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Sam Phipps
Quantity Surveyor
A day in the life of a quantity surveyor is typically regimented, although it is also very common for curveballs to be thrown our way.
The day typically starts with general administrative duties, this entails catching up with any emails or notifications from the day prior. It is well known that some of the most important correspondence gets forwarded outside of normal business hours. There are also paperwork duties that are key requirements in our role, such as the engrossment of subcontract warranties, collation of subcontract orders and any material/plant purchasing.
Once the actions resulting from the above have been taken care of, this is now a great time to have a walk around site. The purpose of this is to review the overall progression of the project, this will provide us with all the information required to put an accurate application for payment into the client’s quantity surveyor.
With this information we can also verify the subcontractor’s applications and certify their works accordingly, knowing that they are being paid fairly for the level of work completed.
Loaded up with all the information gained from our walk around site, we can now to work on the next item on our agenda – payments!
It is imperative that our supply chain is paid on time, or early if possible. To ensure that we fulfil our duties, we must constantly be reviewing invoices and liaising with our accounts department, checking that all necessary paperwork has been completed to allow the transactions to sail through.
As with anything in life, construction projects are subject to multiple changes… That is why a small part of the day is invested in checking the drawings and scope for any change, liaising with the design team at all points in an effort to get best value for money.
Once a change has taken place, we will need to review whether this is a client directed change or design development. Both options will result in the completion and issuing of order amendments/instructions to the contractors covering those elements of work. The only difference being a client variation order will be submitted for approval, if it is client driven.
With our roles being typically deadline driven, our days are usually rounded off with a calendar and workflow check. This will give insight into tomorrow’s tasks and help prioritise and programme the weeks ahead. The sequencing of tasks is forever changing dependent upon what each day brings, keeping some form of live document to track work commitments is essential.