WHAT ARE A QUANTITY SURVEYOR'S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

 WHAT ARE A QUANTITY SURVEYOR'S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

People frequently confuse quantity surveyors with building surveyors or land surveyors, but there are important distinctions between us. In general, building surveyors deal with legal issues and permits related to planning and construction, and they can assess whether a project meets building regulations; land surveyors measure the spatial layout of a site; and quantity surveyors (us!) keep an inventory of construction costs and materials.

Quantity surveyors, on the other hand, can do much more than just keep track of project costs. Our services are valuable throughout the life of a project, from start to finish. Our goal at MQS is to provide independent, professional, and cost-effective construction cost advice, contract administration and management, dispute resolution services, and insurance estimates.

This article goes into detail about what MQS's quantity surveyors can do and how this makes us a valuable asset to any construction project.

QUANTITY SURVEYOR DUTIES

Quantity surveyors provide expert advice on pre-construction and design, construction, and post-construction phases to the building and construction industries. We can help you establish accurate project budgets, reduce financial and non-financial risk, support value management, assist in mediation, and avoid unnecessary and costly disputes at Melbourne Quantity Surveyors (MQS).

Engaging us from the start will help you complete your project without incurring unnecessary costs or delays. We have the experience, skills, and knowledge to effectively guide you through specific parts of the building or construction project lifecycle, whether you are a builder, developer, or investor.

A list of our services is provided below to give you a better idea of what we can provide.

1. ESTIMATING COSTS

Understanding your building or construction project and estimating the costs you are likely to incur during construction is what cost estimating entails. To ensure we estimate a cost (on a line-by-line basis) for your project, we carefully assess architectural and engineering plans, consider your design preferences, and evaluate the plans against applicable regulations and standards.

2. COST ESTIMATING

Our cost plans provide a comparable estimate between construction costs and project budgets, as well as a detailed trade-by-trade comparison to the builder's estimates/quotes. This assists in highlighting any areas of concern and/or potential savings. Cost planning provides the best value for the client's money while avoiding lost time and money due to re-documentation if the builder's price is higher than budgeted.

3. COST ANALYSIS

We understand the cost variables in a building or construction project because we have over 15 years of experience. We can provide cost comparisons based on similar projects we've reviewed. This can assist you in determining whether your builder or tradespeople are charging you appropriately for materials and labour. However, keep in mind that a like-for-like comparison is required to ensure that you are comparing comparable materials and similarly experienced professionals.

4. MONITORING AND CONTROLLING COSTS

We can assist you in monitoring and controlling your costs throughout the life of the building or construction project. We can be deployed on-site to ensure that trades are making the best use of their resources. Controlling the project cash flow ensures that the purchaser, developer, or investor has enough funds to finish the project. We can assist you in preparing a dynamic and detailed trade by trade assessment of the builder's progress claims to ensure accurate progress payment instalments.

5. MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS

Many project managers hire quantity surveyors because they add value to projects. A quantity surveyor understands contracts and construction costs in Australia, in addition to managing the costs associated with a construction project. By taking over cost management, we can help project leaders reduce their workload. This allows the project manager to concentrate on other aspects of the project while the quantity surveyor manages the costs and contracts.

Engaging a quantity surveyor to assist you in negotiating the costs upfront will help your project adhere to the agreed-upon project timeline. We can assist you in determining the quantity and cost of materials needed, the labour hours required, the accuracy of progress payments, and much more.

6. ON-TIME PAYMENTS TO STOCKHOLDERS

It is critical to hire a qualified quantity surveyor to avoid cost disputes and to ensure that your builders, trades, and other stakeholders are paid on time. We can assist you in keeping track of all payments, scrutinising associated costs, and keeping a close eye on trades that adhere to their quotations.

7. VISITS TO SITES

It may be difficult to keep track of everything during the course of your project. We can assist you in understanding the status of each stage of the project by conducting site inspections and discussions with key supervisors, builders, and trades. We can provide you with regular updates and assist you in planning the future of your project. We may identify underperforming trades and look for cost-cutting opportunities.

