Five Tips for a Strong and Profitable Final Account

A strong final account isn’t luck. It’s structure, clarity, and a bit of discipline along the way.

When your paperwork tells a clear story and your numbers make sense, the Main Contractor’s QS can do their job easily and you get paid faster.

Here are five things that make a big difference when you reach final account stage:

1. Start with structure

The best final accounts are easy to follow.
Include a summary page showing the contract sum, variations, contra charges, and retention.
Then add tabs for:

• your contract sum breakdown
• a list of variations
• individual variation tabs with the reason for change, relevant dates, screenshots of instructions, and the cost build-up

That level of clarity makes the QS’s job simple and signals professionalism and transparency from your side.

2. Know your position

Before you ever sit down in a meeting, you should know exactly where you stand.
What did the project cost you, including prelims and overheads?
What profit are you protecting?
When you understand these numbers, you’ll negotiate with calm confidence and avoid being drawn too close to your costs.

3. Tell the story

Every project has a narrative. The contract sum, plus or minus variations, equals the final account figure.
But that equation only makes sense when you can explain what happened along the way.
Be ready to describe any design updates, scope shifts, or delays that changed your position.
A clear story builds trust and credibility.

4. Keep impeccable records

Record keeping is the unglamorous part of commercial success.
Dayworks, photos, timesheets, invoices; keep them saved and labelled as you go.
When questions come up months later, good records turn uncertainty into certainty and help you recover every pound you're entitled to.

5. Negotiate like a partner, not an opponent

Final account negotiations don’t need to be a battle.
Treat the process as collaboration; you and the Main Contractor working together to close out fairly.
Stay calm, stay factual, and be persistent.
And don’t fall out over minor sums that won’t move the needle but could damage a relationship.

A well-prepared final account does more than secure payment. It demonstrates commercial maturity, builds trust, and directly improves profit on your projects.

And if you’re ready to go deeper, our Pipeline programme helps subcontractors build commercial confidence, protect profit, and strengthen cashflow month by month.