Catch the expensive mistakes before you pour concrete.

I review self-build plans, specs and contractor quotes — from garages, outbuildings and extensions through to full renovations and new-build homes — and tell you plainly what stacks up and what doesn't, before the money is committed and the concrete is down.

See services & pricing Book a sense-check call

NOTE 1: Second opinion only — not a substitute for structural sign-off.

Fig. 1 — Timber-framed outbuilding, front elevationScale 1:50 @ A3

Sizewell C

Preconstruction Lead

HS2

Methods & Temporary Works

Crossrail

Consultant

Thames Tideway

Sub-Agent

BSc (Hons)

Civil Engineering

02 — About the reviewer

I spend my working life stopping big projects from making costly assumptions.

I'm Miles Oliver, a civil engineer. I lead pre-construction on major UK infrastructure — Sizewell C, HS2, Crossrail and Thames Tideway — which means my job is interrogating drawings, methods, temporary works and prices long before anyone breaks ground. The whole discipline is asking awkward questions early, when the answer still costs nothing.

I also built my own off-grid, timber-framed outbuilding: 89×38 CLS frame, mineral wool between the studs, corrugated steel roof, a slab I set out myself. So I know the gap between a tidy drawing and a wet Saturday with a mixer, and I know exactly which decisions you can't undo later.

Second Look Advisory is my own independent practice — I've recently gone fully independent, so it's a separate business with no employer, no sales agenda and no contractor to protect. Just the same pre-construction discipline applied to your project, from a garage or extension up to a full renovation or new-build home.

Spec sheet — who this is for

Project types: Garages, outbuildings and extensions through to full renovations and new-build self-build homes.
Best stage: Before you sign a contractor or pour a slab. Early sketches to tender-ready drawings.
What you need: Any drawings or sketches, a rough spec or materials list, and quotes if you have them.
What you get: Plain-English written notes, flagged risks, buildability comments, and a prioritised action list.

03 — Services & pricing schedule

Fixed prices. Fixed turnaround. No retainers to get started.

RefServiceScopeTurnaroundFee

SL-01Getting Started — Desktop Feasibility CheckA single, low-friction entry point: desktop review of your plans, spec and numbers with a written verdict on whether the project stacks up — before you commit further.5–7 days£495

SL-02Everything elseDesign review, buildability review, programme advice, risk review and budget advice — including site visits where needed. Scoped to what your project actually requires.By arrangement£550/day

NOTE 2: Second Look Advisory provides an independent second opinion only. It is not a substitute for design sign-off by a chartered structural engineer, architect, or your local building control body, and it does not constitute a warranty, certification or approval of any design or works.

03A — Template pack

Self-build planning templates

The same working documents I use on major projects, cut down for a self-build. Downloadable individually or as a bundle — a lower-cost way to get value before booking a paid review.

Coming soon — ask by email for early access

Budget estimators
Risk registers
Programme trackers
Site & stage checklists

04 — Method statement

How it works

Send your plans

Drawings, sketches, supplier quotes, photos, a spec sheet — whatever you have. Napkin-level is fine.

Get a straight review

A clear written or spoken review: what works, what worries me, what it will cost you if it's wrong.

Build with confidence

You go to your contractor knowing which questions to ask and which numbers should not move.