Executive Summary
We are delighted that you’ve approached us at the right time on a project with such a good design team and a client committed to long term success.
From our discussions we believe that our ‘Goldilocks’ package is the best approach on this scheme, delivering the best return on investment through:
- ‘Goldilocks’ design. No upselling of unnecessary work or materials, but sufficient to give robust performance — just right.
- Best value procurement. An open performance specification inviting competent specialist contractors achieves robust performance at best price. Our well-coordinated design also reduces contractor risk allowances.
- Contractor accountability. We remain client-side on the CMT from pre-contract throughout the build to ensure successful delivery.
Dear [Contact Name],
Following our meeting, I have put together a scope for our Goldilocks service on [PROJECT NAME]. The full fee breakdown begins on page 6, but at high level it is as follows:
| Goldilocks design | — |
| Best value procurement | — |
| Contractor accountability | — |
| Total cost of genuine waterproofing responsibility | Calculating… |
A rough indicative calculation suggests our consultancy will deliver savings worth around ~8x return on investment.
Can we please set up a call to run through this together?
Sincerely,
MEng PgDip MSt (Cantab) C.Build E CSRT CSSW APAEWE MCIOB MCABE
Technical Director / Founder
For and on behalf of CLW
CLW are the UK’s leading structural waterproofing consultancy providing professional, independent waterproofing advice. We collaborate with the best design teams on prestigious developments to develop robust waterproofing solutions which aren’t over-specified or under-engineered.
Our multidisciplinary team includes waterproofing expertise from architecture, engineering, materials science and surveying. This enables us to collaborate very well with design teams and add value at the right stages of design development. The quality of our design development far exceeds others in the industry, resulting in performance specifications which empower best value tenders and allow us to hold the contractor team to account throughout the build.
We hold £10m Professional Indemnity Insurance. We are SSiP Approved Designers, Cyber Secure Plus and CHAS Elite Accredited. In addition to design consultancy, we do significant work on defect diagnosis and expert witness cases — these learning opportunities allow us to take early action to ensure defects are avoided.
Our Team
Why CLW?
Projects
Project Overview
Ground Floor / Buried Deck
[Description of ground floor elements requiring waterproofing consideration.]
Basement Level 1
The Basement Level 1 includes: end of journey facilities, lift pits, plant rooms, UKPN, life safety room etc.
Notes
- [Note 1 — e.g. flood risk assessment, groundwater conditions]
- [Note 2 — e.g. site investigation status, ground gas conditions]
- [Note 3 — e.g. stage of design, waterproofing design intent]
At this stage, CLW consider that the function of each space and the intended internal finishes will determine the required level of waterproofing performance. This, combined with the waterproofing risk assessment, form of construction, and coordination with other stakeholders, will guide recommendations for the appropriate form(s) of protection.
Scope & Fees
| Goldilocks Design | Fee (+ VAT) | |
|---|---|---|
1.0 Spatial Coordination (RIBA Stage 3) — Initial Assessment
|
||
2.0 Spatial Coordination (RIBA Stage 3)
|
||
3.0 Technical Design (RIBA Stage 4A)
|
Provisional | |
| Sub-total: Goldilocks Design | — |
| Best Value Procurement | Fee (+ VAT) | |
|---|---|---|
Waterproofing Performance Specification
|
Covered above | |
4.0 Technical Design (RIBA Stage 4B) — Tender Support
|
Provisional | |
| Sub-total: Best Value Procurement | — |
| Contractor Accountability | Fee (+ VAT) | |
|---|---|---|
RIBA Stage 5 — Client Monitoring Team
|
Provisional | |
| Sub-total: Contractor Accountability | — |
| TOTAL FEE (excl. VAT) | Calculating… |
Rates
| Work | Rate (+ VAT) |
|---|---|
| Day rate for design work | £1,320 |
| Site Visit (basic site report included) | £1,320 |
| Hourly rate for meetings, travel, reports etc. | £198 |
Note: if there are complexities to the waterproofing scheme beyond what could be understood from information available at this time, CLW’s fee will need to be reassessed. Rates are subject to annual increases in line with CPI from January 2027.
Conclusion
[PROJECT NAME] is a high value, prestigious development with important basement facilities.
From our discussions it’s clear we’ve been approached at the right time, the design team is excellent and the client is committed to long term performance. We would therefore be delighted to take ownership of the basement waterproofing.
- ‘Goldilocks’ waterproofing design — no over-specification or under-engineering, robust design with no upselling.
- Open tender amongst competent specialist contractors — best value procurement.
- Contractor accountability throughout the build giving support to the specialist contractor through to handover.
Indicative Return on Investment
Enter the indicative monthly construction cost below — all risk values calculate automatically.
| Risk | Indicative Exposure | % Without CLW | Cost Without CLW | % With CLW | Cost With CLW | CLW Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals |
Terms and Conditions
1. Definitions
“Consultant” means CSSW.LONDON Ltd (T/A CLW) and its legal successors. “Client” means the person, firm, company or organisation for whom the Consultant is performing the Services. “Agreement” means the contract referred to in Clause 2. “Services” means the services to be performed by the Consultant in accordance with the proposal. “Project” means the project or works for which the Client has commissioned the Services.
