Quantity surveyors manage the money on construction projects. They work out what a building or a piece of infrastructure should cost, help decide how it is bought, keep track of changes as it is built and agree the final bill. The job looks different depending on which side of the table you sit: with a consultancy advising the client, or with the contractor building the project. This guide explains both.
The short answer
A quantity surveyor (QS) makes sure a project delivers value for money and that everyone is paid fairly for what was actually done. A consultant QS works for the client and protects the client's budget. A contractor's QS works for the builder and protects the builder's margin. The skills overlap a great deal, but the day-to-day priorities differ.
What the work involves
Before construction starts
- Estimates and cost plans: working out what a project is likely to cost at each stage of the design, and keeping the design within the budget.
- Procurement advice: advising on how to buy the work, for example a traditional contract, design and build or a framework.
- Tender documents: measuring the work and preparing bills of quantities or pricing documents, often using the RICS New Rules of Measurement (NRM).
- Tender analysis: comparing the prices that come back and recommending which to accept.
During and after construction
- Valuations: assessing the work done each month so the contractor can be paid.
- Variations and change: pricing changes to the design or the scope, and agreeing them.
- Cost reporting: telling the client, or the contractor's management, where the money stands and what is coming.
- Final accounts: agreeing the final cost of the project once the work is finished.
- Contracts and claims: working with the standard forms, mostly JCT and NEC in the UK, and dealing with claims and disputes when they arise.
Consultancy vs contractor
This is the big choice for most quantity surveyors, and many move between the two during their careers.
| Consultancy (client side) | Contractor | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you work for | The client: developers, public bodies, housing associations, investors | The building company delivering the project |
| Main focus | Budgets, cost plans, procurement and value for money | Margin, cash flow, subcontractor packages and getting paid |
| Stage of project | From early feasibility to the final account | Mainly from tender and construction to the final account |
| Where you are based | Mostly office based, with site visits and meetings | Often site based, sometimes in a site office for the length of a job |
| Typical titles | Assistant QS, QS, Senior QS, Associate, Director | Trainee or Assistant QS, QS, Senior QS, Managing QS, Commercial Manager, Commercial Director |
Life as a consultant QS
Consultancy gives you variety: several projects at once, often across different sectors such as housing, education, healthcare and commercial. You see projects from the very start, when the budget is set, and you spend more time on cost planning and procurement. Progression leads to Associate and Director, where winning and keeping clients becomes part of the job.
Life as a contractor's QS
At a contractor you usually work on one or two projects in depth, close to the site team. You manage subcontractor packages, prepare the contractor's applications for payment, watch the cash flow and negotiate the final account with the client's QS. The pace can be fast and the responsibility for the numbers is direct. Progression leads to Commercial Manager and Commercial Director.
Other employers
Quantity surveyors also work for clients directly, such as housing associations, councils, universities and infrastructure owners, and for subcontractors, specialist cost consultants and dispute resolution firms.
Skills that matter
- Strong numeracy and accuracy, and comfort with spreadsheets and estimating or measurement software.
- A good understanding of construction: you cannot price what you do not understand.
- Knowledge of contracts, especially JCT and NEC.
- Negotiation: valuations, variations and final accounts all depend on agreement.
- Clear reporting, written and spoken, for people who are not cost experts.
Qualifications and chartership
Most quantity surveyors have an RICS-accredited degree in quantity surveying or a conversion master's, and apprenticeships are common, especially at contractors. Chartership is through the RICS APC, usually on the Quantity Surveying and Construction pathway: see the RICS APC explained. Some QSs, particularly at contractors, also join CIOB.
Career path and pay
- Graduate or trainee QS: £25,000 to £35,000
- Quantity surveyor: £31,000 to £46,000
- Senior QS: £40,000 to £64,000
- Associate: £56,000 to £86,000
- Director: £75,000 to £154,000
Pay depends on the employer, the sector, the location and chartership. Our surveying salary guide has the details, and our guide to surveying job titles explains how contractor and consultancy titles line up.
Which side should you choose?
If you like variety, early-stage advice and a broader view across many projects, consultancy may suit you. If you prefer to be close to the build, enjoy commercial pressure and want to see one project through in depth, a contractor may be the better fit. Neither choice is permanent, and experience on both sides is valued.
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