Welcome to TJB Quantity Surveying Services.
A Quantity Surveyor is a professional person who advises, manages and controls all the financial aspects of a construction project. Quantity surveyors work with accountants, architects, engineers, builders, building owners, developers, financiers, government, insurance underwriters, loss adjusters, solicitors and subcontractors.
The bill of quantities (sometimes referred to as 'BoQ') is a document prepared by the cost consultant (often a quantity surveyor) that provides project specific measured quantities of the items of work identified by the drawings and specifications in the tender documentation. The quantities may be measured in number, length, area, volume, weight or time. Preparing a bill of quantities requires that the design is complete and a specification has been prepared.
Value engineering is used to solve problems, identify and eliminate unwanted costs, while improving function and quality. The aim is to increase the value of products, satisfying the product's performance requirements at the lowest possible cost. In construction this involves considering the availability of materials, construction methods, transportation issues, site limitations or restrictions, planning and organisation, costs, profits and so on. Benefits that can be delivered include a reduction in life cycle costs, improvement in quality, reduction of environmental impacts,and so on.
The feasibility studies stage considers the options for satisfying the client's needs, enabling the client to prepare a business case for the preferred option and deciding whether to proceed with the project. It is possible to make an outline planning application during this stage if the risk to the project of not receiving planning permission is high, or if delays in receiving planning permission would be problematic.
The PSA Schedules of Rates, published by The Stationery Office, are one of the most comprehensive suites of schedules available. The Building Works schedule contains nearly 20,000 rates and the Electrical and Mechanical Services schedules over 10,000 each. They follow the Co-ordinated Project Information Initiative common arrangement and include all the labours usually deleted from standard methods of measurement, but essential for measured term contracts.
Measured term contracts are used where the client has a regular programme of works that they would like to be undertaken by a single contractor. They are generally used for minor works or for maintenance work. The contract will generally define the buildings that will be covered by the works, the term over which works may be required, an estimate of the likely total value of the works that will be required over the term and an estimate of the likely size of individual orders.