Joe Payne BSc (Hons)

Director-Owner | Lead Consultant
Joe is a Quantity Surveyor with 18 years’ experience delivering projects across heritage, public, education, healthcare and residential sectors. His core expertise lies in cost management, commercial strategy and commercial compliance, with a particular specialism in complex and sensitive building types, including listed and conservation projects where the balance between significance, risk and affordability is critical.
 
He began his career working within main contracting and consultancy environments, gaining a deep understanding of both contractor-side commercial management and client-side cost control. Over nearly two decades he has led or supported schemes ranging from measured term and framework arrangements through to major refurbishments, adaptive re-use of historic buildings and new-build developments in constrained urban and heritage settings.
 
In 2022, Joe founded Staffordshire Cost Consultants Ltd, establishing a practice focused on pragmatic, evidence-based cost management with a strong thread of heritage capability. He leads the delivery of quantity surveying and cost consultancy services to a diverse portfolio of contractors, public bodies, housing providers, private clients and third-sector organisations. Under his direction, the practice has grown steadily, supported by a dedicated in-house team and a close-knit network of specialist collaborators.
 
Joe is currently in the final stages of achieving professional membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) via the APC route, reflecting his commitment to formal standards, ethics and continued professional development. His approach is characterised by clear communication, robust analysis and a strong focus on helping clients make informed, commercially sound decisions on often technically challenging and sensitive projects.

Mollie Stevens LLB (Hons)

Heritage Project Assistant
Mollie joined Staffordshire Cost Consultants Ltd to provide structured support across all aspects of the consultancy’s cost management and heritage advisory services. With a background in law (LLB Hons), she brings strong analytical skills, attention to detail and a rigorous approach to documentation, all of which are invaluable in the careful management of heritage projects and their commercial frameworks.

As a postgraduate, Mollie has developed a particular interest in the conservation of historic and traditionally constructed buildings, focusing on how best to balance traditional craft techniques with modern intervention methods, regulatory requirements and client aspirations. She supports the team in interrogating specifications, tracking change, and ensuring that conservation principles remain aligned with budget and programme realities.

Day to day, Mollie assists with the preparation of cost reports, tender documentation, risk registers and funding or grant-supporting material, as well as maintaining clear project records and client-facing communications. She also plays an active role in heritage-focused research, keeping abreast of evolving guidance from sector bodies and feeding this learning back into live commissions.

Mollie’s blend of legal training, growing technical knowledge and genuine passion for the historic environment helps strengthen our delivery on complex heritage schemes, ensuring that projects are supported by robust process, clear information and a thoughtful, conservation-led approach.

Morgan Payne

Assistant Quantity Surveyor
Morgan joined Staffordshire Cost Consultants Ltd as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor, providing day-to-day support to the team in the delivery of cost management and procurement services across a range of heritage, public-sector and community-focused projects. He plays an active role in the preparation of cost plans, tender documentation, valuations and financial reports, helping to ensure that projects are tracked and managed against agreed budgets and commercial frameworks.
 
Alongside his professional role, Morgan is studying part-time at the University of Wolverhampton, where he is undertaking a BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying degree on an RICS-accredited pathway. This combination of academic study and practical experience allows him to apply current industry theory and standards directly to live commissions, while steadily building his technical and professional competence.
 
Morgan’s responsibilities include assisting with measurement and bill preparation, supply-chain enquiries, analysis of tender returns, and the collation of project information for client reporting. He is increasingly involved in heritage-related work, developing an understanding of how traditional construction, conservation principles and modern regulatory requirements interact from a cost and procurement perspective.
 
With a growing skill set and a clear professional route towards chartered status, Morgan is an integral part of the practice’s future-facing capacity and supports the delivery of a reliable, responsive service to clients.

Andy Payne

Consultant
Andy joined Staffordshire Cost Consultants Ltd in April 2024 on a part-time basis following his retirement from a long and successful career in the construction industry. Starting his working life as an apprentice bricklayer, he progressed through site management and into senior contracts management, building over four decades of hands-on and managerial experience in building, restoration and refurbishment across housing, commercial, civic and heritage sectors.

He holds an extensive portfolio of industry qualifications, including Advanced Craft in Brickwork and Building Studies, City & Guilds in Brickwork and Building Studies, and NVQ Level 3 in Management. This is complemented by a wide range of health, safety and management certifications such as CITB SMSTS, Asbestos Awareness, Manual Handling, First Aid at Work, Risk Assessment Appraisal, CDM Regulations, Working at Height and CSCS accreditation.

At Staffordshire Cost Consultants, Andy’s role spans business and client development, compliance oversight, procurement and specification support, and on-site surveying. He contributes to the preparation of schedules and specifications, advises on construction methodology and buildability, and provides a crucial link between design intent, site conditions and commercial reality.

Andy is particularly recognised for his deep understanding of traditional building fabric – especially brick and stonework – and for his pragmatic approach to repair and conservation. He frequently supports clients, contractors and design teams in developing appropriate repair strategies, sequencing works, and identifying practical solutions where historic fabric, modern standards and budget constraints intersect.