2. General
Unless and until a formal agreement is entered into, the Client’s acceptance of the proposal for Services from the Consultant or a request for some or all the Services to be performed shall constitute a binding contract subject to these terms and conditions. In the event of any conflict, the terms in the proposal shall prevail over these terms and conditions.
3. Performance of Services and Scope
(i) The Consultant shall perform the Services using the degree of skill, care and diligence to be expected from a consultant experienced in the provision of services for projects of similar scope, size and complexity.
(ii) The Consultant shall proceed with the performance of the Services regularly and diligently and shall use reasonable endeavours to comply with any programme, timetable or schedule of deliverables as agreed.
(iii) The fee contained in the proposal is for the scope of services as defined therein. If not already contained in the proposal, the Consultant and the Client shall agree as an initial activity an integrated project design programme.
(iv) Where the Consultant is required to perform “pre-tender” design services the Client shall determine the elements of the project to be designed and the level of detail required. The Client accepts that any reliance placed on incomplete design elements shall be at the Client’s risk.
4. Liability
(i) The Consultant shall be liable to pay compensation to the Client arising out of or in connection with this Agreement only if a breach of the duty of care in Clause 3(i) is established against the Consultant.
(ii) The total liability of the Consultant in the aggregate for all claims shall be limited to the lesser of ten (10) times the fee payable under this Agreement or £500,000 (five hundred thousand pounds).
(iii) Neither party shall be liable to the other for any indirect, special or consequential loss including but not limited to loss of profit, loss of production, loss of contracts, loss of use or loss of business opportunity.
(iv) No action or proceedings under or in connection with this Agreement shall be commenced against the Consultant after the expiry of 6 (six) years from completion of the Services.
(v) Nothing in this clause shall operate to exclude or limit the Consultant’s liability for death or personal injury.
(vi) The Consultant shall have no liability to the Client in respect of any claim for loss or damage arising from acts of war or terrorism, nuclear or radioactive emissions, any incidence of toxic mould, or from or related to asbestos.
5. Insurance
The Consultant shall maintain public liability and professional indemnity insurance sufficient to cover the Consultant’s liabilities under this Agreement provided always that such insurance is available in the London market at commercially reasonable rates and terms and subject to all normal exceptions, exclusions and limitations to the scope of cover generally in operation at the time of renewal.
6. Client’s Obligations
The Client shall promptly and without charge provide to the Consultant all information, approvals, consents and instructions as requested in relation to the Services so as to allow the Consultant to comply with any agreed timetable. The Client acknowledges that the Consultant will rely on the accuracy, sufficiency and consistency of all information provided.
7. Payment
The Consultant may render a payment notice invoice for 30% of the total fee upon agreement of the Proposal. Thereafter the Consultant may render invoices at monthly intervals for services properly performed. Payment shall become due upon the date of issue of such invoice. The final date for payment shall be 14 days after payment becomes due. If payment is not received by the final date the Consultant may suspend performance of the Services.
The Client shall not withhold any payment of any sum due to the Consultant under the Agreement by reason of claims or alleged claims against the Consultant unless the amount to be withheld has been agreed between the parties or arises from an award in arbitration or litigation in favour of the Client.
8. Intellectual Property Rights
The legal and beneficial ownership of all intellectual property prepared or developed by or on behalf of the Consultant in connection with the Project shall remain vested in the Consultant. Upon full payment of the fees due under this Agreement, the Consultant shall grant to the Client an irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use all such intellectual property in connection with the construction, completion, maintenance, reinstatement, repair, letting, promotion and/or advertisement of the Project.
The Consultant reserves the right to use non-confidential project information, images, and extracts from works prepared under this Agreement for inclusion in presentations, training material, professional publications and marketing collateral.
9. Ethical Conduct of the Parties
In the performance of their obligations under or in connection with this Agreement the parties, their agents and employees shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations including but not limited to the Bribery Act 2010 and where appropriate the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.
10. Termination
If a party commits a material breach of this Agreement and despite a notice from the non-defaulting party specifying the breach and requiring its remedy, the defaulting party fails to remedy such breach within 28 days of the notice, then the non-defaulting party may give notice terminating the Agreement with immediate effect.
11. Dispute Resolution
The parties shall attempt to resolve any difference or dispute between them by mutual agreement. If such cannot be resolved then any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration under the LCIA Rules current at the time of the referral. The law governing the arbitration shall be that of England and Wales, the number of arbitrators shall be one, and the seat of the arbitration shall be London, England.
12. Compliance with Laws
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.
13. Whole Agreement
The Agreement so formed shall supersede all previous understandings, commitments or agreements whether written or oral between the Client and the Consultant relating to the subject matter hereof.
14. Third Party Rights
No person or entity shall have any rights in relation to this Agreement, whether as third parties or otherwise, save the parties to this Agreement.
15. Severance
Should any term or condition of this Agreement be held to be unenforceable then such term or condition shall be disregarded, and the remaining terms and conditions shall remain in full force and effect.