If you are a house owner or planning to start a new development, you may need to consider an independent Professional Quantity Surveyor to provide you with an expert view on the construction project cost — which can help reduce the stress of budgeting for the build.
The Quantity Surveyor is the person responsible for figuring out the pre-project estimate cost and managing budgeted cost control during the project. They have other roles too — especially providing expert advice on all aspects of construction cost. A Quantity Surveyor may advise the client at any stage, pre- or post-construction, from initial construction costs through procurement, tendering, and contract administration.
Other names that define a Quantity Surveyor include: cost manager, cost analyst, estimator, project cost control, project cost management, and cost planner.
The following are additional roles and responsibilities of a Quantity Surveyor:
The Quantity Surveyor is engaged at the start of the pre-construction stage to manage client budget and cost control. They can roughly estimate, through study and measurement of the drawings and specifications prepared by the architect and engineer, what the project will cost. All the QS's calculations are set out in a document called an initial cost estimate.
The QS is also important during the design stage. They can advise the design team on how to stay within the project budget using practical solutions. This is defined as value engineering.
When a Quantity Surveyor is engaged only at the construction stage, there is no way they can contribute to the validity of the original project budget. To prevent construction cost overrun and other problems, it is highly recommended that a Professional Quantity Surveyor is engaged very early in the project — when the project initiation process starts.
During the construction phase, the Quantity Surveyor can provide pre-cash-flow data so the client can prepare and arrange the financial need for each stage of the project. The QS can evaluate the detail of claims and recommend provisional project reports for the client to prepare payments. They are also responsible for keeping the design team informed regarding budget, identifying future risks, and challenging on buildability and value engineering issues when necessary — so the client receives value.
When the project is completed, the Quantity Surveyor can prepare a statement of final account — a full and detailed final account incorporating all change orders and cash allowances adjustments.
An independent QS works for you alone. Their fee is not bundled with the contractor's quote. Their loyalty is not split. Their findings are not adjusted to keep someone else happy. This independence is the source of the savings, the certainty, and the peace of mind that an engaged owner ends up with.
If you have any question or enquiry, please email yuhuang.estimating@gmail.com — we will be able to fulfil your requirements for your project.
Related: Quantity Surveying · Cost Management for House Owners · For House Owners
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