Quantity Surveyor: Imran
Quantity Surveyor: Imran
IMRAN
His function, in general, is to manage and control contracts and costs within construction projects.
The Quantity Surveyor is a construction professional, qualified and adequately trained to advise on all aspects of construction costs, financial and contractual administration. He or she is an expert on the cost and management of construction projects, whether building, civil or heavy engineering; as diverse as housing, commercial property developments, hospitals, petrochemical plants, highways, dams and airports.
Quantity Surveyors may work in a variety of areas vis. private practice, government sectors, educational institutions, construction companies, property developers, banks and financial institutions, industrial companies and other commercial companies.
Once the decision is made to build the project, the Quantity Surveyor advises the client on appropriate contract arrangement as well as the legal contract and conditions under which the building will be constructed.
1) 2) 3) 4)
They can be: Open Tendering Selective Tendering Negotiation Turnkey or Design and Build Contract Standard Forms of Contract : PAM, PWD, IEM, CIDB, Fidics, JCT
Quantity surveyors calculate the cost of building projects, taking into account materials, labour, plants or machineries and maintenance costs. They are able to assess the implications of changes in design, site conditions and working arrangements and give the client accurate budget and time estimates.
Land cost
Labour cost
Quantity Surveyor
Plant cost
Material cost
He or she also, is acting on behalf of the client advises the architect and engineer on the cost implications.
This includes the different construction methods, alternative choice of materials and size and quality of the project. This is also to ensure that each element is reconciled with the cost plan allowance and the overall project cost remains within the budget.
Work Activities Preliminary/Feasibility Stage Quantity surveyors use plans drawn up by an architect or civil engineer to work out the cost of constructing buildings. They use the plans to make an initial estimate of the cost of a project. At this stage, the QS do not have a lot of detailed plans to work on and cost. They might have only basic sketch plans and a brief outline specifications.
a) b) c)
Example
The above sheet shows a typical page of a bill of quantities. Unpriced is exactly the same but with no rates/costs.
The contractors QS / contract administrator will have prepared claims for progress payments and additional works.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
The services provided by the Professional Quantity Surveyor can be categorised under the following : 1) Basic Services 2) Supplementary Services
Basic Services
1) Preparation of preliminary cost estimates and cost plans of the development project. 2) Advise on cost estimates in relation to design development of a project. 3) Advise on procurement, tendering and contractual procedures and arrangement. 4) Preparation of the Bill of Quantities or Specification document for tendering purposes. 5) Organise the calling of tenders.
Basic Services
6) Evaluation of tenders received in the form of tender reports. 7) Preparation and execution of the formal contract. 8) Interim valuation of works in progress on site for purposes of interim payments. 9) Preparation of financial statement of regular intervals during the construction period. 10) Settlement of the final accounts of the project.
2) Projection of estimated project or development expenditure and anticipated income cash flows.
3) Evaluation of contractors registered for prequalification.
4) Comparative cost studies on the economics of the project during design stage.
Supplementary Services
5) Project management of construction project. 6) Life-cycle costing and studies on economics of alternative design.
Supplementary Services
10) Auditing of contracts and their related budgets and expenditure. 11) Application of the full scope of quantity surveying services in Turnkey or Privatisation Contracts.
Personal Qualities and Skills You should have good communications skills as you could be required to express your opinions both verbally and on paper.
You are also likely to be involved in negotiating with a wide variety of people, which means that you would have to listen to the points of view of others as well as giving your own opinion.
Thank You.