Quantity Surveyor
Career information and advice on being a Quantity Surveyor

A Quantity Surveyor is responsible for the budgets of building and engineering projects. Their role is to manage and control costs, contracts and management of budgets within the scope of the project.

They prepare cost estimates and strategic plans for materials as well as the labour that will be required to complete a construction project. Once a project has begun, the Quantity Surveyor monitors costs to see that they fall in line with the projections. Any difference is highlighted early so that potential problems and overruns can be averted.

A Quantity Surveyor could be employed by the company that is doing the work, or by the client who has commissioned the work.

Quantity Surveyors are also known as Commercial Managers or Cost Consultants. The field of Cost Engineering is closely related to Quantity Surveying.

As a Quantity Surveyor you may work closely with an Architect, Accountant, Engineer, Planner, Buyer, Lawyer, Master Builder, Plumber, Carpenter, manufacturing supplier, the client, Interior Designer and local utility companies.

Quantity Surveyors can work in private practice, as well as for large Engineering and construction companies.

Your Functions May include

The overall function of a Quantity Surveyor is to provide cost estimates and projections for the scope of a project and then to make sure that the budget is adhered to.

The methods to achieve this cover a wide range of activities and may include roles such as cost estimation, valuation, Value Engineering, Cost Planning, feasibility studies, lifecycle costing and cost benefit analysis.