Quantity Surveying: Responsibilities, Skills & Recent Trends

Quantity Surveying is the process of calculating the required materials and labor for a construction project.

Being a critical part of any construction project, it has advanced with the advent of digital estimation tools.

Traditional quantity surveying involved manual extraction of quantities from drawings. Digital tools automate this process and eliminate the errors involved in the manual process.

And this is not the future, but firms across the globe are already using digital quantity surveying processes. This digital approach allows estimation teams to collaborate in real-time and create more effective Bills of Quantities (BOQs) and Bills of Materials (BOMs).

A Bill of Quantities (BoQ) is a standardized document that lists every material and labor item needed for a construction project.

A quantity takeoff is an important aspect of any project that has a budget or for making project bids. It is a list of all the physical materials necessary to complete a construction job and their costs.

As the construction industry has reached a pivotal point, every aspect of the project is transforming digitally, including quantity surveying. And, that too, there is a globally recognized level of quantity surveyors known as "chartered surveyors". They are highly qualified professionals who have completed the extensive training and secured certifications from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Accurate quantity takeoffs can mean the difference between a financial disaster and a completed project that keeps everyone happy. The quantity takeoff should be done early in the construction process, before offering any quotes or bids.

This blog will take you into the recent and upcoming trends in quantity surveying. But before that, let’s understand the day-to-day chores of a quantity surveyor.

Who is a Quantity Surveyor, and their Responsibilities

Construction projects require a lot of time and money, and every cost must be accounted for to ensure profitability. A Quantity Surveyor is the expert who precisely calculates and manages the build cost of a structure for maximum profitability.

The specific duties of a Quantity Surveyor vary depending on whether they work for the Client or the Contractor. However, their role involves controlling and managing the cost from conception to completion.

They ensure that the project budget or project costs are not over- or under-utilized, and materials are procured accurately without any quality standards or quantity issues. Technical proficiency enables accurate financial oversight, including the ability to measure quantities from drawings and produce detailed Bills of Quantities (BoQ).

The preliminary construction costs analysis in quantity surveying is where their role begins, where they engage in detailed client consultations. Once the on-site work begins, they monitor the ongoing expenses, identify areas for money savings, and produce detailed reports.

A seasoned quantity surveyor will give you advice on lifecycle costing, cost planning, cost estimate, procurement, tendering, and contract administration. This information is also essential for professionals to prepare tender documents.

Manual quantity takeoffs are time-consuming and depend heavily on the skills and knowledge of the individual. On the contrary, digital quantity takeoffs can be completed much faster and more accurately than manual takeoffs.

Organizations often carry on quantity surveying and material takeoff in combination. However, there is a fine gap between quantity and material takeoffs.

There are also these specific sets of activities that quantity surveyors have to perform:

Interim Valuations: This involves visiting the site to verify work completion rates and certify the monthly payment of contractors or subcontractors.

Tendering & Procurement: This involves managing the bidding process, evaluating contractor proposals, and negotiating competitive rates.

Contractual & Legal Knowledge: Quantity surveyors should have a deep understanding of standard construction contracts to manage variations and disputes.

Feasibility Studies: Professionals also analyze a project's viability to determine if it can be built within the client's budget and timeframe.

Risk Management: Here, professionals identify potential financial or operational risks early and developing mitigation strategies.

Salary and Earnings of Quantity Surveying

Quantity surveyor salaries vary based on qualifications, skills, experience, location, employer, and industry sector. The average salary for quantity surveyors can range from £25,500 to £90,000.

So, for example, trainee quantity surveyors can expect to earn between £18,000 and £24,000 per year. Trainees can look for additional internships and apprenticeships that would help them move upward faster. Practical experience gained through internships, apprenticeships, or graduate schemes is vital for developing knowledge of construction processes.

On the other hand, graduate quantity surveyors typically earn between £25,000 and £32,000 per year. Highly qualified chartered quantity surveyors can earn between £44,500 and £56,000 per year because of their globally recognized accreditations. A successful quantity surveyor typically requires a bachelor’s degree in quantity surveying, construction management, or civil engineering.

However, not all quantity surveyors have RICS certification, but if they are at the senior or management level, they can earn £57,000 or more per year. But to qualify for chartered quantity surveyor status, you will need at least two years' relevant work experience. Professionals dealing with high-stakes projects may also have bonuses for hitting targets at higher levels.

