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If you’ve ever wondered who quietly pulls the commercial strings behind a construction project — it’s the quantity surveyor. They might not operate cranes or pour concrete, but they’re the ones ensuring the project doesn’t haemorrhage cash or sink into legal quicksand. Globally, the CIOB is recognised as a leading authority for construction management professionals.
From day one, every tender, every contract, and every scope change has a QS running numbers and scanning for risks. In this article, we’ll explore the QS role in construction tendering, from cost planning to contract clauses. You’ll see how a sharp commercial eye helps keep projects financially fit and contractually watertight.
A quantity surveyor (QS) manages cost and contract matters across a project’s life cycle — from feasibility to final account. Their work blends commercial strategy, risk management, and legal awareness, all filtered through a construction lens.
QSs make sure what gets built aligns with what was priced, contracted, and approved. That includes validating claims and keeping everyone honest when costs shift. Their scope spans pre-construction and live delivery. Early on, they advise on budgets, procurement routes, and contract frameworks. During construction, they monitor costs, assess subcontractor claims, and resolve disputes.
They don’t just crunch numbers — they protect the margin.
There are two main types of quantity surveyors:
• Contractor’s QS: Works for the builder. Manages subcontractors, negotiates packages, and tracks commercial performance.
• Client-side QS: Often from a consultancy. Advises the client, prepares cost plans, and oversees procurement and payments at a higher level.
Both roles need strong commercial instincts, solid construction knowledge, and enough legal awareness to spot trouble. QSs usually team up with contract administrators, project managers, estimators, and site teams to keep projects on a tight financial leash. Many also seek membership in professional institutions like CICES to further their professional development.
A QS doesn’t wait for numbers to appear — they build them. From the outset, they set a cost baseline to guide every commercial decision.
That means pricing labour, plant, preliminaries, and materials before a single quote arrives. Then they compare live quotes with market benchmarks to see if something’s missing or out of line.
They don’t just ask, ‘Is it cheap?’ They ask, ‘Is it right?’
Quotes only make sense when you know what’s normal. QSs cross-check submitted rates against recognised data sources, such as previous tenders or the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS).
• Comparing recent tenders: If joinery in Leeds is 20% over your historical average, there’d better be a reason.
• Spotting outliers: A suspiciously low rate might mean missed scope (and a future variation).
Once the quotes land, the QS digs deep. They look for what’s not said: sneaky exclusions, provisional sums with no rationale, or a five-week install priced like it takes two.
• Hidden exclusions: Missing preliminaries, no scaffolding allowance, or an assumption someone else supplies materials.
• Scope mismatches: A quote that ignores half the drawings.
• Overlaps and gaps: Two trades pricing the same work — or no one pricing it at all.
Errors here cause headaches later. The QS flags them, questions them, and gets them fixed before contracts are signed.
QSs don’t wait for problems to fester. They protect the project’s commercial position before the contract is signed by reading every clause, questioning every assumption, and checking every exclusion.
They also verify that each subcontractor can legally and commercially deliver. Out-of-date insurances, expired licences, or non-compliant specifications can lead to claims, rework, or hefty penalties.
The QS reads contracts with one question in mind: Who carries the risk? They check whether the terms push responsibilities onto the contractor without proper compensation. If so, they flag it.
Common red flags:
• Fixed lump sums for long-lead trades, but no price-escalation clause.
• Uncapped liquidated damages.
• Payment terms contradicting the Construction Contracts Act.
Sometimes a simple wording change solves it. Other times, the QS proposes a commercial workaround to ensure everyone knows their obligations and fair costs.
It’s not just about contract wording. A QS also checks whether the subcontractor meets compliance requirements.
• Valid insurances: Public liability, professional indemnity, and workers’ compensation.
• Proper safety documentation under WHS or CDM regulations.
• Accreditation (e.g., ISO 9001), if required.
• Legally registered with ABN, Companies House, or CRO.
No compliance? No contract.
Tendering isn’t just sending a scope to three subbies and hoping for the best. For a QS, it’s a controlled circus. Packages overlap, drawings get missed, and deadlines shift.
The QS assembles the tender documentation, including scope, drawings, specifications, and the programme. They then run the clarifications, gather quotes, and manage the chaos with an unflinching eye on costs and risks.
