Every VE option checked against the standard it's meant to meet — before it's approved.
[ Independent Value Engineering Review]
We get it. Value engineering is here to stay. But how do you really know that the proposal is comparable to your original specification?
Lighting design is so much more than a green tick in a lighting calculation report - it is spectral power distribution, it is efficacy, it is glare compliance, it is whole-life carbon, it is LED chip selection, it is product engineering, it is thermal management, it is installation accessibility, it is warranty, it is control certification...the list goes on and on. Lighting design is a science, and all too often a value engineering option takes into account very few of the original design considerations and focuses on reducing costs.
And here is the real issue - the client is simply told there is an equal alternative that will reduce their costs, but the focus is all to often on capital expenditure.
At METRIC Lighting Services, we can offer a specialist, independent & in-depth review of a VE Proposal, before you say yes. Because you should have all the information to make informed decisions about your projects.
[ Why you need this ]
Contractors put forward VE options to protect their margin — that's normal, and some of it is genuinely good engineering. But "like-for-like" is doing a lot of work in that phrase, and it isn't always checked closely before it's signed off. And let's be honest - the lighting design is often completed by the very manufacturer who is specified on the VE proposal, a clear conflict of interest.
We review each proposed option against the original specification, the relevant design guides, and the design intent it's replacing — then issue a clear, documented verdict: compliant, queried, or non-compliant, with the reasoning behind it.
Discoloured fixtures?
Poor product selection can lead to poor execution.
No commercial stake in the outcome, no relationship with the contractor to protect. Just a technical assessment you can rely on when you're the one signing it off.
Used by M&E consultants to back up their position, and by end clients who want to understand — in plain terms — what's actually changing in their building.
[ What do we do? ]
Technical Product Review
We will take your existing specification and your proposed VE specification and do a detailed technical comparison. We won't just look at lumen output - we will look at components, warranties, environmental data, efficacy - the list goes on. We'll give you a clear assessment on how the products compare.
Calculation Review
Just because a product looks equivalent on paper, it won't always perform the same in a design. We will review any calculations provided as part of a VE proposal to ensure they are accurate and completed under the same parameters as the initial design. We'll also check for compliance against your performance specification.
Physical Product Review
Have a working sample? Send it in and we'll inspect the product, we'll measure the output with our colour spectrometer, illuminance meter and power meter to make sure the real-life performance matches that on the data sheet. We'll also check any DALI devices are certified.
Carbon Analysis
We're all trying to do our bit to combat climate change, and all to often we don't consider the carbon cost to our design changes. We will compare the embodied and operational carbon of the original specification and proposed VE option to give a clear indication on the climate impact of any changes.
[ Who is this for? ]
Built for both sides of the sign-off
M&E consultants
An independent report gives you something to point to when you challenge a contractor's VE submission — not just your own judgement against theirs. It protects your design intent and your professional position, without turning every review into a dispute.
End clients & developers
You're often asked to approve VE savings without the technical background to know what's really being changed. We translate the schedule into plain terms: what's different, what it affects, and what it's likely to cost you later if it's wrong.
[ Need to check a VE option? ]
Please complete the form and we will be in touch shortly to discuss your project.