1

Importance of Civil Engineering

Practice
The Role of a Quantity Surveyor
Quantity surveyors are responsible for the cost of any
building project - from initial estimates, right through to the
final acquisition of materials. They focus on clients value
for money while adhering to the strict regulations which
govern every aspect of the construction industry.
The quantity surveyors roll is;
To ensure that the resources of the construction industry
are utilized to the best advantage of society by providing
the financial management for projects and a cost
consultancy service to the client and designer during the
whole construction process.
The work of quantity surveyors is summarized as:
1 Preliminary cost advice
2 Cost planning including investment appraisal, life-cycle
3
4
5
6

costing and value analysis.

Procurement and tendering procedures.
Contract documentation.
Evaluation of tenders.
Cash-flow forecasting, financial reporting and interim

payments.
7 Final accounting and the settlement of contractual
disputes.
8 Project management.

9 Specialist services.
The importance
Engineering:

of

quantity

surveyors

for

Civil

The quantity surveyor influences on each stage of the

construction projects with his relevant importance. These
include the following stages:
1)Pre-design Stage
2)Design Stage
3)Construction Stage
4)Post Construction Use
1) Pre-design Stage:
i.

ii.

iii.

Project Evaluation; It is composed of judgment and

evaluation of development, investment, cost benefit
and financial aspects of feasibility study.
Design economics and cost planning; quantity
surveyors can give strategic and reasoned advice to
the clients on diversity of market factors and trends in
construction cost.
Advice about getting supplies; quantity surveyor is
regarded as advisor or experts on selection of
procurement methods and the advantages and
disadvantages of each to the parties involved.

2) Design Stage:
i.

ii.

Construction technology and environmental service;

Quantity surveyors advise on the impact of different
design solutions on cost and program.
Contract management; Quantity surveyors have
detailed knowledge of the contractual provisions

iii.

relating to the various standard forms of contracts.

They can advise on the most appropriate contractual
procedure at the various stages of a contract and then
evaluate the appropriateness and implication of
proposed amendments in the contract. They assess
entitlement for extension of time, loss and expenses;
finally giving advice to clients of their contractual rights
and obligations.
Value management; Quantity Surveyors have the
potential to act as the Value engineering coordinator,
the key person in the team and also in their traditional
role as cost consultant.

3) Construction stage:
i.

ii.

iii.

Quantification and costing of construction works; this

skill includes the measurement, valuation and definition
of construction works in order to value and control
costs which is another important part of civil
engineering.
Conflict
avoidance,
management
and
dispute
resolution management; the quantity surveyor has an
in-depth knowledge of how various forms of contract
deal with dispute avoidance and their provisions for
resolving disputes.
Project management; he quantity surveyor is not only
regarded as a building or a civil engineering estimator
but he is also can be appointed as project manager, to
take control of the project from inception to completion
and to organize the work of the design team and the
main contractor and subcontractors.

4) Post-construction (Use) stage:

i.

Life-cycle cost advice; life cycle cost of a project is

defined as the whole life cost of the project from the
very beginning phase through post-construction and
use phase including maintenance and service costs.
Quantity surveyors have the competency to estimate
and evaluate the lifecycle/whole life cost of a project.

Finally, quantity surveyors have an important role in

improving the effectiveness of managing the civil
engineering projects by their knowledge of processes of
project. Skills of quantity surveyors in the field of
contractual policy, by the application of such techniques as
early contractor selection, and statistical measurement of
price movement, all play a large part in the survival of civil
engineering projects from the current financial crisis