Quantity Surveying Team of the Year: Supporting Auckland’s Storm Recovery with Expertise and Integrity.
At the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards 2026 in Auckland, Hampton Jones was awarded Quantity Surveying Team of the Year. The award recognised a team whose contribution extended well beyond traditional cost management, combining technical expertise and commercial rigour with empathy, adaptability and a strong sense of public responsibility.
Central to this achievement was the team’s work on the Auckland Recovery Office’s Category 2P and Category 3 Storm Recovery Programmes. Established in response to the severe weather events that affected Auckland in 2023, these programmes formed part of one of the most significant disaster recovery efforts in New Zealand’s recent history.
For the Hampton Jones Quantity Surveying team, the work involved much more than assessing costs. Every claim and property represented a household dealing with disruption, uncertainty and difficult decisions. The team needed to provide independent and defensible commercial advice while recognising the very real impact that each assessment could have on the people involved.
Over approximately 20 months, Hampton Jones supported the Auckland Recovery Office with cost estimation, pricing validation, claims auditing and commercial reporting. The work required a careful balance between speed and accuracy. Assessments needed to be completed promptly to keep the recovery programme moving, but every recommendation also needed to be fair, evidence-based and capable of withstanding scrutiny.
Under the Category 3 programme, the team audited approximately 450 individual homeowner flood claims. This involved assessing repair costs against buyout entitlement limits, often with information that was incomplete or inconsistent. Each property presented different damage, site conditions and reinstatement requirements, meaning there was rarely a straightforward or standard answer.
Despite these variations, the team maintained a consistent and transparent approach across every claim. Assessments were supported by clear documentation, with the reasoning behind each conclusion recorded so it could be readily understood and audited. This consistency helped establish confidence in the process and ensured homeowners were assessed fairly, regardless of the complexity of their circumstances.
Managing hundreds of individual claims also presented a considerable operational challenge. To maintain oversight without compromising quality, the team developed an internal real-time tracking system using its existing digital tools. The system provided live visibility over claim status, workflow progress and reporting requirements, helping ensure that no case was missed and that the Auckland Recovery Office received accurate updates when needed.
Under the Category 2P programme, Hampton Jones continues to provide cost estimation, pricing validation and commercial reporting for flood mitigation and property reinstatement work. These assessments are frequently undertaken while scopes are still evolving and early information remains incomplete, requiring the team to apply sound professional judgement while clearly identifying assumptions and areas of uncertainty.
A Hampton Jones Technical Lead is embedded within the Auckland Recovery Office two to three days each week. This has become an important part of the team’s approach, allowing questions to be addressed as they arise and providing Council teams with direct access to commercial advice.
Working alongside the Auckland Recovery Office has strengthened communication and improved scope clarity. It has also enabled faster, more confident decision-making across technically complex cases. Rather than operating at arm’s length, Hampton Jones became an integrated programme partner with a detailed understanding of the pressures, priorities and practical realities shaping the recovery effort.
Across both programmes, the team brought together expertise in cost estimation, claims auditing, commercial reporting and stakeholder engagement. Structured assessment methods and independent pricing reviews were applied consistently, while still allowing for the unique conditions of each property.
This financial oversight was especially important because the programmes involved both ratepayer and Crown funding. Every recommendation needed to demonstrate that proposed expenditure was reasonable, justified and aligned with programme requirements.
Through independent pricing validation and value-for-money assessments, Hampton Jones helped protect against both overpayment and underpayment. The team’s advice supported appropriate investment in reinstatement and mitigation work while ensuring that public funding was directed towards solutions that were feasible, compliant and proportionate to the actual work required.
The team’s approach was grounded in the core ethical principles of RICS. Transparency was maintained through clear, auditable documentation and open communication with the Auckland Recovery Office and other stakeholders.
Hampton Jones’ role as an independent third-party assessor was equally important. It allowed the team to provide objective cost advice based on evidence and professional judgement, without commercial or political influence.
Confidentiality remained a priority throughout the engagement. The team handled sensitive information relating to homeowners, property damage and financial entitlements, recognising the trust placed in them and the personal nature of the circumstances behind each claim.
Above all, the team understood its responsibility to act in the public interest. The work involved careful stewardship of public funds, but it also influenced decisions that affected people’s homes, financial security and ability to move forward after a major weather event.
That human dimension shaped how the team approached its work. A recurring challenge involved homeowners and other parties who did not fully understand how the recovery programmes operated, what they were eligible to apply for or how an assessment decision had been reached. Rather than viewing these situations as an administrative burden, the team took the time to respond carefully and respectfully. Programme requirements were explained in clear language, questions were addressed promptly and concerns were worked through with patience. This approach helped resolve most misunderstandings without escalation. More importantly, it supported people who were already managing damaged homes, displacement, financial uncertainty and unfamiliar Council or insurance processes.
Consistency remained essential to ensuring fairness. All cases were assessed against the same programme guidance and criteria, regardless of the homeowner’s background or familiarity with technical processes.
At the same time, the team recognised that treating people equitably did not always mean communicating with everyone in exactly the same way. Some homeowners required more explanation or support to understand the process. By listening carefully and adapting its communication, the team helped ensure that a lack of technical knowledge did not become a disadvantage.
