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In essence, the role of a quantity surveyor is to figure out what a construction project is going to cost. This can have a huge impact on many other aspects of a project, such as the design, materials and how long it will take to complete. Whether it’s a commercial, residential or industrial build, someone has to make sure that it gets built on time and within budget. Quantity surveyors can often take on roles which include project management, health and safety assessments, legal contract work, and quality control.
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What does a quantity surveyor do?
There are many tasks to perform, generally involving making estimations and communicating between groups of people. You’ll become adept at estimating quantities of material, lead times, project costs and contingency plans. You’ll also become a pro at preparing contracts between clients, architects, construction teams, legal and quality control authorities.
The quantity surveyor is at the centre of a web of teams working together to deliver a built structure. This means a lot of emails, phone calls and managing the personalities and expectations of many groups of people involved. The work has a large office-based component but will frequently require liaising with these groups to keep everything flowing smoothly and ensure that the project stays on course.
Ultimately, your work determines the ‘feasibility’ of a project, and once started, ensures that it remains feasible at every stage until delivery. This will involve:
- Client consultation and identification of needs
- Making estimates for material, labour costs and quantities
- Designing the project timeline
- Submitting a project for tender
- Managing contract documents
- Making regular site visits
- Organising contractor work and payments
- Writing budget reports
- Keeping up to date with health and safety regulations
- Advising on maintenance costs
- Valuing the completed project
What’s it like to work as a quantity surveyor?
You’ll learn a wide variety of abilities spanning multiple disciplines. From technical construction knowledge to financial estimations, legal contacts to project management, quantity surveyors handle it all. This is what makes them such valued professionals and is why the profession carries chartered status.
Teamwork is the name of the game and your role will include communicating between groups of people, advising them on how to proceed with their work. In doing this, you’ll develop advanced interpersonal skills and people will rely on you to manage their workflow. It’s a great job for sharpening your mind and being able to quickly make decisions while keeping everyone on track.
Quantity surveyors work just about anywhere. On the build site, in the architect’s practice, the town planner’s office, the client’s office, even on the train! You’ll see all kinds of workplaces and have opportunities to network with many different types of people.
You may need to travel long distances to visit building sites and manage the (sometimes conflicting) expectations of various people within the job. It can be tough, of course, but this is what makes it exciting, and once you learn how to balance the various aspects of the work, it can bring a lot of organisational confidence to other areas of your life.
What skills do you need to be a quantity surveyor?
Quantity surveyors have skills in abundance. A few of them are:
- Time-management
- Mathematics and accountancy
- Understanding and interpreting legal documents
- Working under pressure
- Decision-making skills
- Knowledge of construction and building methods
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Teamwork and leadership
How much does a quantity surveyor earn?
One of the benefits of such a versatile and skilled job which carries chartered status is that quantity surveyors enjoy excellent job security and a reliably generous salary.
Newly qualified quantity surveyors typically work around 40 hours per week with potential for overtime pay, and can expect to earn in the region of £25,000 and £35,000 for an entry-level position.
After getting some industry experience this will likely increase to around £35,000 to £45,000 per year. Senior surveyors, or those who have achieved chartered status can often draw salaries of up to £65,000 annually, and have a variety of areas within the profession in which they may choose to specialise.
How to become a quantity surveyor
Fortunately, there are many different routes you can take, which makes it a highly accessible career for school leavers, as well graduates, and those who wish to make a career change. School leavers can get the required qualifications by doing a quantity surveying university course or apprenticeship.
There are bachelor’s degrees in quantity surveying to be found all over the UK, however there are also many relevant subjects which will also provide great preparation for entering the profession. These include:
- Maths
- Accounting
- Civil Engineering
- Economics
- Architecture and construction
- Geography
- Urban studies
- Structural engineering
There are also postgraduate conversion courses available for those who hold a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field. These can be found at universities or can be obtained via a graduate trainee scheme with a surveying or construction company.
Regardless of the route you take, it can be immensely helpful to gain some first-hand experience working on a construction site. It makes a huge difference in understanding the realities of building projects, and will give you a basis of understanding when making delivery schedules and communicating with various construction teams.
Eventually you’ll be working towards gaining full chartered status, which expands your career horizons and gives you access to the highest salary bracket. For this, you will need at least two years’ relevant work experience, after which you’ll complete the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), or you can also gain accreditation through the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) if you hold an accredited honours degree.
After this, career options are broad and generally very well paid. You can choose to specialise in an area such as contracts, planning, risk assessment or valuations. You’ll have the opportunity to use your skills in a wide range of professional environments, and the ability to travel all around the world with your work.
