What Does a Quantity Surveyor Do?
16 January 2012
The construction industry is complex, with numerous roles that need to be filled by professionals. While you’ll find architects, builders, carpenters, masons and the like all plying their trade, you’ll also find other professionals actively involved with construction. A quantity surveyor can do a number of different things within the construction industry, though they don’t actually wield a hammer and nails. Here’s a look at what you might expect to find a quantity surveyor doing.
Services Offered by a Quantity Surveyor
You might find a quantity surveyor evaluating progress, preparation work and payment status for contractors on a construction job, determining exactly what materials are required and how much they will cost, managing those costs, or even acting as an arbitrator in some instances. A quantity surveyor is a professional, and is integral to ensuring that construction contracts are fulfilled correctly.
You might find a quantity surveyor employing his or her skills to identify specific costs involved with a construction project (the cost for wiring an office building, for example), why the costs present are such, and how to mitigate those costs. A quantity surveyor can provide this service for portions of a construction project or for the entire project, depending on the situation.
You will also find that a quantity surveyor can take architectural plans, drawings and schematics and translate those documents into lists of materials, products and more that each contractor team will need for the project. As such, a quantity surveyor will work hand in hand with an architect or design team, but will also interface with construction crews, subcontractors, property owners and more throughout the entire process.
A quantity surveyor is responsible for an immense number of things and plays an integral role in the construction process. In fact, without a certified, trained quantity surveyor on your construction project, you might find that it’s impossible to judge progress, to certify contractor pay per month, or to have an accurate idea of the materials and components needed.
Identifying the Right Quantity Surveyor
Finding a skilled, reputable, experienced quantity surveyor is a vital consideration for any project. The best way to ensure that you have the right professional is to check to make sure that he or she apprenticed with another reputable surveyor and that they have experience handling construction projects similar to your own. Check their reputation with builders and owners with whom they have worked to ensure that they are accurate and provide information on a timely basis.
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