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QUANTITY SURVEYING

Description below :

Image de Ben Allan

Quantity surveying is the traditional term in English to describe our profession. It is synonymous with cost engineer and construction cost consultant.

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Preliminary cost advice at the very outset of the project to allow a realistic budget to be agreed is essential to any successful building project.

 

Our knowledge and experience in cost control of building projects enable us to manage the client's budget during each phase of a building project, by proposing economically adapted solutions to the client and the architect whilst remaining in accordance with the architectural spirit of the project.

 

The service of a quantity surveyor is to achieve overall cost control of a building project and runs from the inception of a project to its completion, and goes through the following stages :

PRE-DESIGN STAGE

  • Preparing a projected approximate building cost estimate of the whole of the works on the basis of the pre-design drawings of the architect by the method of cost planning. Cost planning is a technique developed to ensure the budget of the client is appropriate for the project ;

  • Evolving aspects of the cost plan as necessary to orient the design in the direction of the client’s budget.

SCHEMATIC DESIGN STAGE

  • Up-dating the cost plan and preparation of an approximate building cost estimate of the works in all trades ;

  • Undertaking cost analysis of alternative design solutions.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT STAGE

  • Continual up-dating of the cost plan and preparation of a definitive cost estimate of the works for the approved design solution, on the basis of a bill of quantities and a brief description of the works. Integration of the estimates of the specialist engineers when applicable. 

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS STAGE

  • Preparation of the tender documents which generally are in three distinct parts : the administrative documents, the specifications and the bills of quantities ;

  • Coordination of the tender documents prepared by other specialist engineers in order to ensure that each tender package is complete and coherent ;

  • Organisation of competitive tendering procedures including the selection and vetting of pre-qualified contractors. Competitive tendering may be open, with notices of tender being published in the French or international press, or restricted to contractors already on our list, or that of other members of the design team, contractors known for the quality of their work and experience in the type of work ; 

  • Analysis of the tenders received from the economic point of view, with the preparation of a detailed report including a factual analysis, our opinion and a recommendation ;

  • Conducting interviews with tendering contractors to clarify anomalies, examine contractor's alternatives and allow contractors to make whatever financial gestures they deem appropriate ;

  • Preparation of contract documents for signature. Contract documents will be the relevant tender documents as amended by any of the tendering procedures discussed above.

WORKS ON SITE

  • Preparation of an anticipated cash flow forecast for the duration of the works ;

  • Checking the advance payment requests from contractors upon signature of their contract and the relevant bank guarantees to cover these payments ;

  • Establishing interim valuations of works carried out, checking contractors' requests for payment and preparing valuation certificates, usually monthly ;

  • Checking contractors' quotations for variations to the contract and preparing instructions for signature ;

  • Preparation and keeping up-to-date a monthly cost report addressed only to the client and giving a summary of contracts signed, variations agreed, anticipated variations, anticipated final cost, amounts paid and those remaining to be paid up to completion of the project;

  • Establishing contractors' final accounts and preparing final valuation certificates for payment.

GENERALLY

The service described above is the most standard of services but cannot possibly cover the specificities of every project. Our key words are adaptability and teamwork. We easily adapt to different procurement methods (single contractor, separate trades contractors, design and build ...) and feel strongly that the success of a building project lies in teamwork, mainly as far as the other consultants are concerned.

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