-book contract (actual cost plus fee) puts economic control on admissible cost. A lump-sum fixes a figure from day one and loads the risk, and the premium for it, onto the builder.
A contracting position, not a calculator
| Criterion | Open-book (cost-plus) | Lump-sum (turnkey) |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | Access to invoices, subcontractor quotes and trade breakdown. The fee sits apart. | The client sees the trade total, not the real margin. |
| Changes of quality or supplier | Specifications and suppliers can change without a penalty for the change itself. | Any change on the original project becomes a variation at a premium. |
| Financial risk | If supplies rise or something unforeseen appears, cost moves. A guaranteed maximum (GMP) caps the ceiling when the project is measured. | The builder takes market swings — and charges for them up front as a premium. |
| Opening cost | Usually lower: there is no inflated risk premium in every chapter. | Usually includes a markup to cover contingencies that may never happen. |
| Programme | More variable if suppliers change mid-job. The programme is agreed by milestones. | Stricter. Delay damages, if agreed, sit in the original contract. |
Open-book (cost-plus). Open-book avoids paying the lump-sum risk premium. Purchases can be decided as the job runs, and trades can be fitted to real liquidity. It asks for attention: bids have to be validated. If the project is poorly defined or supplies rise, the out-turn moves — unless there is a GMP.
Lump-sum (turnkey). Lump-sum gives a figure on day one. It fits if a development mortgage or a lender demands a locked total. The risk is incomplete trades: anything not spelled out is charged dear. The client does not see the margin and cannot bring a trade without a fight.
Where reference prices come from
We use three sources. None of them is connected to this site: the final schedule is closed at tender, with the project on the table.
- Construction price databases. CYPE / Price Generator, BEDEC (ITeC) and regional databases. They break down labour and material per unit. They are a trade ceiling, not Madercon’s public rate card.
- The architect’s bill of quantities. The execution project carries a bill of quantities. We ask for updated market rates, not only the minima stamped by the professional body.
- Two or three local bids on the heavy trades. Before signing with the main contractor, indicative quotes can be requested from structure, external joinery or HVAC contractors. That anchors the target price.
Target-cost schedule
A typical annex to the open-book contract. If the subcontract exceeds the figure, it must be justified or another trade found.
Illustrative example for a typical house. It is not a Madercon quote and not a current rate card.
| Trade / chapter | Unit | Qty | Target rate | Estimated max. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundations and timber structure | m² GFA | 220 | €180.00 | €39,600 |
| Sheltered roof / insulation | m² | 150 | €75.00 | €11,250 |
| External joinery | m² | 50 | €320.00 | €16,000 |
| Climate (heat pump) | item | 1 | €18,500 | €18,500 |
| Finishes — supply | m² | 180 | €28.00 | €5,040 |
| Example total | €90,390 | |||
Price approval during the works
The ceiling is set in the contract. Before buying each trade we ask for three bids and you decide with them in front of you.
- The client sets the target price of each chapter in the contract (specification + reference schedule).
- Madercon tenders that trade to three subcontractors, on the same quantities and the same specification.
Bid ≤ target price
Direct client approval. It is awarded and certified against invoice.
Bid > target price
Madercon argues the excess. The client may:
- Accept the overrun, in writing.
- Adjust the specification or the scope of the trade.
- Bring their own subcontract that meets quantities, H&S and programme.
Client contribution
If there is a trusted trade, material already bought, or a wish to paint, it can be integrated. The fee covers coordination, not a markup on what you supply.
Stays with Madercon
- Structure, foundations and any trade that affects the ten-year insurance.
- Façade, roof, weathertightness and envelope insulation.
- Installations that need an official certificate: gas, high voltage, certified climate.
- Site H&S and coordination of trades on the plot.
The client may supply
- Supply of sanitary ware, taps, floors, lighting or kitchen.
- Interior paint and timber doors or wardrobes.
- Planting, light fences and non-structural pergolas.
- Fitting of low-voltage switches and sockets, with wiring already in.
If client material is late and stops the crew, the contract may set a standing rate. After a stated delay, Madercon may buy and fit the equivalent and add it to the open book.
Limits — what this page is not
- Not a price engine. There is no CYPE or BEDEC API behind this site. Nor a wizard that computes a monthly instalment. The schedule is written with the project, not a form.
- We are not a bank or a valuer. We do not offer a mortgage, we do not query credit files, we do not register charges. Finance, if studied, is case-by-case accompaniment.
- Structure is not supplied by the client. If the client builds structure or envelope, the technical control body may issue a reservation and ten-year insurance drops. That blocks a mortgage and a sale for ten years. Those trades are not marked as client-supplied.
Frequently asked questions
What is an open-book budget?
A contract of actual cost plus a management fee. You see the invoices. We do not earn by hiding margin in the material.
Can I still ask for a lump-sum?
Yes, when the project is defined and a lender demands a locked figure. Then the risk — and the premium — sit in the price.
Do I have to check every invoice?
The client approves bids for each work package. We agree decision-makers and response times before contracting. A lump sum is considered when the design is defined and a funder requires a fixed figure.
Can I bring my plumber or my tiles?
On non-structural trades, yes: quantities, H&S and programme are coordinated. The fee does not inflate because the material is yours.
What if I want to erect the roof myself?
No. Roof, structure and envelope stay with the builder. Ten-year insurance and technical control are not negotiable on that line.
Does this site calculate the price of the house?
No. The schedule on this page is a format example. The real budget comes from the project, the quantities and three bids.
Do you finance the works?
No. We do not finance. Payment is by milestone. If you need a bank, it is yours. Finance.
Shall we talk it through?
Tell us the location, use, area or span, and whether you already have a technical design. We will review the starting point before proposing the study.
How it is paid
Madercon does not finance. There is no credit or deferral on this site. The contract is paid on certified milestone. If a bank is needed, it is yours: we accompany with the project and the certificates.
We do not offer finance
- Payment by milestone. Work done is certified and that phase is paid. That is the contract, not a loan.
- If a bank is needed. A mortgage or other credit: the lender is yours. We do not lend and we do not publish instalments.
The actual case is talked through in contact. The technical study comes first.