A Quantity Surveyor advises building owners and architects on probable cost of construction schemes and on cost of alternative designs. He / She is a building economist who is sometimes known as a construction cost consultant. Working as part of the overall building and design team, their job is to calculate the cost of a construction scheme based on the architect’s and engineer’s specifications and to ensure the project stays within budget.
This would include identifying cost of labour, materials and overheads. A good grasp of mathematics and detailed and up to date knowledge of materials and their suitability for different usage are essential for the work. The work involves dealing with a wide variety of people so good communication skills are useful.