How to Become a Quantity Surveyor
Decide if this career is a fit for your personality., Learn what the position entails., Expect to work on- and off-site., Review the job outlook.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide if this career is a fit for your personality.
If you are logically-minded, think methodically, and are good with numbers and finances, quantity surveying may be right for you.
In addition to practical thinking, you should also be good at creative problem solving and approaching issues in inventive ways.
Quantity surveyors transform complicated data into simply worded reports.
They are natural leaders and negotiators who also work well on a team.You should be willing to learn a lot about construction, including information about materials, past and present building technology, and business/legal topics. -
Step 2: Learn what the position entails.
As a quantity surveyor, you will come up with a rough estimate of the project’s cost before construction begins.
Your estimation will come from project measurements, based upon the sketches of a client or designer.You will then see the project through to completion by monitoring the budget, managing invoices and contracts, giving financial advice, and negotiating resolutions.
Expect to be involved in court hearings and arbitration as well.Quantity surveyors assist the designer(s) with staying in the budget limit throughout the project, by implementing pragmatic solutions.
If there are delays or deviations from the original plans, you will evaluate the cost effects of those changes, and work on modifications with the contractors.
At the end of each project, you will create a final account statement that delineates the actual cost within each section of the project. , Quantity surveying is office-based.
However, it also involves site visits which can last an entire day.
The amount of time you will work is similar to office hours, but with a little extra.For example, your hours as an on-site contractor might be 7:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday.
If you work for the local government, you may have a shorter time span, such as from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm during the week.
Expect to work occasionally on the weekends.
You will likely travel and possibly stay overnight as needed.
Depending on your employer, the client, and the site location, you may have opportunities to work overseas as well. , The median annual salary for cost estimators in the U.S. is $60,390, or $29.03 per hour.
This position is projected to grow nine percent through 2024, which is faster than average.
Your overall job prospects should be good, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.This position is growing two percent faster than the average growth rate of seven percent for all occupations. -
Step 3: Expect to work on- and off-site.
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Step 4: Review the job outlook.
Detailed Guide
If you are logically-minded, think methodically, and are good with numbers and finances, quantity surveying may be right for you.
In addition to practical thinking, you should also be good at creative problem solving and approaching issues in inventive ways.
Quantity surveyors transform complicated data into simply worded reports.
They are natural leaders and negotiators who also work well on a team.You should be willing to learn a lot about construction, including information about materials, past and present building technology, and business/legal topics.
As a quantity surveyor, you will come up with a rough estimate of the project’s cost before construction begins.
Your estimation will come from project measurements, based upon the sketches of a client or designer.You will then see the project through to completion by monitoring the budget, managing invoices and contracts, giving financial advice, and negotiating resolutions.
Expect to be involved in court hearings and arbitration as well.Quantity surveyors assist the designer(s) with staying in the budget limit throughout the project, by implementing pragmatic solutions.
If there are delays or deviations from the original plans, you will evaluate the cost effects of those changes, and work on modifications with the contractors.
At the end of each project, you will create a final account statement that delineates the actual cost within each section of the project. , Quantity surveying is office-based.
However, it also involves site visits which can last an entire day.
The amount of time you will work is similar to office hours, but with a little extra.For example, your hours as an on-site contractor might be 7:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday.
If you work for the local government, you may have a shorter time span, such as from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm during the week.
Expect to work occasionally on the weekends.
You will likely travel and possibly stay overnight as needed.
Depending on your employer, the client, and the site location, you may have opportunities to work overseas as well. , The median annual salary for cost estimators in the U.S. is $60,390, or $29.03 per hour.
This position is projected to grow nine percent through 2024, which is faster than average.
Your overall job prospects should be good, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.This position is growing two percent faster than the average growth rate of seven percent for all occupations.
About the Author
Lisa Ramos
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in pet care and beyond.
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