WHO IS A QUANTITY SURVEYOR?

 

 

WHO IS A QUANTITY SURVEYOR?

The Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a financial and legal consultant of the construction industry whose training and experience qualifies him/her to advise on the cost and contractual arrangements and to prepare contract documents.

The Quantity Surveyor in Kenya acts in liaison with Architects, Consulting Engineers and contractors to safeguard the client\’s interest. The Quantity Surveyor obtains drawings from the Architect, structural Engineers and services Engineers and produces Bills of Quantities which is an important document that contains all the quantities of works from which the contractor prices those items when tendering for the job. They are independent experts who operate in a specialized area of the construction industry.

Being a legal expert in the construction industry he prepares the contract documents and is well versed with the legal requirements of the parties to the contract. For example, in Kenya, the Joint Building and Construction Council (JBCC) contract document for private clients is prepared and filled up by the Quantity Surveyor who then issues it to the client and contractor for signing and kept in the Quantity Surveyor’s safe custody during the term of the contract. This document is then surrendered to the client at the completion of the project. He advises the parties to the contract on their roles and obligations for the smooth flow of the construction process.

The title Quantity Surveyor is protected under CAP 525 of the laws of Kenya for exclusive use by those who have obtained the necessary academic qualifications and experience prescribed under the Act. And as such, this person calling himself a quantity surveyor must be registered with the Board of registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS) before they may offer their services as a quantity surveyor.

Quantity surveyors in Kenya are required to comply with code of professional conduct which includes responsibility to their employers or clients and to their profession having full regard to, conducting themselves so as to uphold the dignity and reputation of the profession and discharging their duties to their employers and clients in an efficient and competent manner .

 

Some Services offered by a Quantity Surveyors

Estimating and cost advice

• The Quantity Surveyor estimates and gives cost advice during all stages of the development of a project to enable correct decisions to be made for the benefit of the client and other consultants so that designs are made to be within budget.
• Cost data bank from previous projects kept by a quantity surveyor plus intimate knowledge of building and construction economics enables Quantity Surveyors to provide reliable cost advice.
• The estimates could be made by the quantity surveyor even before the designs are made based on preliminary information by the client. This include numbers like number of desks for a school, number of beds in a hospital etc.
• Another could be prepared from the preliminary drawings prepared by the Architect at the pre-contract stage of construction. For this we could be considering established areas or related quantities like volume.
• More refined estimate is available after detailed designs are made from more detailed designs are made. From these designs estimates in the form of Bills of Quantities are prepared from drawings while at the post contract stage, working drawings may be use to inform probable tender figure. These drawings can also be used to compile estimates in case of variations to the contract.

Cost planning

• Clients may want to know that they are receiving value for money, not only with regard to the capital cost but also in respect of the running and maintenance cost of a project. At the beginning of the project, the Quantity Surveyor produces the project cash flow progression which shows the various payments to be made at various stages of construction based on the works program of the contractor.
• Cost planning enables decisions on various design alternatives to be made with actual costs being constantly monitored against original budgets. The Quantity Surveyor produces the financial appraisals that help guide this process.

Property development advice

• A building should meet the functional, dimensional and technological requirements for which it was designed. It should also be aesthetically pleasing and meet the cost limits of the client\’s budget.
• A Quantity Surveyor is able to provide pre-design feasibility studies involving technical and/or economic investigations thereby enabling a client to decide whether, and in what form, to proceed.

 

 Advice on tendering procedures and contractual arrangements

• The choice of an appropriate form of contract for any given project will depend on the nature of the project, the circumstances under which the work is to be carried out and the particular needs of the client.
• Quantity surveyors, in collaboration with other professionals like architects and engineers are able to advise their clients on the most advantageous procurement methods available, including: Contracts incorporating bills of quantities, provisional bills of quantities and schedules of rates.
• These type of contracts include Negotiated, Lump-sum, cost plus contracts, Package deals, turnkey offers, etc. While Bills of Quantities are generally regarded as the most economical and best method of obtaining a competitive price, the alternative methods and types of tender documentation available need to be carefully examined in consultation with the quantity surveyor, architect and engineers before a final decision is made.

Valuation of work in progress

The quantity surveyor\’s duty is essentially of cost control. They measure and value work in progress, determine the value of variations ordered by the architect or engineer and ensure that a fair and equitable settlement of the cost of the project is reached in accordance with the contract conditions. In conjunction with the architect and other professionals, the quantity surveyor will ensure that the financial provisions of the contract are properly interpreted and applied.

Act in disputes, arbitrators

Quantity surveyors in Kenya possess knowledge and expertise in the fields of costs and contracts which equip them to prepare valuations for fire insurance, to advise in the settlement of insurance claims and to be called as expert witnesses or act as arbitrators in any court or arbitration on building disputes.

Facilities management

The Quantity Surveyor plays a role in the facilities management where he acts as the cost control expert with his knowledge of the market prices of building materials, he is able to advice on the costs incurred in the building facility and therefore the contractors are guided on what to price on items . In this way the client’s interests are safeguarded.

In conclusion the Quantity Surveyor plays independent and important role in the Building and Construction industry in Kenya and not only safeguarding the client’s interests on costs but also ensuring all the legal requirements are met and safeguarded.

 

Article by: 

MIRADI CONSULTANTS