Quantity Surveying as part of the wider surveying profession
Just like other professions, the world of surveying is divided up into smaller specialist disciplines with the generic label of Chartered Surveyor being a recognition only of full membership of the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and thus minimum levels of academic achievement and expertise. But thereafter, the RICS member might be discretely skilled in commercial property services, or building surveying, project management, arts and antiquities, amongst others, as well as, and particularly relevant to this article, quantity surveying.
The quantity surveyor, or more readily abbreviated to a QS, is an expert in construction cost and will always be included as part of a full design team for any commercial or sizeable project. In order to do this effectively they need to have a good understanding of construction technology and building sequencing as well as a practical appreciation for resource management. They will understand supply chains and have an intimate knowledge of contract documentation so that the nuances of who is responsible to who does not become confused. In short, they are the financial managers of a construction project.
In years gone by it was usual for the architect to be the “lead consultant” in a construction project but, perhaps more commonly now, this role is often performed by a project or construction manager. This discipline has strengthened over the last 30 years with QS skills providing an excellent springboard into full project management and we now see more and more firms of Chartered Quantity Surveyors controlling projects for clients.
Typical QS works
Core QS skills are needed at all stages of a large project although their involvement becomes much more acute once contractors have been identified and the construction phase is planned.
So, during the initial design phase of project, and whilst their work is less visible, a QS is vital to work in partnership with an architect to ensure that schemes are regularly costed as the design evolves. After statutory approvals have been secured and a freeze put on all further client design changes, they will then get involved in preparing the tender documentation and recommending suitable contract types and securing bids from contractors.
After the construction phase has begun, they will monitor progress and make payment awards having accurately measured the delivery of both off site and on site contractor performance. They will consider claims made by contractors for additional payments and also make appropriate alterations to provisional and prime cost sums as more information comes to hand from either client or architect. This routine will be carried out up to an including Practical Completion (PC) after which the emphasis will shift to determining the final account together with any agreed retentions for specific periods of time.
It is less common to find a QS working on a self-build project in the full capacity as described above but their help is often used, perhaps on the more complex self-build projects, on some or all of the following activities:
Initial Project Costing & Tenders
For forward planning the construction industry have price books and tables for categories of building works calculated on a square foot/meter basis or per individual item. For quick estimating, these tables can also provide an indicative price per square meter for a typical building type, most of which result from the assessment of actual cost for known buildings. There are self-build estimating services available with computer models that feed off this type of information and, based upon a “take-off” from your architectural plans, will give you an indicative project cost for not very much money, perhaps a few hundred pounds. Some will be more accurate than others but the danger with these types of programme is that some very site specific issues may not get picked up and the cost advice might be consequently inaccurate. A QS can prepare an initial cost summary including a site visit and client review with perhaps a more personal appreciation of the project peculiarities and thus more accuracy in this initial advice.
When it comes to the tender process, sometimes this can be as vague as meeting a contractor at the site, giving them the architectural plans and leaving the contractor to price their own specification and to fill in any gaps with their own assumptions. A QS should take a more comprehensive approach and prepare a detailed specification and schedule of works which will bridge the gap between the site, the client’s requirements and the architectural plans. This should also include a template for how the costs should be broken down and returned so that effective comparisons can be made between contractors and based upon the QS’s initial costs assumptions.
Hiring small contractors
If your intention is to self-project manage your build then you may well end up appointing 10-12 different specialist contractors. You may also find that some or all of these small contractors are less inclined to sign bulky contracts. What is required, however, is a robust summary of the work which is intended, the terms of the appointment, how payment is to be made and the timetable for delivery.
A QS could help you summarise bespoke packages for each target contractor and bring clarity in an exchange of letters with agreement to scope, cost, payment terms and any crucial deadlines. Good contractors will also see this intervention as a potential benefit especially where the QS might be required to adjudicate over any client changes and/or extras.
Measurement & valuations
Where work is going to require stage payments, contractors might initially ask for an arbitrary sum up front and then a percentage payment after a certain time and the balance when the works are complete. But, by involving a QS, there is no need for “arbitrary” and instead, payments can be made against measured or calculated delivery. The principle of good construction financial management is that contractors should be paid on a routine and regular basis for the works that they have successfully completed. Sensible clients/project managers (or their delegated QS) will ensure that their contractor agreements always detail the frequency of these payments and what the trigger point might be.
The QS should be adept at preparing interim valuations and, where appropriate, this will include a measured survey for completed works like floor tiling, painting, roof tiling, window installation, etc. However, with modern building techniques there are increasing requirements to order off site manufactured goods from specialist suppliers which could include anything from timber frame building sets to bespoke windows and doors, staircases and kitchens, etc. Specialist suppliers will usually have their own supply contracts and with carefully calculated payment terms and there is little improvement that a QS is likely to make here unless escrow facilities can be negotiated on your behalf. But sometimes you might place these orders through your contractor and, in fairness, this may cause your contractor to breach their normal credit limits with suppliers. In these instances, the QS could assist in helping to value pre-payments for products awaiting manufacture in a routine progress valuation and also by potentially registering your interest in these products with the supplier.
Contract Administration
For those of you seeking a single main contractor and a robust JCT style contract, the appointment of a Contract Administrator is a popular option to manage the contractors appointment and administer the contract up to and including PC. Architects will often be interested in fulfilling this role but only normally where they have carried out the design work, however, some architects are less interested in the on-site activity and do not carry the resource to deliver this service. A QS with an interest in full project management would make an ideal candidate to fulfil this role for you.
Dispute Resolution
Disputes can and do occur in construction contracts and often this is based on misunderstandings arising from poor paperwork and pre-contract negotiations. Where two parties see matters quite differently it sometimes needs a third party to intervene and make recommendations. Disputes usually relate to money, time or quality and a QS would be an ideal candidate to independently advise on claims for cost or disputes over quality, and for either party to the dispute. Where is comes to the time taken for delivery, unless the contract (agreement) specifically details the time period within which the delivery should have taken place, it is usually very difficult to make a successful claim for compensation or consequential cost. A QS can, however, summarise consequential cost which might assist with your negotiations.
Written and published in January 2020
