Quantity Surveyor
Preconstruction & Estimating
Measures and values construction work in detail, a title that comes out of the UK/Commonwealth surveying tradition but increasingly shows up at U.S. firms with international ties.
What is a Quantity Surveyor?
A Quantity Surveyor measures and values construction work throughout a project, similar territory to an Estimator and a Cost Engineer, with particular depth in precise quantity measurement and cost planning from early design through final account. The title and formal training structure originated in the UK, where the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) governs a "Chartered Surveyor" (MRICS) credential; no U.S. state or federal license is required to use this title or do this work in the United States, so RICS chartership here is a professional recognition some practitioners pursue, not a legal requirement to work in the role.
What they do
- Prepare detailed cost estimates and bills of quantities from design documents
- Track project costs from early design through final account, similar to a Cost Engineer
- Advise on cost planning and value engineering options during design
- Measure completed work for interim payment valuations
- Assess the cost impact of variations and changes as they arise
- Support contract administration around measurement-based payment terms
A typical day
- 8:00 AMPrepare a bill of quantities from a newly issued set of drawings
- 9:30 AMReview a subcontractor's payment valuation against measured quantities of completed work
- 11:00 AMAdvise the design team on a cost-saving alternative during a value engineering session
- 1:30 PMAssess the cost impact of a design variation
- 3:30 PMUpdate the project's cost plan with the latest measured quantities
Skills
Software
Pay expectations
Pay by experience, nationally
as of May 2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051), national data — BLS doesn't track estimating/cost specialties as separate detailed occupations, so Estimator, Heavy Civil Estimator, Cost Engineer, and Quantity Surveyor all share this code and use the standard entry/median-75th/75th-90th mapping; see Bid Coordinator and Senior Estimator for the lower and upper parts of the same distribution
Reviewed May 2025. Pay reflects the national wage distribution for this occupation, not a promise for any one job: entry level is the lower part of that range, 5 years in sits around the national median, and 10 years in is the upper part, since pay isn't actually tracked by years on the job. Real pay varies a lot by state, metro area, union status, and employer — scale these up or down for your market. These figures are base pay only: overtime, shift differentials, and per-project bonuses are standard across most construction trades and routinely push real earnings above what's shown here.
Education
- Required:
- High school diploma or equivalent, since no certification or license is legally required to work as a Quantity Surveyor in the United States
- Preferred:
- Bachelor's degree in quantity surveying, construction management, or a related field
- Helpful:
- RICS Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) status, mainly relevant at firms with UK/Commonwealth ties or international project work
- Not necessary:
- A specific quantity surveying degree isn't available at most U.S. schools; many U.S.-based practitioners come from an estimating or cost engineering background instead
Career progression
- 1.Assistant Quantity Surveyor
- 2.Quantity Surveyor
- 3.Senior Quantity Surveyor
- 4.Chief Quantity Surveyor or Commercial Manager