How to become a Quantity Surveyor

How to become a Quantity Surveyor Like making things happen? You should become a Quantity Surveyor…A Quantity Surveyor’s job is to manage all costs related to building and civil engineering projects, and making sure their clients get value for money. They also ensure that projects conform to legal regulations, and are up to standard in terms of quality.Types of projects range from housing and industrial sites, as well as retail, right through to commercial developments, roads, rail, and waterways.Typical tasks for a Quantity Surveyor include:Carrying out feasibility studies to estimate costs of material, time, and labourSourcing and purchasing building materialsPreparing contracts that include quantities of required materialsCreating reports to record ongoing cost analysis of planning and building workArranging payments to contractorsVisiting sites in order to make assessments for future workIs it right for me?To be a successful Quantity Surveyor, a good knowledge of all levels of construction, along with a clear understanding of Building Regulations, is essential.You must be able to work well as part of a team, meaning good communication skills and the ability to negotiate costs effectively are vital traits for this role. As you’ll be working with numbers for the most part of your job, excellent maths and IT skills are also a must.Other necessary skills and attributes for a Quantity Surveyor include:Good organisational skillsBudget handling skillsA technical mind and a methodical approach to workExcellent verbal and written communicationIndependenceCareer Progression? Junior Quantity SurveyorUp to 20,000 Quantity SurveyorUp to 30,000 Senior Quantity SurveyorUp to 60,000What's it really like? Being a Quantity Surveyor means I get to work with my three favourite things: numbers, people, and construction. The job is varied, and the work I do often differs from project to project. One day I could be visiting sites to assess ongoing work, and the next day I’ll be calculating costs and lia ising with Contractors and Project Managers. With deadlines to adhere to, it can be stressful. But when I’m really invested in a project, the outcome makes all the work worthwhile. Get qualifiedMost employers will expect candidates to have a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors accredited qualification, plus an additional two years vocational experience. However, there are ‘earn while you learn’ alternatives available, which allow you to carry out an apprenticeship as a cost effective way of starting a career in Surveying.