Top 10 Tips on using a Quantity Surveyor
Parm Bhangal MRICS
Entrepreneur, Construction Expert, Business Coach, Keynote Speaker & Founder of Bhangals Construction Consultants and My Build Estimate. Let's chat today!
Choosing the right Quantity Surveyor can be a little tricky, but once you have selected a quantity surveyor, how do you use them correctly? We have come up with a few tips that may help. Of course, the list is not exhaustive, but we hope it will help.
1. Get a Quantity Surveyor not an Accountant
Remember that you are looking for a quantity surveyor. Their main role is costing the project, but they have skills making them valuable in more aspects of the construction project. You are not just bringing someone in to help with the money. You want a project manager.
2. Don’t project manage the project manager
We know the project is yours. You have a vision and dream and want to see it through to the end. You will have ideas on what you want to happen. There is nothing wrong with this. However, don’t get caught up trying to manage everything. You brought in a quantity surveyor to manage it for you.
3. Understand the position of the team
You need to know the position of everyone in the team. While you want to let the quantity surveyor manage a lot of the project you need to decide who deals with what aspects of the project. In order to do this, you need to know who is involved in the team and what their role is.
4. Constant communication
There will be elements of the project that you want to manage or have more involvement in. The quantity surveyor will deal with much of the rest. Between you there needs to be communication going back and forth to make sure everything is on track and that you both know what is going on.
5. Don’t get involved in disputes
We know this is your project and if conflict arises it can feel a bit personal. This is why you need to avoid the disputes. Quantity surveyors have experience dealing with these situations and are fully able to deal with them. Let them deal with the headaches.
6. Know what you are looking for
Some surveyors will have more experience on certain types of projects or with certain tasks. When you know what you need a quantity surveyor for specific things, then make sure you look for someone willing to work to what you want, or that has these areas of expertise.
7. Don’t make it a numbers game
Don’t make your choice based on fees or costs. It can be tempting but making it a decision about the numbers means you can lose out on experience and quality. Make the right choice, not the cheapest.
8. Get the balance right
You want a quantity surveyor who will work with you. They are there to manage your project and deal with it for you. Make sure they know what you expect them to do but also what decisions you want to deal with.
9. Make sure they understand the law
There can be a lot of legal requirements and legislation when it comes to construction projects. Make sure the person you are working with understands the law and that they can pick it up before any major issues occur.
10. Check credentials
Have a look at projects completed by the quantity surveyor and speak to their clients. Make sure others are happy with them.
Contact us today to see how we can help you:
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