Quantity Surveyor

A quantity surveyor works out exactly how much a house costs to construct and keeps a close eye on finances - from the first budget to the final bill. A Quantity Surveyors job is very varied, from working in the office and regularly visiting sites to producing material and sub-contractor control reports. This career suits people who are very good with figures and enjoy the challenge of "balancing the books" – managing the important financial paperwork throughout complex processes associated with building houses.

• Preparing tender and contract documents

• Working out the cost of any remedial repair and maintenance work

• Weighing up commercial risks

• Allocating and managing work to subcontractors

• Valuing completed work and arranging payments

• Newly trained quantity surveyors can earn in the region of £22,000. 

• Trained with experience quantity surveyors can earn in the region of £28,000-£45,000 and up to £60,000.

^*Pay rates
Earnings typically depend on location, employer, the stage of your training, your hours worked and the opportunity to work overtime. Please also note that the pay rate figures have come from a variety of reliable sources including:

• National Home Builders
• Home Builder's Sub-Contractors
• CITB
• The Home Builders Federation
• Construction Recruitment Agencies

• Apprenticeship in Construction Contracting (Quantity Surveying) which currently includes a Diploma and NVQ at Level 3 (Or Scottish Equivalent) or Degree Apprenticeship in Construction Management (Quantity Surveying)

Achieve the following through a work-based or doing a surveying apprenticeship.

• Some employers are willing to fund a part-time degree or top-up course for school leavers. 
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

When a trainee or graduate has some experience in the role they can help clients to get construction projects started, or advise on the maintenance costs of specific buildings. 

Once you have several years of experience in the role, you can continue your development by working towards chartered status with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), or with the Chartered Institute of Building's (CIOB) Faculty of Architecture and Surveying. Becoming chartered can enhance your career as it proves you are highly skilled at your job.

To qualify for chartered status through RICS, you must complete the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) while you are working and have at least two years' work experience.  To apply for CIOB chartered status, you will need an accredited honours degree and two years' relevant work experience.

You may also want to undertake training in a specialist area related to the role, such as project management or accountancy, and look at qualifications such as a diploma in management or post-graduate degree in management, such as a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA), to give you wider business skills that will improve your chances of progression to senior management roles.

Some of our trades have the opportunity to become "self-employed" where rates of pay will vary depending on your hours and productivity. In addition, all of our trade roles have the opportunity to progress and train as a construction site manager for a house building company. The jobs outlined on this website occur throughout the home building industry, but please note that actual job titles may vary slightly from one organisation to another.

All our featured job roles offer an entry-point for school leavers to commence a career in the industry, particularly in site trades, where you will normally enrol for an apprenticeship. Site Management [Engineering] and Quantity Surveying also offer opportunities for college-leavers and graduates as well as school leavers.

For most jobs, depending on your qualifications and experience there are also openings for those looking to change career. This is particularly so in Sales, where your previous work experience in a customer-facing role will be just as relevant as any academic qualification.