We can take measurements of the site and building to ensure they are in accordance with the plans. Builders can sometimes change plans without getting permission from the owner, which can lead to unnecessary disputes. We can visit the site at any time during the project to ensure the builder is following the plans and to address any issues that arise. Measurements are critical, especially when it comes to providing utilities and adhering to any laws, regulations, or building standards.

8. CONDUCTING FEASIBILITY STUDIES

You can hire us to prepare a feasibility study based on discussions with you, our experience, and our assessment of your preferred builders and trades to help you understand whether you can complete your project successfully. We are familiar with legal and regulatory obligations, building codes, architectural plans, budgets, and much more. Our comprehensive feasibility assessments will provide you with the extra assurance you require before beginning your project.

9. NEGOTIATION & DRAFTING OF CONTRACTS

We can provide assistance as you negotiate the building or construction contract with your builder and trades. We can help identify any gaps in the contract, misstatements by the builder, and over-promises that may not be kept with our experience, skills, and knowledge.

We can assist you in ensuring that cost, payment, and technical specification clauses are accurately and appropriately drafted during contractual negotiations. We have assisted many clients in drafting contractual terms and will collaborate closely with your legal and financial advisors to ensure the best possible outcome for you.

10. ADVICE ON PROCUREMENT, INCLUDING TENDERING STRATEGY

It is prudent to have a well-planned procurement and tendering strategy in place as you prepare to engage builders and trades. Building residential and commercial properties is complicated, so make sure you have enough bargaining power. You will receive numerous quotations, proposals, and submissions, and making the right decision will take time. We can assist you in procuring, discussing, assessing, and negotiating on your behalf.

11. BILL OF QUANTITIES (BOQ) AND TENDER DOCUMENTS PREPARATION

We can help ensure that the plans and designs will result in costs that are within budget by using effective and dynamic cost management during the construction design phase. We make every effort to offset necessary additions by identifying areas where you can save money. We can prepare a BOQ, which is an extensive and itemised trade list, once the design and architectural/engineering drawings are completed. The BOQ is issued along with the specification for contractors to use when submitting tenders. Tenders are typically prepared by the contractor's quantity surveyors/estimators, who may also price alternatives for consideration that must be negotiated.

ADVICE ON CONTRACTS 12

Although we cannot provide legal advice, we can help you understand your contract in general. We have negotiated and drafted numerous contracts for our clients and are familiar with the clauses and terminology. If you have any specific questions, we can refer you to accountants, tax advisors, and lawyers.

13. PRACTICE IN CONTRACTS

We can manage your building or construction project to free up your time and the time of your building supervisor / superintendent. We can manage your contract's expectations, oversee project timelines, manage expenses, respond to questions from builders and trades, check budgets, and much more. Our comprehensive contract practise offering will keep your project on track.

14. CONTRACTUAL DISPUTES ADVICE

We cannot provide legal advice on contractual disputes, but we can offer general guidance. We have successfully mediated disputing parties and have the experience to identify contentious issues and resolve them without incurring additional expense or delay. We conduct our negotiations objectively so that there is no room for error.

15. VARIATIONS IN THE VALUATION OF CONSTRUCTION WORK

Construction work must be valued based on knowledge and understanding of the construction project. Our registered builders can assist you in valuing a project so that you can compare it to quotations and proposals from builders and trades. The valuation exercise is also necessary for insurance, taxation, and regulatory compliance.

We can also assist you in negotiating variations. A variation is a deviation from what has been agreed upon. Variations may be permitted depending on the contractual clauses, but any impact on cost and time must be negotiated.

16. EVALUATION OF CONTRACTOR CLAIMS

We can conduct on-site evaluations of the builder's progress claims (i.e. monthly or staged payment claims). Our assessments also include a detailed comparison report and any necessary negotiations if the claimed amount differs from the assessed amount.

17. RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES

We provide three types of services:

A) Write 'Expert Witness' reports on disputed work and costs: We go to the site to get a sense of how the project is progressing. We then prepare a report that clearly specifies the cost of completed works, works yet to be completed, and/or the cost of defective work. This can help with insurance payouts, construction disputes, and variation claims, among other things.

