A Quantity Surveyor’s role should not begin when the first payment application is due. The value of a QS can be shown even before the project starts.
Some of the most important commercial decisions on a construction project are made before work even starts on site. If the contract is not understood, the scope is unclear, the budget is weak or procurement is rushed, the project can carry risk from day one.
This is where a QS can add real value.
Reviewing the Contract Early
Before the project starts, a QS should understand the contract position.
This includes payment terms, notices, change control, design responsibility, liability, LADs, insurance, retention, amendments and any unusual clauses.
The key questions are:
- What are the payment dates?
- How are changes instructed and valued?
- What notices are required?
- Who holds design responsibility?
- Where are the main commercial risks?
If these issues are understood early, the project team can manage them properly. If they are ignored, they often become problems later.
Checking the Scope
A clear scope is one of the best ways to avoid disputes.
Before work starts, a QS can review the drawings, specifications, pricing documents, subcontract packages and tender clarifications to check whether the scope is complete and consistent.
The questions should be simple:
- What is included?
- What is excluded?
- Are there any gaps?
- Are responsibilities clear?
- Have assumptions been properly captured?
Scope gaps can be expensive. They often lead to variations, delays, disputes and difficult conversations with clients or subcontractors. A QS who helps identify these gaps early can protect the project before the cost is incurred.
Supporting Procurement
Good procurement is not just about selecting the cheapest quote.
A QS can add value by reviewing subcontractor quotes properly, comparing them on a like-for-like basis and identifying the risks hidden in the detail.
That means checking exclusions, attendances, programme assumptions, design responsibility, payment terms, qualifications and insurance requirements.
The lowest price may not be the best option if it leaves the main contractor carrying significant risk. A strong QS helps the project team understand the real commercial position behind each quote.
Building a Realistic Budget
A project budget needs to be more than a list of trade prices.
Before work starts, the QS should make sure the budget includes realistic allowances for preliminaries, risk, inflation, temporary works, access, design development, surveys, attendances and contingency.
The key question is:
- Does the budget reflect how the project will actually be delivered?
A weak budget creates false confidence. It may look good at tender stage, but quickly fall apart once the project starts.
Setting Up Change Control
Change is much easier to manage when the process is clear from the beginning.
A QS can set up variation trackers, agree approval routes, explain notice requirements and make sure the team knows how instructions, records and costs should be captured.
This avoids the common problem of trying to recover change months after the event with limited evidence.
Final Thoughts
A good QS adds value long before the project starts on site.
By reviewing the contract, checking the scope, supporting procurement, building a realistic budget and setting up change control, the QS can help protect margin, reduce disputes and give the project a stronger commercial foundation.
Because once the project is live, early mistakes become much harder to fix.
Find out how we can help at metroun.co.uk
