Success Fee Consulting Beyond the Billable Hour: Why Outcome-Based Consulting Is the Future of Construction Claims

For decades, construction consultancy has followed the same formula: log the hours, invoice the client, repeat. While this model has served its purpose, it often misses one vital element—alignment of interest.

At PAR Advisory, we’re introducing a smarter, more progressive alternative: Success Fee Consulting—a performance-linked engagement structure that rewards value, not just time. It’s not just innovative; it’s built for the realities of today’s high-stakes construction environment.

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The Problem with Traditional Consultancy Models

Traditional consultancy is often transactional: the consultant bills for time, regardless of the outcome.

This can create a disconnect between:

• What the client really needs (resolution, recovery, leverage)

• What the consultant delivers (documents, reports, advice)

This model works best when issues are clear, timelines are stable, and budget is unlimited. But in real-world claims? None of those conditions exist.

Clients are facing:

• Tight timeframes

• High-risk exposure

• Complex technical and commercial dynamics

• Often need more than an hourly effort—they need strategic partnership, and skin in the game

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What Is Success Fee Consulting?

Success Fee Consulting is an engagement model in which part of the consultant’s fee is tied to results—not just inputs.

At PAR Advisory, we offer success fee models on select services, including:

• Claims Formation — where a portion of our fee is contingent on claim acceptance, settlement, or value recovered

• Process Improvement — where incentives are linked to measurable productivity or cost efficiency gains

This model includes:

• A fair base fee to cover expertise and time investment

• A variable success component, defined and agreed upon in advance

• Transparent triggers—such as cost/time recovery, client recognition, or claim defensibility

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Why This Model Works—For You and For Us

1. Aligned Interests

You’re no longer just paying for effort—you’re investing in outcome. We’re incentivized to dig deeper, think sharper, and push for tangible success.

2. Measurable Accountability

We define what “success” means up front—and we stand behind it. This creates shared clarity and fairness in both directions.

3. Financial Flexibility

For clients working within tight budgets or under active dispute, the success fee model reduces the upfront cost burden while retaining top-tier consultancy.

4. Confidence in Our Work

We don’t offer this model lightly. We offer it because we’re confident in the strength of our process, the quality of our deliverables, and the depth of our expertise.

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When Is This Model Right for You?

Success Fee Consulting is ideal for:

• Contractors with strong entitlement but tight cash flow

• Claims in active negotiation or mediation

• High-impact process optimization projects with defined KPIs

• Clients looking to move away from open-ended hourly billing

It is not suitable for every case—but when applicable, it offers real commercial and relational advantages.

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Let’s Win—Together

If you’re looking for a consultant who’s as committed to the outcome as you are, let’s talk. At PAR Advisory, we don’t just work by the hour. We work for results.

Ask us about success fee eligibility for your next project.

Contact us for a confidential consultation