Quantity Surveyor
What the work is
Determines, analyses and manages the costs associated with construction projects, including the feasibility, design, construction and operation stages.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Prepares cost estimates for construction projects based on varying levels of design
- Prepares detailed cost plans for budgetary control, including bills of quantities, and manages progress payments
- Monitors the project through the construction phases and adjusts cost based on variations
- Prepares tender documents and evaluates contractor bids
- Prepares tax depreciation reports
- Prepares replacement cost assessments for insurance purposes
- Engages with key stakeholders, including asset owners, financiers, Architects, builders, engineers and developers
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in building sites and offices where plans are checked and costs are tracked. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You find a problem on paper that would have been very expensive to find on site
- A builder you were wary of ends up asking your advice before they start
- A finished project comes in close to the budget you estimated at the start
Hard days
- A builder you like has made a mistake, and you have to say so
- A client wants costs to come down but the plans have not changed
- A stack of inspections in bad weather with every owner wanting a quick answer
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 241932, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.