Provisional Sums Explained
If you’re a Quantity Surveyor, you’ve most likely estimated or come across a provisional sum in a price. If you
5 Skills Every Quantity Surveyor Needs!
If you’ve ever thought about venturing into the world of Quantity Surveying, you might wonderwhat you need to be good at to succeed. Good Quantity Surveyors are extremely sought after within the wonderful world of construction. The sad truth is like any profession, you can get good and bad QS’s. So you maybe wondering what skills are needed to succeed if you want to fall within the good QS’s column rather than the bad… and with it demand the healthier salaries. Well, you’re in luck, this blog is going to take a look at the top 5 skills that we feel Quantity Surveyors need in order to do the role professionally and to a high standard. 1. Numeracy. Unfortunately there is no getting away from it. Being good at Maths is a great skill to have for Quantity surveyors. General day to day tasks include calculating the cost of a project to make sure that it’s affordable before work starts by building Bill of Quantities for example, and then ensuring thatthe project is running to the agreed budget by managing the actual costs throughout construction. Other tasks will include forecasting and calculating potential efficiencies on projects so if pages of costs, figures and spreadsheets make you feel slightly uneasy, QuantitySurveying may not be the best fit! 2. Good working knowledge of Excel and specialist software packages. Utilising available software speeds up the general day to day tasks of a QS and helps with processing vast amounts of data and accuracy with pricing and cost management. Deadlines can at times be very tight so the ability to produce reports summarising the cost data of a project or multiple projects quickly can really help you stand out from the crowd. 3. Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal & social skills. You may have heard this before but ‘Price isn’t always the deciding factor’. Like in a lot of industries, the relationships that we form with clients and other stakeholders can sometimes lead to better performance through trust and quality, ensuring clients keep coming back. Understanding your clients’ wants and needs will put you in the best possible position to help and advise them, putting you ahead of competitors. A positive experience is super important when a client is making a decision, especially on long construction projects where communication and collaboration is key. 4. The ability to negotiate. This is something that will always set apart a good quantity surveyor from a great quantity surveyor. Negotiation can and should be used to help save the company or the client time, money or materials. If you are well informed and an expert on the current state of your industry, negotiation can become far easier and can help you to get the best deals. Negotiation techniques are something that we feel must be built over time and comes with experience, unfortunately it’s not something you can become an expert in overnight! 5. Attention to detail and patience. Having a great eye for detail, organised and methodical can be invaluable skills for a Quantity Surveyor. A lot of what QS’s do must adhere to legal contracts and is to do with money so it can often be scrutinised to the very finest details. You need to make sure nothing is missed that can later cost your employer or client money and time. Be patient when scrolling through documents and contracts as small details could be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful project. Pay attention to the project as a whole and always try to think ahead to capture potential risks as soon (if not before) they arise.
Construction Interim Payment Process Explained (HGCR Act 1996)
Interim payments are vital for construction projects which span over a long duration, as it enables on-going financing for the contractor. However, interim payments are not just a convenience for the contractor, it’s also a requirement under UK law. In this article we’re going to look at what the law says and what process needs to be followed. So when are interim payments actually required? Let’s look at what The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration (HGCR) Act
How Old Is Quantity Surveying? | A Brief History Of The Quantity Surveyor
Let’s be honest, this is not a thought that goes through many people’s minds. We’re pretty sure nobody is kept
Quantity Surveyors Vs. Building Surveyors
Whether you are looking at getting into construction or already work within the industry, you may have heard of and perhaps come across both Quantity Surveyors and Building Surveyorsbut many of you may wonder if there are differences in the roles and responsibilities of the 2 professions and if so, what exactly the differences are. Well, if you want these questions answered to make a career path decision or simply gain a better understanding of the 2, you are in the right place so keep reading! To put it simply, building surveyors focus more on the technical side of both the property and construction sectors. Meanwhile, quantity surveyors deal with the financial side of the construction industry, making sure every project is cost-effective. Both are covered and can be a member of RICS and can be invaluable team members on a construction project. Lets take a deeper look… We are going to with some of the most common responsibilities of Building Surveyors, these include: Surveying properties, identifying structural faults, and providing recommendations for essential repairs Assessing damage (following a fire or flood) for insurance purposes Establishing who is responsible for building repair costs Advising clients on issues such as property boundary disputes Inspecting properties to make sure that they meet building regulations, and fire safety and accessibility standards Dealing with planning applications and with improvement or conservation grants The main roles and responsibilities of Quantity Surveyors on the other hand more commonly include: Studying drawings and specifications about a new building, usually provided by architects or engineers Must use their strong financial, analytical, interpretative skills to ensure the smooth running of projects Calculating the materials, time, and labour costs of a project Preparing, negotiating, and analysing costs for project contracts Using their good interpersonal skills and abilities to organise teams Advising on a range of legal and contractual issues Valuing completed work and arranging for payments to be made or preparing applications for payment to be submitted to clients. So, as you can see from the roles and responsibilities, a typical day at the office is likely to look pretty different for building surveyors and quantity surveyors. A great way to look at it is the information gathered by building surveyors at construction siteswill be used to prepare contract and tender documentation and advise the client before construction commences. In turn, these documents will then be given to the quantity surveyor,so they can use the information to prepare bills of quantities and take the project further through pricing and cost management throughout. Quantity Surveyors are also extremely likely to be involved after projects during the final accounting stage.