B) Participation in negotiations, mediations, or tribunals as a 'Expert Witness': Participation in negotiations, mediations, or tribunals as an expert witness to provide evidence or justification for dispute costs.

C) Prepare 'Expert Witness' report as evidence in court: Depending on the circumstances, we can submit our Expert Witness reports as evidence in court, with or without our presence at the hearing.

18. THE COST OF A LIFE CYCLE

We can develop a whole life cycle cost plan for you, providing strategic advice to help you be financially prepared, using our skills and experience. We can assist you in determining the total life cycle cost and ongoing feasibility of the project from inception to project completion and use. This can help you design the building to save money in the long run. We understand the problems and where costs may exceed the budget. We will assist you in incorporating these contingencies into your contract in order to limit future negotiations and disputes.

Depreciation is another factor that influences the value of a project. The value of a completed project depreciates over time and with use. A quantity surveyor understands the construction industry well enough to create an accurate depreciation schedule for taxation, insurance, and other purposes.

19. INSURANCE PURPOSES VALUATION

We can provide a cost report outlining the costs of replacing your home to assist you in determining the appropriate level of insurance coverage (i.e., to avoid underinsurance) or to assist your insurer in determining the claimable amount. When a claimable event occurs, we have worked with chartered loss adjusters to help achieve a positive outcome for both the insured and the insurer.

20. FINAL ACCOUNT PREPARATION

We will review the initial plans and designs at the end of the project and compare them to the invoices submitted by the builders and trades. We will also take into account any variations, time delay penalties, non-conformities, defects, and so on. This will assist you in understanding the final account and effectively negotiating the amounts owed.

21. FINAL DETAILED BILL OF QUANTITIES PREPARATION (BOQ)

We can prepare a final detailed BOQ at the end of your project to assist you in negotiating the final payments owed to your builders and trades. We will evaluate all materials and labour to help you reduce guesswork and avoid overpayments to builders and trades.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT 22.

Many project managers hire quantity surveyors because they add value to projects. A quantity surveyor is familiar with contracts and construction costs in Australia, in addition to managing the costs associated with a construction project. By taking over cost management, we can help project leaders reduce their workload. This allows the project manager to concentrate on other aspects of the project while the quantity surveyor manages the costs and contracts.

23. CONTRACTUAL DISPUTES ADVICE

We cannot provide legal advice on contractual disputes, but we can offer general guidance. We have successfully mediated disputing parties and have the experience to identify contentious issues and resolve them without incurring additional expense or delay. We conduct our negotiations objectively so that there is no room for error.

A QUANTITY SURVEYOR'S QUALIFICATIONS

We will assist you in maximising operational efficiencies throughout your project as Registered Building Practitioners and qualified quantity surveyors. We provide end-to-end solutions to help you complete your project by having a thorough understanding of quantity surveying, building standards, regulations, and more.

MQS is well established to provide sound measurement and cost advice across a wide range of project types and sizes, having over 15 years of experience in quantity surveying and construction across a wide range of projects.

WHAT ADDS VALUE TO THE QUANTITY SURVEYOR?

Many project managers hire quantity surveyors because they add value to projects. A quantity surveyor is familiar with contracts and construction costs in Australia, in addition to managing the costs associated with a construction project. They can collaborate with other team members to ensure that project costs, such as renting equipment, are the best value for the project's requirements. This may not always keep costs low, but it will keep overspending in these areas to a minimum.

Furthermore, quantity surveyors relieve project managers of the burden of cost management. This allows the project manager to concentrate on other aspects of the project while the quantity surveyor manages the costs and contracts. Along the same lines, the project leader is aware that the project's costs are being managed by a subject matter expert, increasing the likelihood that the project will be completed on time and within budget.

A quantity surveyor does more than just add up the receipts gathered by the project manager. Understanding a quantity surveyor's various responsibilities helps to highlight the value he or she brings to a construction project. As a result, project managers understand that when they hire a quantity surveyor, they will be getting great value for their money, and the project will be more likely to run smoothly from start to finish.