Skill Profile
Quantity Surveying
"Measuring, costing and controlling construction works from initial cost plans through interim valuations to final account, so a building project stays within budget."
YOUR SKILLS
Problems This Skill Solves
- Prevents construction projects overspending against budget by tracking cost against the plan at every stage
- Resolves disputes over the value of completed or varied work between contractor and client
- Gives clients an early, realistic cost estimate before committing to a design
- Reduces the risk of contractual claims by valuing changes and variations accurately as they happen
Quantity surveyors just count bricks.
Most of the role is financial control, contract interpretation and risk management across the life of a project.
Research & Outlook
BIM-linked 5D cost estimation is steadily reducing manual take-off time, shifting the role towards data validation, risk advice and value engineering rather than pure measurement.
See This Skill In Action
Watch a professional demonstrate Quantity Surveying in a real working environment — what it looks like, how it's applied, and why it matters.
Construction / Cost Management
Quantity Surveying
Also Known As
Growth Path
Can take off quantities from simple drawings and price standard items using a rate book.
Prepares full cost plans, values interim payments and negotiates variations on live projects.
Manages final accounts and dispute resolution on complex, multi-package projects and advises on procurement route and risk allocation.
How to Practise
- 1.Take off quantities from construction drawings and build a bill of quantities from scratch
- 2.Shadow or assist with an interim valuation on a live site to see how measured work translates into a payment certificate
- 3.Practise cost-planning a small project from concept sketch to detailed estimate
- 4.Study the RICS New Rules of Measurement and apply them to a sample bill
How to Prove
- ·A completed bill of quantities or cost plan for a real or coursework project, with the measurement method shown
- ·RICS APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) sign-off or progress towards chartered status
- ·A final account reconciliation showing budget vs. actual spend with variations explained