What is a QS?

What is a "Quantity Surveyor" ?

I have, for the majority of my 25 years as a Quantity Surveyor, been working for organisations where, initially, the profession of Quantity Surveying has not been all that well understood, or recognised.

"What do you do?" Is a common question asked.

Here I shall attempt to set out the role, scope and fields of expertise of a qualified Chartered Quantity Surveyor.

Quantity surveyors are key members of the construction team - the experts on:-

construction costs,
communications; and
contractual arrangements.

Quantity surveyors are involved from the start of a project to its completion and their knowledge of construction economics and technology enables them to advise on the economics of a project and the preparation of a budget, co-operate with the designers to ensure that the building can be erected within the approved expenditure, advise on tendering procedures and contractual arrangements, prepare contract documentation, provide financial control during the construction period and prepare a final account of expenditure under the contract.

Chartered Quantity Surveyors give advice on, construction to businesses, individuals and public bodies in more than 100 countries around the world as just one of the group of professional that are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in the UK. An Institution that is recognised all over the world, whether or not the counties where "old British Colonies" or not!

To illustrate the way in which the Institution sees itself is the follow Figure :

And they promote the idea that Chartered surveyors are needed at every stage of the 'Property Life-Cycle' - playing a key management role in the built and natural environment world-wide

In Construction

Some 30% of chartered surveyors work in the building industry, (Quantity Surveyors, Building Surveyors, Land Surveyors) advising on a wide variety of projects, from a shopping centre to building a kitchen extension. Combining their technical knowledge of construction methods and materials with legal, accounting and project management skills, they also play a leading role in urban regeneration. With the ability to help homebuyers avoid pitfalls and negotiate from a position of strength, chartered surveyors can also produce detailed building surveys.

In particular the Quantity Surveyor is the expert on the financial and contractual characteristics of building and buildings. Construction projects as diverse as houses, hospitals, shops, offices, industrial plants, oil rigs, dams and airports all demand expert financial control to ensure that delays and waste are avoided.

The graduate Quantity Surveyor provides these vital management skills, drawing upon knowledge and techniques of construction technology, the costs of labour, plant and material, the financial implications of different design solutions, planning and construction law, and future maintenance requirements

Today the terms "Building Economics" is often used in conjunction with "Quantity Surveying" and is concerned with the financial and contractual aspects of construction and the built environment.

The main tasks of the Quantity Surveyor are cost planning and cost control. The aim always is to avoid waste and delays, and to ensure that all inputs to the construction process are properly costed and of the highest quality.

The types of construction which require input from Quantity Surveyors range from houses to dams, offices and oil rigs.

Knowledge of construction technology is vital to their role, as is an understanding of the costs of building, and planning and construction law.

Quantity surveyors find themselves working both in the private and public sectors:

Private consultancy (involves providing a specialist service for a wide range of clients)
Government department, local authorities and other statutory bodies (involves controlling the expenditure of public money in a continuous construction programme, and the management of work sent out to private consultancy)
Building, civil engineering and specialist engineering contractors (the QS is a key member of the management team with particular responsibility for contract procedures and the financial control of individual projects).

Defining the "Quantity Surveyor

An expert in the financial, contractual and communication aspects of the construction industry.
Acting as the impartial link between client, architect, engineer and builder.
Controlling the cost of construction from design stage to final completion.
Being involved in formulating budgets and long-term programme well before detailed design is started.
Being responsible for negotiation of contracts, monitoring progress of construction, agreeing final account and monitoring costs in use.

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Thursday, May 04, 2006 04:48:17 AM