‘We used to think getting three quotes meant we were covered. But if each subbie prices a different scope, you’re not comparing options — you’re comparing confusion.’ — commercial manager, national builder, Sydney
Before a tender goes live, the QS picks which subcontractors to invite. It’s not open season.
• Track record: Did they deliver on time, to standard, last time?
• Current capacity: Can they handle another job right now?
• Compliance status: Are their insurances and registrations in order?
• Geography: Local presence or proven ability to mobilise quickly.
You don’t want one lonely quote, but three flawed quotes can be worse.
Once submissions arrive, the QS breaks them down line by line: labour, materials, preliminaries, exclusions. They look for missing items and obvious misunderstandings.
• Exclusions: If anything is sliced out, guess who’s paying for it?
• Unit rates: Overly low rates suggest missing scope or a future variation.
• Assumptions: Night work? Craneage? Delays? Nothing gets a free pass.
They don’t just compare totals. They compare logic. If a subbie under-quotes because half the scope is missing, it’s not a bargain — it’s a big risk.
Awarding a tender is just the start. Once contracts are issued, the QS monitors the entire process, from on-site instructions to final sign-off. They log every change, check each entitlement, and keep the documentation bulletproof.
Variations are inevitable. The QS keeps them under control by logging every instruction, checking contractual entitlement, and pricing it accurately.
• Logged instructions: Each request dated, numbered, and scoped.
• Entitlement checks: Aligned with the contract.
• Rate builds: Labour, materials, overheads, and margin.
• Impact reviews: Delays, knock-on preliminaries, or other hidden costs.
They refuse vague claims. No guesswork. No handshake deals.
The QS maintains a strict audit trail. Subcontracts are version-controlled, variations tracked, and payment records aligned with contractual terms.
• Signed subcontracts filed in order.
• Variation registers updated daily.
• Site instructions cross-referenced with approvals.
• Payment schedules verified before release.
When disputes arise, the QS isn’t rummaging through emails. They have the facts ready, time-stamped, and watertight.
Once trades are on site, the QS drives the payment process. They measure completed work, certify progress claims, and keep payouts tied to reality — not educated guesses.
A valuation is a snapshot of completed work. A QS cross-checks each claim against drawings and site checks, applying agreed rates. If someone claims 80% blockwork complete but only 50% is on show, they get paid for 50%. The rest waits.
They deduct retention, account for approved variations, and confirm milestones like steel erection or fit-out. It’s all methodical and documented.
In the UK, these payment steps must follow the Construction Act 1996. In Australia and New Zealand, Security of Payment rules set strict timelines for claims and responses. The QS handles both compliance and the numbers.
When the project wraps, the QS ties all commercial loose ends. This final account includes every approved variation, deduction, and adjustment.
They reconcile:
• Total certified work.
• All variations signed off.
• Retention provisions.
• Any liquidated damages or backcharges.
If a subcontractor claimed £960,000 across the job but only £915,000 was certified, the QS records why. Maybe some scope was double-counted, or some variations were rejected. Once final figures are agreed and signed off, the contract closes — no loose ends.
Most QSs hold a degree in quantity surveying, construction economics, or construction management. In the UK, that typically means an RICS-accredited BSc. In Australia and New Zealand, it usually runs through the AIQS or NZIQS. Others enter through apprenticeships like the Level 6 Chartered Surveyor route in the UK. Chartered status often comes later through formal assessments with RICS or AIQS. In the UK, newly trained quantity surveyors can start at £25,500, while experienced QSs can earn up to £90,000.
They catch scope gaps and pricing issues before anyone signs on the dotted line. They’ll cross-check quotes against drawings and specifications and ensure every potential cost is covered. The tighter the scope, the fewer the disputes.
A QS’s best work often happens before a single trench is dug. The way tenders are scoped, evaluated, and awarded either protects your margin or erodes it. When QSs can focus on commercial strategy — not chasing emails or wrangling spreadsheets — the entire build fares better.
ProcurePro was designed to support that shift. It removes manual legwork from tendering so QSs can invest their time where it counts: scoping properly, checking rates, and controlling risk. Schedules update automatically. Quote comparisons are structured. Contracts are issued and signed in one place.
If you’re ready to simplify procurement and give your QS team back hours each week, book a demo. Explore how faster tendering starts with better tools — and leads to more profitable projects.
James Metcalfe
