WHAT IS A QUANTITY SURVEYOR AND WHY USE ONE?

In the construction industry a quantity surveyor acts as a financial consultant. With the training and experience quantity surveyors have obtained, they are qualified to advise on the cost and contractual arrangements and also to prepare contract documents for projects. They act in liaison with contractors, consulting engineers and architects to ensure that clients' interests are safeguarded. Quantity surveyors have the status of independent professional consultants and they provide expertise in a specialised area of the construction industry

Under the Quantity Surveyors' Act of 1970, the title quantity surveyor was reserved for exclusive use by those who had obtained the necessary qualifications and experience prescribed under the Act. Before they may offer their services as consultants to the public, such persons must register with the South African Council for Quantity Surveyors, as per the Act

There is a strict code of professional conduct to which quantity surveyors must comply with, which includes:

responsibility to the client and the profession having full regard to public interest
uphold the dignity and reputation of the profession
deliver services efficiently and competently

Services delivered by quantity surveyors include estimates and cost advice, cost planning, property development advice, advice on tendering procedures and contractual arrangements, financial control over contracts, valuation of work in progress, cash flow budgets, final account in respect of the contract, etc. To find out which services KMA Quantity Surveyors specialise in