Alongside his technical input, Andy provides mentoring and managerial support to the wider team, sharing his experience in site management, subcontractor coordination and quality control. His combination of craft background, senior leadership experience and heritage insight brings tangible strength and continuity to the practice’s construction and heritage advisory services.

Roles

Quantity Surveyor

A Quantity Surveyor is the commercial backbone of a project – making sure that what’s imagined on paper can be delivered in the real world, within an agreed budget and on fair contractual terms. Our role is to manage cost, risk and value from first sketch through to final account.

We support clients, contractors and project teams across the full lifecycle of a scheme, providing clear, practical and commercially grounded advice.

Our role typically includes:

  • Early Cost Advice & Feasibility
    Providing initial cost estimates and budget ranges based on outline information, benchmarks and market data, so you can test viability before committing significant time and money.
  • Cost Planning & Value Management
    Developing detailed cost plans as the design progresses, highlighting cost drivers, testing options and helping the team strike the right balance between quality, performance and budget.
  • Procurement & Tendering
    Advising on the most appropriate procurement route and form of contract, preparing pricing documents and tender packs, managing tender queries and analysing returns to support fair and robust contractor selection.
  • Contract & Commercial Documentation
    Assisting with the preparation and review of contracts, appointments and warranties, ensuring commercial terms, risk allocation and payment provisions are clear and workable.
  • Cost Control During Construction
    Monitoring costs in real time, tracking commitments, assessing change, updating forecasts and advising on the commercial implications of design or programme decisions.
  • Valuations & Cashflow
    Preparing and/or assessing interim valuations and applications for payment, ensuring that sums claimed and certified are fair, properly evidenced and aligned with progress on site.
  • Change Management & Claims Support
    Valuing variations, loss and expense and other changes in accordance with the contract, and providing structured support for negotiations or claims where required.
  • Financial Reporting & Cost to Complete
    Producing regular cost reports, cost-to-complete analyses and final forecast outturns, giving stakeholders a clear, current view of financial performance and risk.
  • Final Accounts & Close-Out
    Preparing, negotiating and agreeing the final account, capturing all entitlements and obligations under the contract and helping to close projects out cleanly.
  • The result is a project where costs are visible, risks are managed and commercial decisions are made on solid information – not guesswork.

Heritage Consultant

Working with historic and listed buildings is never just another project – it’s a careful conversation between past and present. As Heritage Consultants, we help you navigate that complexity while keeping a clear grip on cost, risk and programme.

We support clients, contractors and design teams on schemes involving listed buildings, conservation areas and sensitive heritage sites, ensuring that proposals are both viable and compliant.

Our role typically includes:

  • Early Heritage Appraisal
    Reviewing the existing building, its listing status, key heritage significance and likely constraints, so that risks and opportunities are understood from day one.
  • Strategic Advice & Option Testing
    Working alongside the design team to test different approaches, materials and methods, balancing conservation priorities with budget, buildability and operational needs.
  • Engagement with Stakeholders & Authorities
    Supporting discussions with conservation officers, planning authorities, heritage bodies and other stakeholders, providing clear, evidence-based cost and scope information to underpin applications.
  • Specification & Methodology Input
    Advising on the cost and commercial implications of traditional materials, specialist trades, access solutions and phasing, helping to avoid surprises during delivery.
  • Heritage-Focused Cost Planning
    Preparing cost plans and estimates that specifically reflect the realities of heritage work – unknowns, opening-up, temporary works, protection measures and contingency.
  • Procurement of Specialist Contractors
    Assisting with the identification, tendering and appointment of suitably experienced conservation contractors and trades, ensuring that both quality and cost are properly controlled.
  • On-Site Support & Change Management
    Once work begins, we help manage the inevitable discoveries, variations and methodology changes that come with heritage projects, keeping stakeholders informed and costs under control.
  • The outcome is a project that respects and enhances the historic fabric, satisfies conservation requirements, and remains commercially manageable from start to finish.

Programmer

A Programmer plans how a project will actually be delivered in time – turning objectives, designs and contracts into a realistic, sequenced and workable programme. The focus is on time, phasing and logistics: understanding how the project fits together, where the critical risks lie, and how to keep it on track.

We support clients, contractors and project teams by developing and managing clear, robust programmes from pre-construction through to completion.

Our role typically includes:

  • Strategic Programme Development
    Working with the team to understand scope, constraints, procurement strategy and key milestones, then shaping an overall delivery strategy that is realistic and achievable.
  • Master & Detailed Programming
    Producing master programmes, design programmes and detailed construction programmes using recognised planning software, with logical sequencing, dependencies and critical path identified.
  • Phasing, Logistics & Access Planning
    Breaking down the works into practical phases and zones, considering access, temporary works, welfare, live environments and any requirements to maintain operations or occupancy.
  • Critical Path & Risk Analysis
    Identifying critical activities and interfaces, highlighting time-related risks, and stress-testing the programme to understand the impact of change, constraints and potential delays.
  • Scenario & “What If” Testing
    Exploring alternative methodologies, resourcing strategies and phasing options to optimise programme duration, reduce disruption and improve certainty of delivery.
  • Progress Monitoring & Reprogramming
    Tracking progress against the baseline programme, updating logic and durations, and issuing revised programmes that reflect reality on the ground while preserving transparency and auditability.
  • Interface & Stakeholder Coordination
    Aligning the programme with third parties, statutory authorities, tenant moves, commissioning, IT/FF&E and other parallel activities so that all parties are working to a common, coordinated plan.
  • Delay & Disruption Analysis
    Supporting the assessment of delay, disruption and extension of time, using structured programme analysis to evidence cause and effect in line with the contract requirements.
  • Programme Reporting
    Providing clear, concise programme reports and visuals to communicate status, risks and key decisions to project boards, funders and other stakeholders.
  • The outcome is a project that is planned, monitored and communicated in a structured way, giving all parties confidence in the route to completion and the implications of any change along the way.