Which Quantity Surveying Chartership Is Best For You?
Quantity Surveying is a profession that consists of many levels depending on experience and knowledge. The career path of many quantity surveyors tends to follow the below: · Assistant Quantity Surveyor · Quantity Surveyor · Senior Quantity Surveyor · Chartered Quantity Surveyor Obtaining Chartership status is very often the pinnacle of the quantity surveying profession and naturally means, people can demand higher wages due to their skills and experience being in such high demand. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is perhaps the most known and respected Chartership status within the industry but what you may not know is that they are not the only certified institution that a quantity surveyor can obtain Chartershipstatus with. This short blog is going to look at the professional qualifications for quantity surveyors that by achieving, will grant Chartership status and consequently improved career progression. RICS The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors is arguably the leading qualification body for land, construction, and related environmental issues. RICS has a hand in setting, maintaining, and regulating professional standards globally. The institution regularly advises businesses and governments in industry matters so naturally all members of RICS must provide a high standard of service, advice, and integrity in whichever part of the world they operate. Generally, to become qualified with RICS you must have a RICS accredited degree and complete their Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) requirements. For more detail on this check out our dedicated MRICS qualification video and blog on this website and youtube! CICES The Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) is an international qualifying body dedicated to the regulation, education and training of surveyors working within civil engineering. CICES is now recognised as the leading chartered professional body for Quantity Surveyors in the Civil engineering sector. The requirements to qualify for CICES chartered status include: · A completed principal sponsor’s form. · A detailed CV (1500-2000 words). · An experience report (1500-2000 words). · A completed set of ICES core and specialist competencies, signed off by the applicant’s supervisor. · A record of continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken in the last two years, andcopies of qualification certificates. CIOB The Chartered Institute of Building is an internationally-recognised organisation specialising inmanagement and leadership in construction. The institute achieved a Royal Charter which was granted to them in 1980 as they provided a benefit to society by promoting the science and practice of building. The institute has over 45,000 members worldwide, working in over 100 countries. In addition to its professional reputation, the CIOB also contributes to research and development within the construction industry. To become fully chartered with CIOB, candidates must complete an MCIOB structured programme which combines practical and theoretical aspects of study followed by examination. To become a member of the CIOB, members should also have several years of professional experience in construction.
The Most Expensive Infrastructure Projects In Each Continent
When you hear the term “in an ever connecting world”, you may automatically think of the internet, your phone, or
Interim Valuation Process Explained – Quantity Surveying
In a pervious article we discussed the purpose of valuations in Quantity Surveying and how they serve the interim payment process during the lifecycle of a project. In this article, we are going to delve a little deeper into some of the practical steps on how valuations are carried out. This article has been made using the information provided by RICS in the Interim valuations and payments 1stedition, August 2015. The RICS states the following on the purpose of valuations: “The purpose
The Top 10 Quantity Surveying Universities In The UK | Master’s Edition
Following our recent post on the best universities to study Quantity Surveying at undergraduate level, we have been asked on
What are Interim Valuations? – Quantity Surveying
Valuations are a significant part of Quantity Surveying. Throughout your career, you’ll need to know how to carry out and assess valuations. In this 3 part series we’re going to be looking into what valuations are and why they are required (Part 1), the practical steps on how valuations are carried out (Part 2) and the interim payment process including terms, deadlines and UK law (Part 3). This article, which forms part 1 of the series will look into what valuations are and why they are required. The RICS provides the following definition for valuations. “Valuation is the process by which the quantity surveyor arrives at the value. It normally involves visiting site and checking that the work has been carried out by visual inspection and/or measurement.” The valuation of a construction project is important for many reasons. One of which is that it facilitates interim payments to be made to the contractor (these are known as external valuations). Another purpose, is for reconciling value against cost in the CVR (these are knownas internal valuations). In this video we’ll be exploring external valuations. External valuations are what interim payments are based on. Interim payments are vital for a construction projectswhich span over a longer duration as it enables on-going financing for the contractor, alleviating some of the pressure of finding adequate funds to maintain a positive cash flow. However, interim payments are not only just a convenience for the contractor who is carrying out the works, it’s also a requirement under UK law, something we will discuss more about in part 3. For now we’ll delve a little deeper into valuations. In this example, we’re going to assume the payment method is based on assessment against a Bill of Quantities. Usually, carried out on a monthly basis, the contractor’s Quantity Surveyor will carry out a realistic assessment of what work has been carried out on site to form part of the valuation. This is achieved using mixture of measurement and visual inspection. The quantities derived from this assessment are then multiplied by the agreed rates on the Bill of Quantities. The sum is then combined with a portion of the preliminaries to make up the external valuation. Other payment methods will require a slightly different approach. For example: · Activity schedule – where payment is made upon completion of certain activities, or · Cost based contract, where the contractor gets paid for cost which is deemed allowable under the contract, or · Fixed stage payments agreed at the start of the contract The type of payment method utilised will impact how the external valuation is carried out. However, the principle is the same. It determines what amount the contractor believes is due to be paid from the employer. The employer will then carry out their assessment on the valuation and follow this up with a payment notice/ certificate. It should be noted, the valuation is a reflection of the value from the start of the project up to the assessment date (not the value since the previous assessment date). Why not check out our video on this subject?
