A quantity surveyor manages the cost and contractual side of a construction project: what it should cost, what it is costing, what has been done and what the client owes for it. In South Africa the profession is regulated by the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession.
This guide sets out quantity surveyor duties and responsibilities and how the role differs by employer. It is part of the wider job duties guide.
What Does a Quantity Surveyor Do?
A quantity surveyor prepares cost estimates and bills of quantities, advises on procurement and contract type, evaluates tenders, measures and values work as it is built, prices variations, assesses claims and prepares the final account.
The role splits by who employs it. A professional quantity surveyor advises the client and certifies what is due; a contractor’s quantity surveyor prepares the claim and protects the contractor’s commercial position. The two look at the same measurements from opposite sides, and understanding which seat you occupy is fundamental to doing the job properly.
Contract knowledge is what separates a quantity surveyor from a cost estimator. Most disputes on a project turn on notice periods, variation instructions and extension of time provisions rather than on arithmetic.
Quantity surveying duties follow the project lifecycle: estimating and cost planning during design, measurement and tendering before construction, valuation and variation management during it, and the final account at completion. Junior roles usually concentrate on measurement and valuations, with contract administration coming later.
Key Quantity Surveyor Duties and Responsibilities
- Preparing feasibility estimates and cost plans at design stages.
- Measuring from drawings and preparing bills of quantities.
- Advising on procurement strategy and the appropriate form of contract.
- Compiling tender documents and evaluating and reporting on tenders.
- Measuring and valuing work in progress for interim payment certificates.
- Pricing variations and assessing their effect on cost and programme.
- Preparing or assessing claims for loss, expense and extension of time.
- Producing cost reports and cash flow forecasts for the client or contractor.
- Managing subcontractor procurement, valuations and payments.
- Administering the contract, including notices and correspondence.
- Preparing and agreeing the final account at completion.
- Advising on contractual risk and supporting dispute resolution.
Daily Tasks of a Quantity Surveyor
- Start of day: review site progress, instructions issued and outstanding queries.
- Morning: measurement, pricing variations and updating the cost report.
- Midday: site visits, progress meetings and valuation walks with the other party.
- Afternoon: subcontractor payments, contract correspondence and notices.
- Monthly: interim valuations, payment certificates and the cost report to the client.
Quantity Surveyor Skills and Competencies
- Measurement accuracy: quantities that hold up when someone checks them.
- Contract knowledge: JBCC, NEC, FIDIC or GCC applied correctly and on time.
- Commercial judgement: knowing which variations and claims are worth pursuing.
- Software skill: measurement and estimating packages plus advanced Excel.
- Negotiation: agreeing a final account without ending up in adjudication.
- Written precision: notices and correspondence that protect your position.
Quantity Surveyor Duties by Workplace or Industry
Professional Consultancies
Acting for the client: cost planning, bills of quantities, tender evaluation, certification and independent final account agreement.
Contracting Organisations
Duties centre on estimating, subcontractor procurement, monthly applications, variation and claim preparation and protecting margin.
Developers and Client Organisations
Focus moves to budget setting, cost control across a portfolio, approving payments and managing the consultant and contractor team.
Infrastructure and Public Works
Supply chain management regulations, prescribed contract forms and public procurement processes shape the role alongside standard measurement work.
Whichever side employs them, the quantity surveyor is the person who can say what the project has actually cost so far and what it is likely to cost by the end, which is the question every client and contractor asks monthly.
Quantity Surveyor Duties for a CV
Give project values, contract forms and your registration status. Use the duties for a CV guide for the method.
- Managed cost on commercial projects with a combined value of R620 million.
- Prepared bills of quantities and evaluated tenders under JBCC and GCC contracts.
- Produced monthly valuations, cost reports and cash flow forecasts.
- Agreed final accounts within 2% of the approved cost plan.
Related Job Roles and Responsibilities
These guides cover the roles and next steps most closely related to this one.
- Site Manager duties and responsibilities
- Site Agent duties and responsibilities
- Project Manager duties and responsibilities
- Foreman duties and responsibilities
- Trades and technical duties
Frequently Asked Questions About Quantity Surveyor Duties
What are the duties of a quantity surveyor?
Preparing cost estimates and cost plans, measuring and preparing bills of quantities, advising on procurement and contracts, evaluating tenders, valuing work in progress for payment certificates, pricing variations, assessing claims, producing cost reports, managing subcontractor payments, administering the contract and agreeing the final account.
What qualifications does a quantity surveyor need?
An accredited quantity surveying degree, followed by candidacy and registration with the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession. Confirm current registration requirements with SACQSP.
What is the difference between a quantity surveyor and a cost estimator?
An estimator prices work before it is built. A quantity surveyor covers the full commercial life of the project, including measurement, contract administration, valuations, variations, claims and the final account.
Does a quantity surveyor work on site?
Partly. Measurement of work in progress, valuation walks and progress meetings happen on site, while measurement, pricing and reporting are office work. Contractor’s quantity surveyors are usually site based.
Duties vary considerably depending on whether you act for the client or the contractor. Check the job description and confirm registration requirements with SACQSP.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026