How to become a quantity surveyor

CONTENTS

1. Routes to becoming a quantity surveyor

2. Skills you’ll need

3. Finding work experience

4. How to get a job as a quantity surveyor

5. What it's like to be a quantity surveyor

Routes to becoming a quantity surveyor

To become a quantity surveyor, you will usually need a relevant degree. Alternatively, you could start work as a surveying technician or technical surveyor and study part time to qualify as a quantity surveyor. Further study on qualifying as a quantity surveyor is also necessary to gain chartership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Undergraduate degrees

Possible undergraduate degrees to consider include quantity surveying or commercial management, accredited by RICS.

Entry requirements vary according to the course but tend to range between 96–141 UCAS points. It’ll usually take three to four years to complete this type of degree, depending on whether an integrated foundation or placement year is involved.

Other relevant subjects to consider include; building or construction, civil or structural engineering, economics, geography, mathematics, project management in construction, and urban and land studies. If you study one of these subjects, you’ll usually need to do an additional RICS-accredited postgraduate conversion course.

Degree apprenticeships

A degree apprenticeship involves working while you study. You’re paid for your work and spend less time at university. This qualification takes the same length of time as a traditional undergraduate degree. You can take a RICS-accredited degree apprenticeship in quantity surveying and project management. Alternatively, advanced surveying technician apprenticeships are available as another way into the profession. You can find any apprenticeship vacancy via Find an apprenticeship.

Postgraduate degrees

This option is usually most relevant to graduates who have a relevant degree and then decide they want to specialise in quantity surveying. Some employers may also take on graduates with a quantity surveying degree that is not RICS accredited, and fund them through an accredited postgraduate course. Postgraduate courses take one year to complete full time and around two years part time.

Skills you’ll need

As well as having a love of numbers, you’ll also need:

• Knowledge of building and construction
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Problem solving
• Project management
• Teamworking
• Stakeholder management
• Commercial awareness
• Logical and methodical approach
• Attention to detail
• IT skills

Finding work experience

Having some work experience either on site or within an office will help show your dedication and enthusiasm for your future career and give you additional material to draw on at interviews.

Try looking for work by:

• Shadowing a professional in a related area, like a property management company, land agent or construction company 
• Securing an internship or placement with a large firm, these are often advertised on specific companies' websites and can be anything from a two to eight weeks

How to get a job as a quantity surveyor

Graduate quantity surveyors are sought after by architect firms, private quantity surveying companies, commercial, industrial or residential construction companies and local authorities. Specialist recruitment companies such as Macdonald and Company advertise roles along with websites like Careers in Construction, RICS Recruit, EG Jobs, Building4jobs and Property Week Jobs.

Once qualified as a trainee quantity surveyor you must complete the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) to obtain RICS membership and become a fully qualified chartered surveyor. This is a structured programme that usually takes around two years to complete.

What it's like to be a quantity surveyor

As a quantity surveyor you’ll oversee a variety of construction projects, controlling costs and managing risks. Depending on your role and specialisation, your tasks could include:

• Establishing the client's needs and assessing if the plans are feasible
• Working out quantities and costs of materials, time and labour for tenders
• Negotiating contracts and work schedules
• Advising on legal matters, including risks and disputes
• Monitoring sub-contractors and stages of construction
• Reporting on costs and preparing accounts
• Keeping up to date with construction methods and materials
• Following health and safety and building regulations

Depending on the size of firm you work for, you may work as part of a surveying team or independently within a larger multidisciplined project group. You’ll usually work in an office with visits on site and to a client's business.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important part of this career. Members of RICS must do a minimum of 20 hours of CPD annually to keep their membership.

Starting salaries for a graduate range from £25,000–£32,000 and go up to £44,000 once you’ve gained chartered surveyor status. With experience you might earn up to £56,000 and with managerial responsibilities this could increase to £60,000 or more, depending on the size and location of your employer.

Is a role as a quantity surveyor right for you?

If you enjoy project management, keeping things on track and budgeting, this career could be for you. You’ll need to be prepared to study for at least five years to gain membership of the RICS and be committed to further on-the-job training to progress.