Just What does a Quantity Surveyor do?

 The preparation of Bills and/or Schedules of Quantities of materials, labour and services
required in the construction and equipment of building, or engineering works, and;
 The preparation and valuation of progress and final payments in connection with any
contract or sub-contract, and;
 The appraisal of the value of proposed constructions or other structures already erected,
and;
 The preparation of specifications when required so to do, and;
 Acting as arbitrator in cases of dispute in connection with building, or engineering work,
when required so to do, and;
 To advise from time to time on cost management, or value management.
 To carry out such other duties as may properly be those of a Quantity Surveyor.

So just what does a Quantity Surveyor do ?

Basically, the Quantity Surveyor is the person responsible for figuring out just what a building is
going to cost and in some cases for making sure that construction costs and production are
managed as efficiently as possible.

A Quantity Surveyor can identify and collate the costs involved in order to develop an overall
budget for any project. They can then undertake cost planning which aims to help all members of
the design team arrive at practical solutions and stay within the project budget. It is the final
detailed estimate prepared by the Quantity Surveyors, in consultation with a project architect,
 which forms a basis on which subsequent tenders can be evaluated. Schedules of quantities
translate the drawing, plans and specifications produced by the design team to enable each
contractor to calculate tender prices fairly, on exactly the same basis as the competitors.

Once tenders have been accepted, the Quantity Surveyor can provide cash flow data to enable a
client to programme his resources adequately to meet contract commitments. In other words, the
Quantity Surveyor decides how much of a job should be paid for at any one time. With interest
rates the way they are, no one wants to hand over money before it is due.

In most construction contracts, the contractor is paid monthly and the Quantity Surveyor can
value the work carried out each month submitting a recommendation for certified payment.

The Quantity Surveyor can also be called on to assess cost effects when changes occur and agree
on variation with contractors.

Following completion of a contract, the Quantity Surveyor prepares a statement of final account,
summarising the cost charges that have occurred and arriving at a final contract sum.

The services we offer

Estimating and cost advice

 Estimates and cost advice during all stages of the development of a project are essential if
the correct decisions with full awareness of their financial implications are to be made.
 Sophisticated techniques, extensive cost data banks and an intimate knowledge of
building and construction economics enable quantity surveyors to provide reliable cost
advice.

 Cost planning

 Clients want to know that they are receiving value for money, not only with regard to the
capital cost but also in respect of the running and maintenance cost of a project.
 Cost planning enables decisions on various design alternatives to be made with actual
costs being constantly monitored against original budgets.

 Property development advice

 A building should meet the functional dimensional and technological requirements for
which it was designed, should be aesthetically pleasing and meet the cost limits of the
client's budget.
 A quantity surveyor is able to provide pre-design feasibility studies involving technical
and/or economic investigations thereby enabling a client to decide whether, and in what
form, to proceed.

 Advice on tendering procedures and contractual arrangement

  The choice of an appropriate form of contract for any given project will depend on the
nature of the project, the circumstances under which the work is to be carried out and the
particular needs of the client. Quantity surveyors, in collaboration with architects are able
to advise their clients on the most advantageous procurement methods available,
including:
 Contracts incorporating bills of quantities, provisional bills of quantities and schedules of
rates.

 Negotiated, lump-sum, managed and cost plus contracts, Package deals, turnkey
offers, etc.

 While Bills of Quantities are generally regarded as the most economical and best method
of obtaining a competitive price, the alternative methods and types of tender
documentation available need to be carefully examined in consultation with the quantity
surveyor, architect, etc. before a final decision is made

 Financial control over contracts

 Valuation of work in progress

 Cash flow budgets
 Final account in respect of the contract

.The quantity surveyor's duty is essentially one of cost control. They measure and value work in
progress, determine the value of variations ordered by the architect or engineer and ensure that a
fair and equitable settlement of the cost of the project is reached in accordance with the contract
conditions. In conjunction with the architect and other consultants the quantity surveyor will
ensure that the financial provisions of the contract are properly interpreted and applied.

Cost Planning

Cost planning of construction projects provides a means of controlling the design process to meet
the budgetary requirements of the client.It allows the quantity surveyor, with the design team, to
design a building to a cost rather than costing a design after it has been completed.

The control of costs can only be achieved by the actions of the whole project team, including the
client. It is the quantity surveyor’srole, using cost planning techniques, to facilitate this and ach

The following is a checklist of the factors that affect pricing

levels.

• Location

• Use and accommodation requirements

• Size–both floor area and functional units

• Occupation target date

• Level of specification

• Views on design (the name of existing buildings that are

broadly similar to the client’s concept is often a help here)

• Number of storeys

• Any special storey height requirements

• Any specialist engineering or service requirements

• Size of site

• Access to site

• Any likely planning constraints

• Likelihood of problems with ground condition

• What is on the site at the moment

• Any problems with public utilities, either connection or existing services