What is a Quantity Surveyor do (QS)?

 

What are Responsibilities of a Quantity Surveyor

Above are the key tasks of a Quantity Surveyor, Below we have categorised all the responsibilities separately for pre-contract and post-contract stages.

Pre- contract Quantity Surveyor as a Contractor’s representative.

• Taking off quantities.
• Preparation of BOQ.
• Pricing and Estimation.
• Preparation of BOM (Bill of Material).
• Analyzing and mitigating risks at the tender stage.
• Planing the project cash flow according to the estimate.
• Analysing industry ( PESTLE analysis, SWOT analysis) and choose jobs (Tenders) wisely.

Pre- contract Quantity Surveyor as a Client/consultant’s representative.

• Preparation of Preliminary project estimates (cost plans).
• Assisting to choose proper procurement methods for works to be carried out.
• Preparation of tender documents.
• Preparation of BOQ.
• Working along with planning team and assisting to prepare project programme and Work break down structure (WBS).
• Evaluate the project life cycle to assist the value engineering process.

Post- contract Quantity Surveyor as a Contractor’s representative.

• Preparation of payment applications.
• Handling Variations/ change orders and claims (such as EOT, Acceleration).
• Controlling of cash flow and forecasting the cash flow.
• Keep an eye on Bonds and insurances (such as CAR policy, Performance bond) and renew those accordingly.
• Preparation of project cost reports and analysing the status( with EVM, cost value reconciliation)
• Subcontractor payment and contract handling.

Post- contract Quantity Surveyor as a Client/consultant’s representative.

• Certification of contractor’s payment applications and claims
• Monitor delays and damages as per the contract and penalize the contractor accordingly.
• Collecting the expired documents such as bonds, guarantees, of the contract document.
• Drafting and sending contract correspondences such as delay notices, variation orders.

Quantity Surveyor as a contract administrator, Delay analyst or claims officer,

what is Main responsibilities of a QS as Contract administrator can be,

• Analysing and discussing term and conditions in a contract.
• Predicting potential risks due to conditions in the contract and mitigating them.
• Following milestones of the project and take precautions for possible delays.
• Correspond the contract amendments. 
• Investigating and agreeing to the change orders (variations) and control EVM process.
• Drafting and sending contract correspondences such as delay notices, variation orders.

Main responsibilities of a QS as Delay analyst or Claims officer can be.

• Analyses of delay in the work or project.
• Following the critical path and make sure the project reach interim milestones.
• redrafting project programme based on the identified delays.
• preparing and negotiating claims.
• Assisting ADR processes such as Arbitration and mediation.

for more insight visit-

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors-RICS

Chartered Institute of Building-CIOB

Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors-AIQS

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