Festina Lente provides Cost Estimation, Principal Agent, and Project Management services across residential, commercial, and industrial projects. We give you budget clarity and coordinate every trade, so you don't have to.
We specialise in fast, realistic cost estimation before you commit to expensive C.E. (Cost Estimating) fees. Get a real-world budget picture built on hands-on building experience, so you know exactly what you're in for.
From ground-breaking to final sign-off, we bring order, expertise, and accountability to every phase of your build.
A single point of accountability across all phases. No more juggling multiple contacts and timelines.
We manage every subcontractor, engineer, architect, and C.E. (Cost Estimating), ensuring seamless collaboration.
Every phase is inspected and signed off before payment, ensuring standards are met.
With experienced oversight at every step, you avoid costly mistakes and enjoy peace of mind.
From the first survey peg to the final coat of paint, Festina Lente coordinates and oversees every single trade on your project.
As your Principal Agent, you don't deal with any of these trades directly. We coordinate, manage, and sign off every one, so you can focus on your life.
Skilled trades and qualified professionals, coordinated on site, every single day.
With over 15 years in the construction industry, Gerrit-Jan brings hands-on builder knowledge and strategic oversight to every project.
A clear, structured approach from first consultation to final handover.
We understand your vision, budget, and requirements.
Budgeting, scheduling, and assembling the right team.
Active quality checks throughout construction.
Specs and workmanship verified before payment.
You pay subcontractors directly after our sign-off.
Clients pays their Builders, Subcontractors etc. directly, after Festina Lente Consultants has approved and issued Payment certificates.
Your Cost-Effective Project Solution
Every service you need under one roof, expertly coordinated so you can focus on what matters.
End-to-end management from initial planning through to completion and handover.
We manage every trade, from bricklayers and carpenters to electricians and plumbers.
We ensure the design vision translates accurately to the built product.
Coordination ensuring foundations, slabs, beams, and structures meet every specification.
Oversight of all costing, measurements, and valuations. No budget surprises.
One point of contact, one management structure. This is stress-free building.
Professional fees don't need to cost you dearly. We offer a cost-effective alternative, not a formal PQS function, but a practical, hands-on approach backed by 15+ years of building industry experience.
Servicing Architects, Clients, Building Contractors with realistic & timeous cost estimates without the price tag of a formal C.E. (Cost Estimating) appointment.
We review your architect's conceptual drawings and provide a realistic cost estimate, giving you budget clarity before you commit to a full C.E. (Cost Estimating) appointment.
We indicate to the client whether their designs are within budget reach, early in the process, before expensive commitments are made.
We assist with costing to guide the design process, helping architects and clients make informed decisions that keep the project on track financially.
Realistic estimates on turn-key projects, so you know the full picture from foundation to finishes before breaking ground.
Apples-for-apples comparison of contractors' quotes, so you can make informed decisions and ensure fair pricing across the board.
We validate interim payment claims against actual progress on site, ensuring you only pay for work that's been done and signed off.
Full cost estimation for new residential projects, from single homes to multi-unit developments.
Cost estimates for extensions, renovations, and alterations, with a clear picture of what the changes will cost.
Client-friendly commercial estimates that are easy to understand. No jargon, just clear numbers.
From JBCC contracts through to final account, we manage every milestone with precision.
Festina Lente Consultants is not formal PQS function, and offer a cost estimating/PA/PM service that is affordable and crafted specifically for every project. Professional fees don't need to cost dearly.
You don't have to deal directly with every contractor and consultant.
We coordinate the full operation so you can focus on your life and job.
We simplify decisions, reduce risk, and manage quality from start to finish.
Cost estimates on architect plans without the expense of a formal C.E. (Cost Estimating) appointment.
An extremely flexible business model, crafted specifically for every project.
Client-friendly estimates that are easy to understand. No complex cost estimating jargon.
Clients pays their Builders, Subcontractors etc. directly, after Festina Lente Consultants has approved and issued Payment certificates.
Premium project oversight across all sectors
A luxury double-storey family home with open-plan living, designer finishes, and landscaped outdoor areas.
Complete renovation balancing original character with contemporary performance standards.
Multi-unit coastal development requiring specialised structural engineering and environmental compliance.
Complete 2,000m² office fit-out including MEP services, partitioning, and bespoke joinery.
Expansion and refurbishment coordinating tenants, services, and construction to minimise disruption.
Large-scale warehouse with specialised flooring, loading docks, and fire safety systems.
Structural and services upgrade including crane beams, electrical capacity, and ventilation.
How a commercial build comes together, from civils to completed structure
An illustrative look at how we take a commercial project from cleared ground to a completed second floor in twenty-two days.
The site was cleared, stripped of topsoil and levelled, then the surveyor set out the building grid. Corner pegs and string lines established the exact footprint and datum levels before any ground was broken. Getting the setting-out right here protects every measurement that follows.
Excavators moved bulk earth to formation level and dug the foundation trenches to engineer-specified depths. Spoil was managed on site and trench bottoms were inspected and approved before steel and concrete went in.
Reinforced strip footings were set out, rebar cages tied, and starter bars left projecting for the columns above. Footing concrete was poured and cured. The load path from structure to ground is established at this stage.
Fill was compacted in layers, a damp-proof membrane laid, and the slab mesh positioned on spacers. The ground-floor slab was cast and power-floated to a level finish, giving a clean working platform for the structure.
Ground-floor columns were cast off the starter bars and the blockwork walls built up between them. Vertical alignment and plumb were checked continuously so the floors above land true.
Soffit formwork and props were set, the suspended-slab reinforcement fixed, and the first-floor slab cast. Props stayed in place through the cure to carry the load until the concrete reached strength.
With the first-floor slab struck, columns and walls for the first storey went up. The building reads as two storeys now, with services routing planned ahead of the next slab.
Formwork was struck and re-propped at the next level, reinforcement fixed, and the second-floor slab cast, with the tower crane handling materials to height. The full vertical envelope is now defined.
Second-floor columns and perimeter walls were raised off the new slab. The frame is topping out, and close coordination of trades kept the programme tight through the final push.
The structure reaches its completed second floor. Full three-level commercial frame, parapet cast, and the building weather-tight in structure. From cleared ground to topped-out shell in twenty-two days through tight Principal-Agent coordination.
Decades of hands-on expertise, working for you
With over 15 years of extensive experience in all aspects of the building industry, Gerrit-Jan brings a rare combination of hands-on construction knowledge and strategic project oversight.
Having been a builder himself for over 15 years, he understands every trade from the ground up. He has personally handled much of the Cost Estimating, Project reconciliations, Senior project management, Technical insight and Procurement, amongst other skills that, combined with his attention to detail, enable him with detailed insight into all aspects that holistically form part of the construction process.
Gerrit-Jan works daily with Clients, Professionals i.e. Architects, Engineers, PQS's, HSE Consultants, Sub-Contractors, Specialists & Suppliers, etc., bringing diligence that protects clients from costly oversights. He is your ideal partner for full operational management of your building project.
Corporate-grade standards in every interaction.
We take ownership at every stage of the build.
Nothing proceeds until specs are verified.
Open communication and direct client payments.
Your stress-free experience is our success measure.
Let's discuss your next project
Gerrit-Jan van der Bijl
Melkbosstrand, Cape Town
South Africa
Thank you for your enquiry. Gerrit-Jan will be in touch shortly.