Quantity Surveying
QUANTITY SURVEYORS
What is quantity surveying?
Quantity surveying is the discipline of managing costs in civil engineering projects. A quantity surveyor’s goal is to ensure construction projects stay within budget.
Here’s a quick overview of the skills you should look for in quantity surveying professionals:
- Quantity surveying
- Building estimation
- Project management
- Civil engineering or construction background
Why do you want to hire quantity surveyors?
The trick to finding top quantity surveyors is to identify your needs. Is your goal to reduce the overhead of generating outcome analysis, work evaluation, and progress reports? Is this a residential, commercial, or industrial quantity surveying project? The cost of your project will depend largely on your scope of work and the specific skills needed to bring your project to life.
HOW TO HIRE QUANTITY SURVEYORS
Looking to minimize expenses and keep your construction project under a strict budget? A quantity surveyor can help.
So how do you hire quantity surveyors? What follows are some tips for finding top quantity surveyors on Upwork.
How to shortlist quantity surveying professionals
As you’re browsing available quantity surveying consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the professionals you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:
- Industry fit. You want a quantity surveyor who understands industry standards, regulations, and permit requirements for a given construction project.
- Project experience. Screen candidate profiles for specific skills and experience (e.g., cost estimating a roadway construction project commissioned by the US Army Corps of Engineering).
- Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what it’s like to work with a particular quantity surveyor.
How to write an effective quantity surveying job post
With a clear picture of your ideal quantity surveyor in mind, it’s time to write that job post. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a freelancer to know if they’re the right fit for the project.
An effective quantity surveying job post should include:
- Scope of work: From construction materials take-offs to field reporting, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
- Background: If you prefer experience with certain industries or construction projects, mention this here.
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Ready to set and maintain a budget for your construction project? Log in and post your quantity surveying job on Upwork today.
FAQS FOR HIRING QUANTITY SURVEYORS
How much does it cost to hire a quantity surveyor?
Rates can vary due to many factors, including expertise and experience, location, and market conditions.
- An experienced quantity surveyor may command higher fees but also work faster, have more specialized areas of expertise, and deliver a higher-quality product.
- A freelancer who is still in the process of building a client base may price their quantity surveying more competitively.
Which one is right for you will depend on the specifics of your project.
How long should you contract a quantity surveyor to complete your project?
As difficult as it is to estimate how long it takes to complete a quantity surveying project, budgeting time is very important to keeping your project on track.
Be prepared to budget more time for more complex construction projects. For example, estimating the cost of a parking lot for a residential apartment complex will typically take less time than quantity surveying a commercial waterfront revitalization project.
What are the steps involved to hire quantity surveyors?
Here’s how to hire quantity surveying consultants in four simple steps:
- Identify your project needs, whether it’s quantity surveying a housing development project or the construction of a new bridge.
- Define the scope of work and write a detailed job post. Be specific about deliverables (e.g., materials take-off for a residential drywall installation bid).
- Review proposals and shortlist potential quantity surveyors for unique skills needed to bring your project to life (e.g., drafting formal cost estimates for bidding on government construction projects).
- Interview quantity surveying talent to gauge whether they’re the right fit for your project.