Commercial & Administrative Support

Commercial & Administrative Support keeps the project engine running smoothly in the background – the contracts, records, paperwork and processes that protect your position and free your team to focus on delivery. It’s the unglamorous but essential side of getting projects done properly.

We support clients, contractors and consultants with structured, reliable back-office commercial and admin support across single projects or full portfolios.

Our role typically includes:

  • Document Control & Record Keeping
    Setting up and maintaining clear systems for storing contracts, correspondence, meeting minutes, instructions, variations, programmes and drawings, so information is traceable, consistent and easy to find.
  • Contract Administration Support
    Helping to draft, issue and track notices, instructions, payment notices, pay less notices and other formal communications in line with contract requirements and deadlines.
  • Commercial Data Management
    Collating cost data, timesheets, site records, applications, valuations and change logs into structured trackers, ensuring the commercial picture is always up to date and evidence is available when needed.
  • Change & Variation Tracking
    Logging early warnings, compensation events, variations and instructions, and keeping registers current so nothing is missed or left unpriced.
  • Payment & Invoicing Support
    Preparing supporting information for applications for payment and invoices, checking against contracts and orders, and aligning with the valuation process and agreed procedures.
  • Procurement & Subcontract Administration
    Assisting with issuing enquiries, tracking returns, preparing comparison schedules, drafting orders and monitoring compliance with contractual and administrative requirements.
  • Meeting Support & Reporting
    Preparing agendas, collating commercial input, recording actions and decisions, and issuing minutes that feed directly into cost, programme and risk updates.
  • Template & Process Development
    Creating and refining standard forms, trackers and workflows (for instructions, RFIs, variations, payments, etc.) to bring consistency and efficiency across projects or teams.
  • Audit & Compliance Support
    Organising and presenting commercial and administrative records for audits, funding reviews or governance checks, ensuring a clear, defensible trail of decisions and approvals.
  • The result is a better-organised project: deadlines aren’t missed, records support your commercial position, and the team can focus on doing the work instead of fighting the paperwork.

Employer’s Agent

An Employer’s Agent acts as the client’s representative under Design & Build and similar contracts – protecting your interests, coordinating the process and ensuring that the obligations in the building contract are properly administered. The focus is on turning your brief, budget and risk profile into a deliverable contract, then seeing it through to completion.

We provide Employer’s Agent services for public and private sector clients, giving a single, consistent point of contact from appointment of the contractor through to handover and final account.

Our role typically includes:

  • Pre-Contract Advice & Setup
    Helping to define the client’s requirements, review procurement options and select the appropriate form of contract, ensuring roles, risks and responsibilities are clearly understood.
  • Preparation of Employer’s Requirements
    Working with the design team and client to prepare robust Employer’s Requirements and associated documentation that clearly capture scope, quality standards, performance criteria and handover expectations.
  • Tender & Contractor Appointment
    Supporting the tender process, evaluating returns, advising on clarifications and negotiations, and assisting with the preparation and execution of the building contract and associated appointments.
  • Contract Administration
    Acting as the primary client representative under the contract: issuing instructions, assessing changes, monitoring compliance, reviewing programmes and ensuring that key contractual procedures and timelines are followed.
  • Design & Technical Coordination (Client Side)
    Liaising with the contractor’s design team, checking that proposals align with the Employer’s Requirements and statutory obligations, and coordinating client-side inputs such as specialist suppliers and approvals.
  • Progress Monitoring & Reporting
    Attending site meetings, reviewing progress against programme, quality and cost, and providing clear, regular reports to the client on risks, issues and required decisions.
  • Change Management
    Managing client changes in a controlled way – assessing implications for cost, programme and quality, and ensuring that changes are properly instructed, valued and recorded.
  • Quality, Inspections & Compliance
    Overseeing inspections and snagging, monitoring that testing, commissioning and certification requirements are met, and supporting the client in discharging statutory and contractual obligations.
  • Practical Completion & Handover
    Managing the process to achieve Practical Completion, including certification, snagging, handover documentation, training, warranties and post-completion obligations.
  • Post-Completion & Final Account
    Supporting the defects rectification period, monitoring any outstanding works and assisting with negotiation and agreement of the final account.
  • The outcome is a project delivered in line with your brief and contract, with clear communication, controlled change and a structured route from appointment to handover and close-out.