Quantity Surveying.. It’s all part of the plan..

10 Feb

Whilst an experienced scheduler is an essential cog of the construction machine; what can’t be understated is the importance of an experienced Quantity Surveyor also forming crucial part of the construction process, with a vital role in ensuring the success of a construction project.

Typically a Quantity Surveyor is associated with being responsible for estimating the cost of a project, this also includes determining the manhours required to complete the project and creating a comprehensive schedule.

Afterall, how can you forecast a project’s cost without knowing how long it will take? And how can you know how long it will take without measuring, estimating and quantifying the materials and processes required to build a plan?

In fact, a Quantity Surveyor and a Planner have somewhat of a symbiotic relationship when it comes to forecasting an accurate plan. Let’s break it down.

You simply can’t begin to forecast how long a house will take to build or how much it will cost, unless you know how many bricks will be required and how long it will take to place them. A first-principle estimate will determine a unit rate in hours (and therefore cost) of how long it will take to lay each brick and the underlying superstructure.

A planner needs to take that data and apply their understanding of methodology and construction logic to turn raw data into a workable plan given the amount of resources on hand.

As the project proceeds, a planner simply can not accurately ascertain the progress of a construction project without an accurate status of procurement, materials on site, materials installed and other factors around the project. Similarly, without variations being contemporaneously measured for scope and progress, the plan cannot be a true reflection of a forecast of time to go on a project.

A material takeoff is an essential part of the estimating process, and both of these elements work together to form a comprehensive and accurate estimate. In this essay, we will discuss why an experienced Quantity Surveyor is essential in forming an estimate of the manhours required to form a construction project schedule and why the material take off is the basis for a successful project.

The role of a Quantity Surveyor in a construction project is to provide cost advice and management, from the initial planning stage through to the final construction stage. They use their knowledge and expertise t

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