Aspiring quantity surveyors have several paths, including university degrees, postgraduate conversion courses, apprenticeships, and RICS' associate and chartered qualifications.

A Quantity Surveyor acts as the project’s financial architect, ensuring that the build is completed within budget while maintaining quality and meeting legal requirements.

Quantity Vs Material Takeoffs: The Difference

While the terms are used interchangeably across the industry, here are the key differences between the two:

Material Takeoffs	Quantity Takeoffs
It is simply the list of materials needed to be procured, much like a shopping list.	It offers details on material type, quantity (in units), dimensions (in linear length, surface area, cubic volume, and weight), and the costs.
Its uses include procurement, site planning, and inventory prep.	It is used in critical project endeavors such as budgeting, quoting, bidding, and profitability forecasting.
Site supervisors and procurement managers use it.	Estimators, project managers, and builders use this.

Here is a simple example to understand the basic difference between material and quantity takeoffs:

Quantity takeoff: “2x4 Timber- 500 ft @ $3.20/ft= $1,600”

Material Takeoff: 2x4 Timber-500 ft.

The above example clearly shows how quantity takeoff further adds to the process.

Now, if you want to build a career in quantity surveying, here are the top skills you must have for professional competence.

Skills required to be a Quantity Surveyor

The role of a quantity surveyor is a critical one, as you will be dealing with subcontractors, dealing over finances of the project. Your analysis will have a direct impact on the project timeline and profitability. So, here are the key skills required:

• Strong in maths and numerical analytical skills
• Seasoned in written and verbal communication
• Excellent analytical thinking and problem-solving mindset
• Proficiency with digital quantity surveying tools
• Capability to manage projects

So, these are the core skills you require to be able to survive in the modern AECO landscape.

Next Phase of Quantity Surveying Construction

Lately, the construction industry has been inclined towards digital technologies and sustainability. These two aspects have a transformative effect on Quantity Surveying in the present and the near future.

Digital Quantity Takeoffs and BIM Integration

This is the most fundamental transformation in quantity surveying, with the advent of BIM modelling.

Professionals can now rely on BIM models for the successful and accurate extraction of material quantities. BIM modeling applications, such as Revit, integrate with quantity surveying software like PlanSwift or CostX.

Cost Planning involves creating detailed budgets and allocating funds to specific building elements like structures and finishes.

So, the process goes like, with each level of development, the BIM models, the software extracts accurate quantities, types, and dimensions of materials used. For example, in electrical wiring systems, the takeoffs would include conduits, cables, MCBs, etc. Since this is software-performed, it reduces the time spent on manual takeoffs and error correction afterwards.

Quantity surveyors must often work within 5D Building Information Modeling (BIM) environments to link cost data directly to 3D models.

One of the greatest advantages is that the software tracks model changes in real-time. And then reflects it instantly in the quantity surveying document.

Cloud-Based Cost Management

Many platforms have emerged with cloud-based capabilities such as Bluebeam, PlanSwift, and CostX.

Upon proper integration of this software into their workflows, organizations can achieve better data sharing at each construction phase, speed up cost estimation, and collaborate in real-time with multiple disciplines.

Carbon Costing and Life Cycle Analysis

Organizations are now adapting these processes to ensure they acquire and accomplish projects that require compliance with LEED and BREEAM certifications.

Quantity surveyors use a process called lifecycle cost analysis to assess the long-term financial liabilities. In this process, they also check the environmental impact of the materials used, early in the design process. With modern tech, software applications allow them to simulate scenarios, experiment with different materials, and determine the material carbon footprint.

Renewable Energy Integration

The growing emphasis on sustainable constructions has also given a surge in the integration of renewable energy sources.
Mega infrastructures across the globe now focus on achieving net-zero targets. This indicates that quantity surveyors also need to work closely with solar, wind, and geothermal equipment suppliers.

This equipment/material is also included in the material takeoffs to ensure a comprehensive analysis and effective output.

Final Verdict

The trends we talked about are not the future, but the present. Organizations across the globe have already started implementing digital and automated approaches. In order to take the lead and stay competitive, quantity surveying professionals should acquire relevant skills and certifications from recognized training bodies. The near future will make these digital quantity surveying processes further effective, with the integration of AI and machine learning. With their involvement, there will be pattern analysis capabilities, which can mitigate potential risks that are still there in modern quantity surveying.

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