In our latest listener-driven Question Time episode, Paul Heming and Chris Barber return to tackle your commercial, contractual, and career questions—this time covering subcontracting from both sides of the fence, AI’s impact on QS, and how the industry needs to rethink risk allocation.

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📅 Reminder: We’ll be hosting this Q&A episode once a month – send your questions to [email protected] to have them featured!

In this episode, we discuss:

🧱 From Main Contractor to Subcontractor – The Big Shift
 Contracts Manager Lewis asks for a “subcontracting for dummies” guide. As his business steps into a subcontractor role for the first time, we talk risk strategy, the dangers of programme inclusion, how to handle payless notices, and which contract terms you really want to negotiate.

📘 Named Contractors, CDP & Design Risk
 Kevin Anns shares insight for PMs working with JCT forms—especially around CDP and design responsibility for named subcontractors. We unpack why this risk can trip up even seasoned teams.

📐 Can AI Predict the Future of QS?
 A tongue-in-cheek but serious question: will quantum computing and generative AI replace Quantity Surveyors—or transform them? We discuss what will actually change in 5–10 years, and what won’t.

⚖️ RICS and the Risk Narrative
 A bold challenge: should RICS update the NRM series to include a formal approach to risk allocation and pricing? We discuss how formalising risk in procurement could transform how we tender—and whether subcontractors uniting is a real solution or just a fantasy.

📩 If you'd like to read the two Own the Build eBooks based on 200+ episodes — Mastering Your Career in Quantity Surveying and The AI Revolution in Quantity Surveying — head to the show notes to download your free copy.

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Send your Questions

📩 Have a question for Paul? Email [email protected] to have it answered in an upcoming episode!

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