Quantity Surveyors approach each new project with one very clear goal in mind:
Work with contractors and clients to ensure that cost savings on a construction project do not come at the expense of premium quality workmanship or materials.
On the surface, that may sound simple, but look a little closer and you’ll discover that the work is about more than adding up the costs and keeping one eye on the outgoings.
It’s about being there right from the very earliest planning stages of a project to handle a whole number of tasks vital to the success of your project.
Such tasks include:
- Initial cost feasibility
- Tendering and contracts
- Construction programs
- Site evaluations.
And that’s just for starters.
Below, we’ll outline all of the services that a quantity surveyor can offer and how each of these services can help you cut the costs of your construction project.
1. Cost Estimating and Feasibility
It’s not uncommon to see a certain look of surprise on people’s faces when they first discover that a quantity surveyor’s work doesn’t just start once a project has been given the go-ahead.
Most surveyors will get involved in a project right from the earliest planning stages. This often means working with contractors to put together an effective cost estimate that is designed to ensure that they win that all-important contract during the tendering process.
Ultimately, finding a quantity surveyor who offers affordable cost estimating services gives contractors the benefit of presenting the kind of professional approach usually reserved for larger-scale firms without needing the kind of limitless financial resources as those big-name operations.
Elsewhere, you’ll likely find that any reputable quantity surveyor will be happy to work with both clients and contractors in producing cost assessments and feasibility studies as parter of a larger construction consultancy service.
2. Consultancy Services
From the very beginning of a project to the final handover, construction consultants offer a broad range of services designed to make sure that every single stage of your project runs smoothly and successfully.
This can involve helping with designs, drawings, and planning, as well as offering other support solutions such as:
- Building Control Approvals
- Planning Application
- Site Acquisition.
What all this boils down to is that the primary role of a quantity surveyor is to help contractors, tradesmen, and private clients alike to manage the costs and generate maximum value for money on any given project.
4. Quantity Surveying for Private Individuals
If you’re a private individual, a surveyor may offer to work with you to produce cost plans which can help you to determine an accurate and affordable budget for your next project.
From there, they can help ensure that you only solicit competitive, like-for-like quotes from potential contractors before keeping on track of cost management and variations throughout the lifecycle of your project.
Once the job is wrapped up, a quantity surveyor can also provide support in settling those all-important final accounts.
5. Quantity Surveying for Construction Contractors
As a contractor, you’ll benefit from finding a quantity surveyor who truly goes all out to treat your business as their number one priority and is committed to helping you generate higher profit margins without sacrificing the kind of outstanding quality you’ve built your reputation on.
While you’re at it, you may also want to look for a firm who can help manage other key aspects of your project including:
- Procurement
- Profit / Loss Analysis
- Project Assessments
- Account Settlement.
Plus much more.
6. Construction Project Management for Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Projects
There are, of course, those times when guaranteeing a successful project means you need support with more than just cost control.
That’s where a skilled project manager with a quantity surveying background can really come into their own; overseeing every aspect of the job to guarantee deadlines are met, budgets are managed,, and quality workmanship is assured.
For contractors, this does much more than simply ease some of the stress and pressure of managing a big job.
Effective Project Management has been proven to help contractors save as much as 20% off their total costs, again increasing revenues without lowering standards.
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