Questions we actually get asked

Plain answers about how we work, what we charge, and whether we're the right fit for your project.

  • Vigilant started as an owner's project management firm, not a design firm. Before we designed our first building, we spent more than a decade representing owners on construction projects, monitoring costs, coordinating consultants, and making sure clients' interests were protected through every phase. That experience is the foundation of how we work today.

    The practical difference is that architecture, civil engineering, cost estimating, cost monitoring, and project management are delivered by a single team with shared accountability to the owner. Our civil engineer and architect evaluate what's possible together before design begins. Our cost professionals attend design meetings throughout the process. When the people responsible for design, cost, and delivery work for the same firm, the owner has one call to make and one team accountable for the full outcome.

  • Vigilant was founded in 2012. We operated exclusively as an owner's project management firm for more than a decade before adding architectural design and civil engineering services. That sequence matters: our design practice was built on top of an owner's representation practice, not the other way around.

  • It changes the instinct in the room. When a designer has spent years on the owner's side of the table, the first question when evaluating a design decision isn't "does this look right?" It's "what does this mean for the budget, the schedule, and the person paying for it?"

    Practically, it means our team has seen what happens when a specification sounds reasonable on paper but adds four weeks to the schedule, or when a detail is difficult to build in the Atlantic Canadian contractor market. That experience lives inside our design process. It shapes what gets drawn, what gets specified, and what gets priced before construction begins.

  • It depends on how you count. The direct fees for integrated services may be comparable to what you'd pay separate firms for the same scope. What changes is the cost of coordination. When separate firms each own one piece of a project, the owner typically manages the interfaces between them. That takes time, carries risk, and can produce expensive surprises at tender or during construction.

    The value of Vigilant's model is in what doesn't happen: budget surprises that surface after design is complete, change orders driven by things that could have been caught earlier, and the time a developer spends managing multiple consultants rather than building their business. We can't give you a meaningful cost comparison without knowing your project, but we can give you a straight answer on fees once we understand the scope. Start a conversation and we'll tell you quickly whether we're the right fit.

ABOUT VIGILANT

  • We've delivered projects from $200,000 renovations to $50 million new builds. The fit is less about size and more about whether the owner needs a team that will protect their interests across the full project lifecycle.

    For smaller projects, our advisory and cost estimating services are often the most useful starting point. For larger or more complex projects, the full integrated model, architecture, civil, cost, and PM from one team, tends to produce the most value. If you're not sure which applies to your project, tell us what you're working on and we'll give you a straight answer.

  • Our primary market is Atlantic Canada, where we have offices in Dartmouth, NS and Paradise, NL and have delivered projects across all four provinces. We have also worked on projects outside the region for clients with Atlantic Canadian connections. If your project is outside Atlantic Canada, reach out and we'll let you know whether we're the right team for it.

  • Yes. Cost monitoring, project management, and advisory services don't require Vigilant to have been involved in the design. If you have drawings and need independent cost monitoring, payment certification, or an owner's representative to manage construction, those are services we can deliver on their own. We'll need to review what exists before we can scope the engagement, but an existing design is not a barrier to working with us.

  • Yes. Owner's representation and cost monitoring are designed to work alongside whatever consultant team is already in place. If you have an architect, an engineer, or a general contractor already engaged, Vigilant can be brought in as the owner's advocate, managing the interfaces between them and reporting to you on budget, schedule, and risk. That's where the firm started, and it remains a core part of what we do.

  • An architect is responsible for translating your goals into a design that meets building code requirements, works within your site conditions, is constructible within your budget, and meets the standards required for permitting and approvals. Without a licensed architect, most commercial and institutional buildings cannot be permitted.

    At Vigilant, our architectural team also brings cost and construction knowledge into the design process from the start. That means your design is evaluated against what it will actually cost to build, by people who understand the Atlantic Canadian contractor market, before you are committed to it.

SERVICES AND SCOPE

  • Cost monitoring is the independent tracking of a construction project's financial position from design through to construction completion. A cost monitor reviews design documents, tracks budget movements as the design evolves, certifies contractor progress claims, reviews change orders, and reports regularly to the owner and, where required, to the project's lender.

    In Atlantic Canada, most lenders require independent third-party cost monitoring as a condition of financing on larger construction projects. Beyond the financing requirement, cost monitoring gives the owner confidence that what is being paid for has been built, that change orders are justified, and that the project's financial position is understood at every stage.

  • Cost certification is a formal statement of the reasonable costs incurred or expected to be incurred on a project, typically prepared for a lender or funding body to confirm that expenditures align with the approved budget. Payment certification is the process by which a qualified professional reviews a contractor's progress claim, confirms that the work described has been completed to an acceptable standard, and certifies the amount eligible for payment. Both are services Vigilant provides, and on most projects they work in combination.

