A Career As A Quantity Surveyor

A Career As A Quantity Surveyor

A quantity surveyor (QS) is a construction industry professional who deals with construction costs and contracts.

A quantity surveyor is responsible for all aspects of the contractual and financial side of a construction project and helps to ensure that the project is completed within its projected budget.

Other job titles for a quantity surveyor include:

• cost consultant
• commercial manager
• cost manager
• cost engineer.

Duties of a quantity surveyor

The duties of a quantity surveyor are:

• Project cost estimating
• Project cost planning
• Project cost management
• Analysis of the terms and conditions in a construction contract
• Predicting potential risks in a construction project and taking precautions to mitigate them
• Forecasting and presenting detailed information on the cost of particular elements of the project
• Preparing tender documents, contracts, budgets and other documentation
• liaising with clients and other construction professionals, such as site managers, project managers and site engineers
• Taking note of changes made and adjusting the budget accordingly
• Tender management including preparation of bills of quantities, contract conditions and assembly of tender documents
• Paying subcontractors
• Contract management and contractual advice
• Measuring and valuating the work done on a construction site
• Claims and dispute management
• Project lifecycle costing analysis

How to become a Quantity Surveyor

To become a quantity surveyor, you need a minimum of:

• 5 O levels or equivalent including mathematics
• A BTEC in Building Studies, Building Engineering or Building Management or a HNC / HND / Degree in Quantity Surveying
• A minimum of three years of relevant experience in construction projects.

Skills and qualities of a quantity surveyor

• good written and verbal communication skills
• the ability to write clear reports conveying complex information in a simple way
• the ability to develop good working relationships, to motivate and lead those on site
• strong mathematical, numerical, data analysis and critical thinking skills
• good problem solving skills
• IT skills and the ability to learn design and costing IT packages
• good project management skills
• the strength to work well under pressure
• good commercial and financial awareness
• excellent attention to detail
• analytical thinking skills
• knowledge of engineering science and technology
• knowledge of building and construction