Jack O'Brien and Seamus Carroll Become Chartered Surveyors!

A Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a professional in the construction industry who specializes in construction costs and contracts. They are responsible for managing all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects, including conducting financial feasibility studies, cost estimation, cost planning and management, analyzing terms and conditions in the contract, predicting potential risks in the project, forecasting the costs of different materials needed for the project, preparing tender documents, contracts, budgets and other documentation, taking note of changes made and adjusting the budget accordingly, tender management including preparation of bills of quantities, contract conditions and assembly of tender documents, contract management and contractual advice, valuation of construction work, claims and dispute management, lifecycle costing analysis, and reinstatement cost assessment for insurance purposes. A key part of the role will be to liaise with a range of other teams working on the project, helping it to stay on track.

To work as a quantity surveyor, you will usually need a degree in quantity surveying or commercial management accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). If your undergraduate degree is in a different subject, you can take a RICS-accredited postgraduate conversion course.

To become a building surveyor, you usually need to have a degree or diploma in building surveying or a related field, such as construction, engineering, or architecture. You may also need to complete a period of practical training and pass a professional assessment to gain chartered status. 

Building Surveyors are responsible for assessing the quality of buildings, from houses to public and commercial properties. They examine the condition of buildings and advise on ways to improve them. 

The building surveyor role requires you to wear many hats. These include safety analyst in the form of carrying out structural and internal inspections to make sure a building is safe. You’ll also need to be a quality controller to ensure a building is fit for human habitation, as well as understanding energy standards and the history and heritage of older buildings.