What are the key points that a 2year experienced quantity surveyor should know?

adminOctober 30, 20221 Mins read

Drawings – Drawings are the language of a Civil engineer. It is must for every QS to read every type of drawings and understand them. Generally, we focus on Architectural and Structural drawings only, but ability to read MEP drawings will be an added advantage.
Contract – 2 years is a pretty good time to go through the contract documents thoroughly and get acquainted about various contractual terms and conditions such as Liquidated damages, Payment terms, Scope of works, Dispute resolution clause, etc.
Measurement – By now you should be aware about the standard measurement methods for measuring different items, rules for deductions etc. e.g. IS 1200, NRM 2, POMI etc. as applicable in your country.
Rates – You should be aware about the current market rates for basic materials such as cement, steel, bricks, blocks, aggregates, etc. Knowledge of rates of Plant and machinery will also be an added advantage.
Labour productivity – You should know the labour productivity norms for different activities such as Concreting, Block work, Shuttering, Reinforcement, etc. Knowledge of productivity of Plant and machinery such as Excavators, Concrete Batching plant etc. will also useful.
Regulations – You must be aware about the current regulations in the country whether it be related to building bye-laws, RERA, demonetisation, tax systems, GST etc.
Construction Industry – You should know about the major players in the construction industry such as the Top 10 Developers, Contractors, Consultants, QS firms, Architects etc.
Computer software – You must be well versed in MS Office especially MS Excel as all major activities of a QS such as preparing BOQs, Estimates, Budgets, Cost reports etc. are done using MS Excel and it is a very powerful tool as such. Also knowledge of AutoCAD, other takeoff software such as CostX, On Screen Takeoff, Navisworks etc. is added advantage.