  • Vigilant's cost team holds Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS) and Construction Estimator Certified (CEC) designations through the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, as well as Gold Seal Certifications through the Canadian Construction Association in both project management and estimating. Our team has delivered cost monitoring and payment certification on projects ranging from $200,000 to $50 million across Atlantic Canada.

  • It starts before construction. On projects where Vigilant is providing integrated services, our cost professionals attend design meetings from the first sketch, tracking budget impact as decisions are made. On projects where we are engaged specifically for cost monitoring, we begin by reviewing the existing design and establishing a baseline budget position.

    During construction, we conduct regular site reviews to confirm work in place, review contractor progress claims against what has actually been built, assess change order requests for scope and price, and produce monthly reports for the owner and lender. The frequency of site visits and reporting depends on the project's scale and the lender's requirements. When something needs to be communicated, we communicate it directly and immediately.

  • It depends on when and why. Our model is designed to catch budget pressure early, while there are still options. If a design decision is pushing costs beyond the target, we flag it in the design meeting while the design is still fluid enough to change. That gives the owner and design team the opportunity to adjust before the drawing is finished rather than after it is specified.

    During construction, cost overruns typically come from change orders: scope additions, unforeseen conditions, or field issues that require resolution. Our cost monitor reviews every change order for justification and price before it is approved. We tell clients when we think a change order is fair and when we think it isn't.

    No project is immune to the unexpected, particularly in Atlantic Canadian construction where ground conditions, contractor availability, and material supply can all create pressure. What we can offer is early warning, honest assessment, and a team that treats the owner's budget as something worth protecting.

COST MONITORING

  • Reach out with a description of your project and whatever drawings or documentation you have. We will review the materials, provide a fee quote for our estimating services, and confirm a timeline. Once engaged, our team performs quantity takeoffs from the drawings, develops the estimate, conducts an internal review, and delivers a final report. We will tell you at the outset what class of estimate your current documentation supports and what level of accuracy to expect.

  • It depends on the size and complexity of the project and the completeness of the drawings. For most projects we require two to three weeks from receipt of complete documentation. We confirm the timeline when we quote the work, based on the hours the team assesses will be required. If you have a hard deadline, tell us upfront and we will let you know whether it is achievable.

  • Yes. If you can share drawings or a project description, we can give you a fee estimate for our services at no charge. We will also tell you what class of estimate your current documentation supports and what we would need to provide a more detailed one.

  • Class D requires concept design documentation: a basic floor plan of each level, a design program, site layout, and identification of any unique components. Class C requires 30% design development drawings, including detailed floor plans, building elevations, material selections where available, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing requirements. Class B requires 60% design development: reflected ceiling plans, building sections and interior elevations, door and hardware types, finalized materials and finishes, and confirmed mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Class A requires 90% design drawings or issued-for-construction or issued-for-tender drawings with finalized mechanical, electrical, and plumbing specifications.

  • The classes follow the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors standard. A Class D estimate is a unit cost analysis, such as dollars per square foot, used as an early-stage indication of cost. A Class C is an elemental cost analysis where approximate quantities of major building elements are measured and priced. A Class B is a more complete elemental analysis covering all items of work. A Class A involves a detailed quantity takeoff and produces the most accurate pre-tender cost position. Expected accuracy ranges are: Class D, plus or minus 30%; Class C, plus or minus 15 to 20%; Class B, plus or minus 10 to 15%; Class A, plus or minus 5 to 10%.

  • Accuracy depends on the class of estimate and the quality of the documentation provided. The ranges above are industry standards from the Canadian Construction Association. In practice, many of our estimates come in well within those ranges. Cost estimates are projections of probable construction cost, not binding quotes. A contractor's tender price reflects their own judgement, current capacity, and market conditions at the time of bidding. What we can tell you is that our estimates are grounded in current market data, live subcontractor and supplier information, and the direct construction experience our team brings to the work.

  • A material takeoff is the process of quantifying the materials and components required to build a project from the drawings. Our team reviews the drawings, measuring and marking up each element to determine quantities. Those quantities are then priced to produce the estimate. A detailed material takeoff is the foundation of a Class A or Class B estimate and is what separates a precise cost position from a high-level approximation.

  • We use a national costing database localized by province and major area, updated quarterly. We combine that with direct knowledge of the Atlantic Canadian contractor and supplier market, current tender results, and the regional conditions that affect what things actually cost to build here. Atlantic Canada is not a uniform market. What a project costs in Halifax, St. John's, Moncton, or a rural location can vary significantly, and our estimates reflect those differences.

COST ESTIMATING

Getting Started

How do I start a conversation about my project?

Fill out the contact form on this page or call either of our offices directly. Tell us what you're working on and where you are in the process. We will respond within one business day. If your project is time-sensitive, call us. We will give you a straight answer on whether we're the right fit, and if we're not, we will tell you that too.