👉The role of a Quantity Surveyor (QS) on a building construction site is multifaceted and critical to the project's financial and contractual success.
⏺While often perceived as an office-based role, a significant portion of their duties requires a physical presence on-site to be effective.
🏷Here is a detailed breakdown of the duties and responsibilities of a Quantity Surveyor on a building construction site, categorized for clarity.
⭐️Core Philosophy: The Financial and Contractual Guardian
⏺The overarching duty of a QS is to manage all costs and contractual matters relating to a construction project.
⏺They ensure the project is completed within budget, while ensuring the client and contractor get value for money and that all parties are treated fairly according to the contract.
🚧I. Pre-Construction & Planning Phase (On-Site Involvement Begins)
⏺Even before ground is broken, the QS's work is tied to the site conditions.
* Site Visits for Tender Preparation: Conducting pre-tender site visits to understand existing conditions, access issues, logistical challenges, and any potential risks that could affect cost (e.g., poor ground conditions, tight site boundaries, presence of asbestos).
* Informing Cost Plans: Using site intelligence to create accurate cost estimates and bills of quantities.
🚧II. Construction Phase (Primary On-Site Responsibilities)
This is where the site-based QS is most active.
📜A. Cost Control and Financial Management
❇️1. Valuation of Work in Progress (Interim Applications):
* Site Measurement: Physically measuring and verifying the amount of work completed on-site each month (e.g., cubic meters of concrete poured, tons of reinforcement fixed, square meters of brickwork laid).
* Progress Assessment: Evaluating the percentage completion of complex elements like MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) services.
* Preparing Payment Certificates: Using these measurements to prepare detailed valuations (Interim Payment Applications) to submit to the client or consultant for payment.
❇️2. Cost Reporting:
* Tracking Actual vs. Budgeted Cost: Monitoring all site expenditures against the original budget and forecasted final cost.
* Preparing Cost Reports: Creating regular reports for project managers and clients, highlighting any cost overruns, savings, and forecasting the final account value.
❇️3. Subcontractor Management:
* Appointing Subcontractors: Managing the tender process for packages of work, comparing quotes, and preparing subcontract documents.
* Valuing Subcontractor Work: Measuring their work, agreeing on valuations, and authorizing payments (often after deducting retention money).
* Managing Final Accounts: Agreeing on the final sum due to each subcontractor upon completion of their work.
📜B. Contract Administration
❇️4. Change Management (Variations):
* Identifying Variations: Recognizing any changes instructed by the client or deviations from the original design/drawings.
* Pricing Variations: Quantifying the change and negotiating a fair price for the additional/omitted work, including its impact on program time.
* Documenting Variations: Ensuring all variations are formally instructed in writing to justify future claims for payment.
❇️5. Claims Management:
* Evaluating Entitlement: Assessing if the contractor is entitled to additional time or money due to client-caused delays, unforeseen site conditions (e.g., discovering unexpected rock), or other disruptive events as per the contract.
* Preparing Claims: Compiling all necessary evidence (diaries, photos, emails, programs) to build a robust claim for either an extension of time (EoT) or financial compensation.
@etconp
⏺While often perceived as an office-based role, a significant portion of their duties requires a physical presence on-site to be effective.
🏷Here is a detailed breakdown of the duties and responsibilities of a Quantity Surveyor on a building construction site, categorized for clarity.
⭐️Core Philosophy: The Financial and Contractual Guardian
⏺The overarching duty of a QS is to manage all costs and contractual matters relating to a construction project.
⏺They ensure the project is completed within budget, while ensuring the client and contractor get value for money and that all parties are treated fairly according to the contract.
🚧I. Pre-Construction & Planning Phase (On-Site Involvement Begins)
⏺Even before ground is broken, the QS's work is tied to the site conditions.
* Site Visits for Tender Preparation: Conducting pre-tender site visits to understand existing conditions, access issues, logistical challenges, and any potential risks that could affect cost (e.g., poor ground conditions, tight site boundaries, presence of asbestos).
* Informing Cost Plans: Using site intelligence to create accurate cost estimates and bills of quantities.
🚧II. Construction Phase (Primary On-Site Responsibilities)
This is where the site-based QS is most active.
📜A. Cost Control and Financial Management
❇️1. Valuation of Work in Progress (Interim Applications):
* Site Measurement: Physically measuring and verifying the amount of work completed on-site each month (e.g., cubic meters of concrete poured, tons of reinforcement fixed, square meters of brickwork laid).
* Progress Assessment: Evaluating the percentage completion of complex elements like MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) services.
* Preparing Payment Certificates: Using these measurements to prepare detailed valuations (Interim Payment Applications) to submit to the client or consultant for payment.
❇️2. Cost Reporting:
* Tracking Actual vs. Budgeted Cost: Monitoring all site expenditures against the original budget and forecasted final cost.
* Preparing Cost Reports: Creating regular reports for project managers and clients, highlighting any cost overruns, savings, and forecasting the final account value.
❇️3. Subcontractor Management:
* Appointing Subcontractors: Managing the tender process for packages of work, comparing quotes, and preparing subcontract documents.
* Valuing Subcontractor Work: Measuring their work, agreeing on valuations, and authorizing payments (often after deducting retention money).
* Managing Final Accounts: Agreeing on the final sum due to each subcontractor upon completion of their work.
📜B. Contract Administration
❇️4. Change Management (Variations):
* Identifying Variations: Recognizing any changes instructed by the client or deviations from the original design/drawings.
* Pricing Variations: Quantifying the change and negotiating a fair price for the additional/omitted work, including its impact on program time.
* Documenting Variations: Ensuring all variations are formally instructed in writing to justify future claims for payment.
❇️5. Claims Management:
* Evaluating Entitlement: Assessing if the contractor is entitled to additional time or money due to client-caused delays, unforeseen site conditions (e.g., discovering unexpected rock), or other disruptive events as per the contract.
* Preparing Claims: Compiling all necessary evidence (diaries, photos, emails, programs) to build a robust claim for either an extension of time (EoT) or financial compensation.
@etconp
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