Wednesday, 1 March 2017

Quantity surveyor: job description

Quantity surveyors are responsible for managing all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects.

For the past few years, quantity surveying graduates have been in demand with employers.

What does a quantity surveyor do?
Quantity surveyors manage the costs on a construction project. They help to ensure that the construction project is completed within its projected budget. Alternative job titles for a quantity surveyor include ‘cost consultant’, ‘commercial manager’, ‘cost manager’ and ‘cost engineer’.
The tasks quantity surveyors complete will differ according to whether they are working on the design or the construction stage of a project (and therefore whether they are working for a consultancy – which focuses on the design stage – or the contractor, who builds the project). Depending on the stage of the project and their employer, they might:

price/forecast the cost of the different materials needed for the project
prepare tender documents, contracts, budgets, bills of quantities and other documentation
track changes to the design and/or construction work and adjusting budget projections accordingly
procure or agree the services of contractors and/or subcontractors who work on the construction of the project
measure and value the work done on site
pay subcontractors
liaise with the client and other construction professionals, such as site managers, project managers and site engineers
select and/or source construction materials
write reports

Quantity surveyors who work for consultancies tend to be office-based and work typical office hours; those who are employed by contractors tend to be based in temporary offices on construction sites and go out on site often. They tend to work longer hours and may be required to work shifts.

Typical employers of quantity surveyors

The main employers for quantity surveyors are:

specialist cost management/quantity surveying consultancies working within the construction industry
construction and engineering companies (consultants and contractors)

However, quantity surveyors may also find a few vacancies with these types of employers:

property firms and property developers
architectural practices
infrastructure and utility companies, eg Network Rail and Scottish Water
public sector organisations

Vacancies are typically advertised on by specialist recruitment agencies, by construction and property industry news outlets (in print and online) and via relevant professional bodies such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Qualifications and training required

There are routes into a career as a quantity surveyor for both university graduates and school leavers. Graduates will need:

either an undergraduate degree accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in quantity surveying, commercial management or a related construction subject
or a postgraduate conversion course (usually a Pg Dip or a masters) accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

However, some employers will hire graduates with a non-accredited degree and sponsor them through the postgraduate conversion course.
Graduates either apply for an individual vacancy or for a graduate scheme. To find out about getting into quantity surveying via an apprenticeship or school leaver training programme, visit our website or call us on 020 3757 5000
Quantity surveyors are expected to work towards a chartership professional qualification with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Key skills for chartered surveyors

Numeracy
A good working knowledge of MS Excel and the ability to learn how to use specialist software
Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal skills
Teamworking
The ability to negotiate
Attention to detail and a methodical approach to work