The role of a quantity surveyor, such as Guardian Property and Construction (GPC), is to predict and evaluate the costs of a construction project. This includes the costs during construction, as well as the maintenance costs once the project has been completed.
Quantity surveyors can perform this service for a wide range of construction projects, though they may specialise. Projects that you may require a quantity surveyor for include residential complexes, roads, transport infrastructure such as train tracks, tunnels, hospitals, industrial facilities, educational buildings, offices, retail outlets, and more.
The role of the quantity surveyor may begin in the early stages when feasibility is being considered. Their role is likely to continue right through to the completion of the project and beyond.
What precise jobs does a quantity surveyor undertake, and how?
A quantity surveyor such as Guardian Property and Construction or Guardian PC for short may perform the following tasks as part of a building or construction project:
- Interpretation of engineer’s and architect’s plans and documents in terms of their cost.
- Preparation of cost plans for all aspects of construction, including development or concept design.
- Administration or advice upon construction contracts.
- Preparation of tender documentation which may include bills of quantities or rate schedules.
- Analysis and advice on which builder to select for the project.
- Advise on potential construction variations and their merits.
- Ongoing monitoring of expenses against the plan.
- Provision of ongoing cost-benefit analysis.
- Advice upon and review construction contracts.
- Reporting on the impact of any changes to plan on overall project costs.
- Reporting on projected cash flow and actual progress.
- Assistance with complex tax depreciation schedules.
- Assistance with insurance and assessment of replacement cost.
- Support with the arbitration process in the case of a dispute between parties.
A large part of a quantity surveyor’s duties relates to the calculation or quantification of cost, of a project that is going to be completed or has already been completed. These include all necessary costs including materials, contractors, and labour. This costing can be a vital step for financing and for construction companies that are borrowing from the bank.
What are the benefits of partnering with a quantity surveyor?
There are a wide number of benefits to partnering with a quantity surveyor. By partnering with a quantity surveyor, you can utilise a wide range of information that would not be available to you otherwise – without which, you may not be able to complete a project at all, or only at an inordinately high risk of failure or financial strife.
- Tax depreciation can be very complicated, and it is easy to misrepresent tax depreciation and either not fully capitalise on your depreciation, or misrepresent depreciation to the ATO, which could result in penalties.
- A quantity surveyor does more than provides you the figures. They can partner with you as a cost strategist, to help your company lower its costs, and avoid margin erosion.
- Quantity surveyors help you to get the most out of every dollar you spend. This can help to avoid wasted money, increasing profits, assisting with cash flow, or leaving more money available for future investments or projects.
- Quantity surveyors can help you to avoid cost blow-outs that can result in delays or compromise when you are part way through the project already.
- By hiring a quantity surveyor, you can reduce the burden on your internal staff to manage this complicated side of the business. This can free up your team to focus on their strengths, leaving the complex nature of quantity surveying to the experts such as Guardian PC.
- To boost your project management capabilities for effective project delivery.
- To support you to make the best decisions during the tender process.
- To help to resolve any disputes that may arise between or with subcontractors.
- They can help you to gain the necessary but not excessive level of insurance coverage.
- They can identify where the project is lapsing from the plan and help you to bring it back on track, or provide revised estimates.
- They can help you to avoid a situation of no available cash flow, which could hinder the project.
Partnering with Guardian Property and Construction
Here at Guardian PC, our core skills include the financial and contractual management of engineering services projects from feasibility to final account. We have a strong focus on service delivery and claims mitigation, as well as expertise in tender, negotiation, quantification and valuation of engineering works, risk identification, and the analysis and management of delays and their possible effect on project delivery.
For more information on our quantity surveying services, and related services including contract reviews, claims management and adjudication, Security of Payment act and adjudication, virtual project diaries, subcontractor disputes, virtual safety walks, construction business advisory, and engineering business advisory, contact Guardian PC. You can reach us on (02) 8316 7510 or info@guardianpc.com.au.