The diversity of the Hampton Jones team strengthened its ability to work effectively within Auckland’s multicultural community. Team members brought different cultural backgrounds, professional experiences and perspectives to the programme, supporting thoughtful and respectful engagement with affected homeowners.
While no single international standard was formally mandated under the programmes, the team’s methodology remained aligned with RICS best practice principles for cost management, independent assessment and ethical conduct. This ensured that the work met internationally recognised professional expectations while remaining responsive to the specific needs of a New Zealand recovery programme.
Successful delivery also depended on close coordination across a broad and complex group of stakeholders. Hampton Jones worked with Auckland Council departments, Healthy Waters, Asset Management and regulatory teams, as well as homeowners, engineers, designers, project managers, valuers and specialist consultants.
The embedded Technical Lead helped connect these different parties and resolve commercial or technical questions before they caused unnecessary delays. This relationship-led approach reduced misalignment and supported a more coordinated response across both programmes.
The team also maintained demanding delivery timeframes. Under the Category 2P programme, cost assessments were delivered within a two-week turnaround, despite the complexity of the properties and the often incomplete nature of early scope information.
Under the Category 3 programme, the team committed to responding within five working days of receiving claims. Completion was sometimes dependent on the quality of the information supplied, but the team consistently worked to provide timely advice and maintain the momentum of the wider programme.
The scale of the Category 3 work alone demonstrates the strength of the team’s delivery. Approximately 450 claims were assessed, with each one requiring an independent, defensible and fully auditable cost evaluation. This was achieved while the team continued supporting the Category 2P programme and its ongoing reinstatement and mitigation work.
One of the team’s greatest strengths was its willingness to adapt. At the beginning of the engagement, its deliverables reflected the detailed reporting typically associated with a conventional quantity surveying commission. As the team became more immersed in the recovery environment, it recognised that the programme required a different approach.
Council decision-makers needed information that was clear, focused and immediately useful. Lengthy reporting did not necessarily support better decisions, particularly when cases needed to progress quickly.
In response, the team refined its outputs and removed content that did not directly contribute to an assessment or decision. Key commercial information was made easier to identify, while the evidence and reasoning needed to support each recommendation remained clear.
This shift may appear simple, but it required considerable professional confidence. Distilling complex information into a concise and useful format can be more challenging than producing comprehensive documentation. The team needed to understand what mattered most, communicate it clearly and remain comfortable standing behind its advice.
The internal tracking system reflected the same practical mindset. Rather than waiting for a ready-made solution, Hampton Jones created a process that responded directly to the demands of the programme. It enabled hundreds of claims to be managed efficiently while retaining the visibility and discipline necessary for accurate reporting.
Together, these improvements demonstrate that innovation is not always about introducing new technology. It can also mean listening carefully, questioning established habits and finding better ways to deliver what a client and community genuinely need.
The resilience of the team over approximately 20 months was equally important. Team members worked under sustained time pressure while responding to changing programme requirements, evolving scopes and incomplete information.
They also carried the responsibility of working alongside people experiencing considerable stress. Maintaining accuracy and professionalism in that environment required personal resilience as well as technical capability.
When circumstances changed, the team adapted without losing sight of the programme’s purpose. It learned when to simplify, when to seek further evidence and when to challenge information that did not support a fair or defensible outcome.
The wider value of the team’s work can also be seen through the lens of climate adaptation and social sustainability. The 2023 severe weather events highlighted the increasing impact of climate-related hazards on Auckland’s communities. The Category 2P and Category 3 programmes were established to reduce risk, improve resilience and support the reinstatement or managed exit of flood-affected homes.
Hampton Jones’ commercial oversight helped ensure these objectives were pursued responsibly. By validating mitigation scopes and assessing the cost effectiveness of proposed solutions, the team helped direct limited recovery funding towards durable and practical outcomes rather than short-term fixes. Although formal carbon measurement was outside the team’s scope, accurate assessment also supported more efficient use of materials and resources. Preventing over-scoping, unnecessary demolition and excessive specification reduced the potential for avoidable cost and waste.
The programme’s most important measure of success, however, is its impact on people. Every one of the approximately 450 Category 3 claims represented a household navigating one of the most disruptive experiences of their lives. Under the Category 2P programme, Hampton Jones’ ongoing advice continues to support the safe reinstatement of flood-affected properties and the long-term resilience of Auckland’s housing.
Housing uncertainty and displacement can place immense pressure on individuals and families. By helping remediation and reinstatement decisions progress with greater cost certainty, Hampton Jones contributed to reducing that uncertainty and helping people move forward.
Clear and compassionate communication formed an important part of this contribution. Listening to homeowners, explaining difficult decisions and resolving concerns constructively were not simply professional courtesies. They were meaningful ways of supporting a community through recovery.
Through its contribution to the Category 2P and Category 3 Storm Recovery Programmes, the team helped safeguard ratepayer and Crown funding while supporting the Auckland Recovery Office through an exceptionally complex programme. Its work also contributed to Auckland homeowners returning to safer and more resilient homes.
The team showed that quantity surveying can deliver value far beyond the management of cost. When practised with integrity and a clear commitment to the public interest, it can support better decisions, strengthen trust and make a tangible difference to communities facing extraordinary circumstances.
That combination of professional excellence and human understanding is what makes Hampton Jones a deserving recipient of the RICS Quantity Surveying Team of the Year 2026 Award.