Quantity Surveying in Orkney Islands

If you’re thinking about hiring the services of a quantity surveyor for your next building project, then you might probably want to know how much its going to cost to enable you set a budget and start to plan. However, there’s no single and straightforward answer to this question as the price of a survey is dependent on a wide array of factors. The primary drivers include the scope of the construction, the complexity of the property, the level of skill required to make appropriate assessment of the property as well as the level of liability that will be covered by the quantity surveyor. In a more simpler terms, the cost of a quantity surveyor is determined by the size, age, condition, complexity and to some extent agreed purchase price.

Generally, most quantity surveyors are charged out at a rate of £100 per hour. And as a result, the price of a quantity survey is related to the number of hours that’s going to take to make an in depth assessment of the property. Typically, several quantity surveys will take up to half a day on site with a further half going to the production of the survey report. Consequently, it would be totally fair to say that a quantity survey would cost you anywhere within the range of £600 to £800 plus VAT. For a less detailed and simpler survey such as RICS Homebuyers Report and Valuation, you can expect to use only a couple of hours on site which will also be topped by a few hours of work in the report production. As a result, the normal cost of a Homebuyer survey would be between the range of £400 to £500 plus VAT. However, you should take note that the prices can vary on a geographical basis.

Generally, quantity surveyors are tasked with the calculation as well as management of the costs relating to projects, starting with assisting with the initial estimates to finalizing the overall requirements of the budget. Normally, they work in land management, property as well as construction industries. Quantity surveyors are usually engaged at the start of a project, consulted and brought in to take a look at a planned construction’s feasibility or repair needs, they then subsequently supervise the remaining activities during the capital expenditure phases of the project development.

Quantity surveyors will help you by working with architects, accountants, engineers, building owners, builders, developers, financiers, government, insurance underwriters, loss adjusters, sub contractors as well as solicitors. The extensive knowledge they possess about the costs related to construction allows them to undertake a number of meaningful tasks to assist you with your project.

Before the construction work commences, quantity surveyors can help with the following:

• Preparation of a feasibility study
• Estimation to define the project budgets
• Carry out an analysis to refine the budget as the design documents develop
• Preparation Bill of Quantities so as to help with the tender process and also to carry out a review of Builder’s tender submissions.

During the construction process, quantity surveyors provide the following services:

• They can help provide cost control services
• Carry out an assessment of the builder’s progress claims
• Carry out an assessment of variation and delay claims.

Finally, after completion of the construction project, quantity surveyors can assist with the following:

• Determination of the final project cost
• Preparation the tax depreciation reports for both investors as well as property owners and;
• Preparation Expert Witness reports to assist in the settlement of building disputes.

With all the aforementioned responsibilities of quantity surveyors, you may be tempted to think that they’re only involved in large construction projects, but this is totally wrong. Quantity surveyors are able to offer their services to both residential clients and small business owners, asides from working with local authorities, commercial businesses, consultancies as well as property developers.

If you wish to work as a quantity surveyor or perhaps you’re just looking to hire one, then one of the first things that comes to mind is the qualifications to look out for. To work as a quantity surveyor, you’ll normally require a degree in quantity surveying or commercial management which is accredited by the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors). However, in the event whereby your degree as an undergraduate happens to be in a different subject, there’s still a chance for you to become a qualified quantity surveyor. To achieve this, all you need do is to take a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors accredited post graduate conversion course. Degrees that this applies to includes the following: Economics, building or construction, geography, civil or structural engineering, mathematics, project management ( construction) as well as urban and land studies.

Typically, the post graduate course will take about a year to complete ( on a full time basis), whereas it takes about 2 years on a part time basis. What’s more? There are some employers that will recruit some graduates as “non-cognates ( meaning those with a non RICS accredited degrees ) and support them financially through the accredited post graduate course. Furthermore, you can as well take a RICS accredited degree apprenticeship whether undergraduate, PGDip or Masters, in quantity surveying as well as project management that combines work with part time study at a university.

However, if you’re without a degree, there’s still an option. Simply start work as a technical surveyor ( also referred to as surveying technician ) and then apply for a part time study while working to qualify as a quantity surveyor.

Generally, you wouldn’t need to get in touch with a quantity surveyor prior to purchasing a property, unless of course your property is a very unique and unusual one. After making a commitment to buying a property or to kick start a construction project, then you might want to start taking into consideration getting in touch with a quantity surveyor. The best time for a quantity surveyor to carry out an inspection of the property is right after settlement and just before the tenants moving in. This is to ensure that the quantity surveyors do not disturb the tenant and they also get to fully go through what you’ve purchased as well as the condition it’s in.

Quantity surveyors will help you by working with architects, accountants, engineers, building owners, builders, developers, financiers, government, insurance underwriters, loss adjusters, sub contractors as well as solicitors. What’s more? The in depth knowledge quantity surveyors possesses when it comes to construction costs enables them to carry out a number of useful tasks to help you.

Prior to construction, quantity surveyors can prepare a feasibility study, estimate to defined the project budgets, carry out an analysis to refine the budget as the design documents develop, prepare Bill of Quantities so as to help with the tender process and also to carry out a review of Builder’s tender submissions. While the construction is ongoing, they can help provide cost control services, carry out an assessment of the builder’s progress claims and also undertake an assessment of variation and delay claims. Finally, after the construction, they can assist with the determination of the final project cost, prepare the tax depreciation reports for both investors as well as property owners and also prepare Expert Witness reports to assist in the settlement of building disputes.