Director to director
Advice is framed around the decision the business needs to make, not an academic explanation of every clause.
Commercially led
Construction experience.
Explained at director level.
Subcontract Compass exists to give subcontractor directors the practical commercial understanding that standard contract summaries often miss.
The difference
The clause is only half the story.
To understand a construction subcontract properly, you need to know how its payment, programme, design and variation provisions will operate once the project is live.
Our work is led by Chris Keenan, a construction commercial director with experience across subcontracting, contracting, project delivery, commercial controls and dispute resolution.
That experience turns contractual wording into direct commercial questions: What are they trying to transfer? What could it cost? Can it be negotiated? If it remains, how do you manage it?
How we work
Plain speaking. Clear positions. Commercial reality.
Commercial first
We distinguish genuine deal-breaking exposure from provisions that can be controlled through good administration.
No false certainty
Engineering, insurance and formal legal points are identified and directed to the right professional where necessary.
Useful outputs
The review is designed to become a negotiation tracker, project briefing and future risk-management tool.
“The value is not simply spotting the clause. It is understanding what the main contractor is trying to make you responsible for—and what you can do about it.”
Chris Keenan
Commercial Director
Start with clarity
Know the position before the risk becomes yours.
Start with a director-led subcontract review and a clear commercial strategy.