Quantity surveyor

In the construction industry, a quantity surveyor (QS) is a professional with expert knowledge of construction costs and contracting. Qualified professional quantity surveyors can be known as Chartered Surveyors (Members and Fellows of RICS) in the UK and Certified Quantity Surveyors (a designation of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors) in Australia and other countries. In some countries, including Canada, South Africa, Kenya and Mauritius, qualified quantity surveyors are known as Professional Quantity Surveyors, a title protected by law. Due to a shift in the construction industry and the increased demand for Quantity Surveying expertise, today less importance is being placed on Charterships, with a large percentage of working Quantity Surveyors practising with College / University degrees and without membership or fellowship to professional associations.

Quantity surveyors are responsible for managing all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects. They help to ensure that the construction project is completed within its projected budget. Quantity surveyors are also hired by contractors to help with the valuation of construction work for the contractor, help with bidding and project budgeting, and the submission of bills to the client.