13 Duties of the Quantity Surveyor

Duties of the Quantity Surveyor

1.     Preliminary Cost AdviceThe quantity surveyor gives practical advice on:

• The likely cost of the scheme – however complicated or unusual it may be.

• The comparative costs of alternative layouts, materials, components and methods of construction. • The likely duration of project.

• The likely cost of future maintenance and operating costs. The quantity surveyor can, from the client’s brief, prepare a realistic budget and a cost plan showing the distribution of costs over the various elements.

2. Cost Planning Cost planning is a specialist technique used by quantity surveyor’s, which aims to help all members of the design team to arrive jointly at practical and efficient designs for the project and to keep within the budget. Once a realistic estimate is set from the cost plan, constant monitoring reduces the risk of overspending by noting problem areas at an early stage and applying prompt corrective action.

3. Contractual Methods The quantity surveyor can advise on the best type of tendering and the best form of contract that will best suit a specific project. The quantity surveyor prepares the documents for obtaining the tenders and arranging the contract.

4. Bill of Quantities Competitive tendering remains a common basis for selection of contractor and bills of quantities are fundamental to the process. Bills translate the drawings into a document listing in detail all the component parts required for a project so that each contractor can calculate tender prices on exactly the same basis as his competitors. During construction, the bill forms the basis for preparing interim valuations, pricing of variations and effective cost control.

5. Choice of contractor The quantity surveyor analyses tenders and makes recommendations to the client for contractor selection after taking into consideration other factors such as the contractors reputation and past performance.

6. Contract Administration The quantity surveyor acts with the architect or engineer to ensure that the financial provisions of the contract are properly interpreted and applied so that the client’s financial interest is safeguarded and that the builder is paid the proper price for the work. He also exercises control during construction so that the cost is not exceeded without authority.

7. Valuation of construction work The quantity surveyor prepares interim valuations, values variations and prepares financial statements during construction. He will also settle the final accounts at project completion. He may also prepare statements of expenditure for tax or accounting purposes and assess the project’s replacement value for insurance purposes. Other services of the quantity surveyor include:

8. Construction management Construction management uses latest management techniques and other applications of programming, network analysis, risk analysis, cash flow forecasting, budgeting and other control mechanisms.

9. Building maintenance management Building maintenance management involves planning, programming, controlling and costing of maintenance and repair work.

10. Dilapidations The quantity surveyor prepares schedule of conditions at the beginning of a tenancy or lease and a schedule of dilapidations at the end giving details of an outgoing tenant’s liability.

11. Arbitration This is a formal process for settling disputes

12. Facilities management This involves all aspects of providing, operating, maintaining, developing and improving facilities which are property where people are accommodated and work.

13. Contractor Organisations The quantity surveyor may work in a contractor’s organisation.