Quantity Surveyor - when do you get one?

Ramonapixie · 07-02-2015 3:34pm #1

Hi all,
I am going to lodge a new planning appliation soon for a one off house. I understand that a QS is well worth employing, but at what stage? should they be there for the design stage or do they price it afterwards? not sure myself how to approach it. Thanks.

Tefral · 07-02-2015 7:00pm

Ramonapixie wrote: »

Hi all,
I am going to lodge a new planning appliation soon for a one off house. I understand that a QS is well worth employing, but at what stage? should they be there for the design stage or do they price it afterwards? not sure myself how to approach it. Thanks.

Get one on board once you have your drawings.

Any Architect worth his salt should be able to determine how to specify a house to your budget, once you have a set of working drawings employ a QS to make a BOQ, this will give you an idea on how much it will cost. At this stage you can use this information to tweek your design or go to Tender

You can then use the QS to Tender the job to Builders. When the Tenders come back in a QS will evaluate the Tenders for you.

Post contract a QS can help manage the Contract for you, say if there are any changes etc.

Ramonapixie · 08-02-2015 6:13pm

many thanks Cronin _i.

Calahonda52 · 08-02-2015 9:57pm

Just to add, if you are financing the build via stage payments from a bank, they will require some form of certification that the work has been done before they will advance the mull in bits so sometimes folk use a QS to measure up at the work done on a regular basis

kkelliher · 09-02-2015 12:11pm

Get one as early in the process as possible. If a QS does an initial cost plan based on your drawings it may highlight budget issues that can be address from day one. Architects generally use a cost per ft2 as the basis of working a budget. In simple facts this is not an accurate method and costs can vary widely from house to house and finish to finish. Once your budget is set, the QS can assist with production of tender documents to allow for direct like with like comparison of tenders. they can also assist in the post contract stage by carrying out valuation visit to confirm value f works completed and dealing with variations and the like. Well worth the cost as in my experience by just having a QS you will keep manners on the builder even if he does nothing.

RORY O CONNOR · 19-02-2015 7:44pm

A QS at least before you go to tender with builders-then you know if the builder is over charging you.

markqs · 30-06-2015 10:11pm

A QS should be hired as soon as you have an idea of what you want and or immediately after the architect has drafted your plans.

A QS can provide good commercial advise as many architects will produce plans / drawings that look nice and will tick every box that you want....all except the price.

A QS can provide quick caluclations say if you wanted to extend a wall here, add a window there and perform the same in revers when drawings are produced- they can adivse that if you reduce this dimension, make this window smaller you can save €€€

as a professional QS time and time I notice that by the time I am called, the client has prices from builders, I can see areas that they could save money, but they are tied with time constraints with the project and to go over and back with the builder may / would take too long.

GLENNFALLON · 09-07-2015 4:43pm

So what is the average price for a QS, I am at the design stage of a 1500sq ft house on a tight budget

Tefral · 10-07-2015 8:35am

GLENNFALLON wrote: »

So what is the average price for a QS, I am at the design stage of a 1500sq ft house on a tight budget

Where are you based?

GLENNFALLON · 10-07-2015 12:37pm

Im just outside portlaoise town in county laois

Quantity Surveyor - when do you get one?

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