When I arrived in the United States, I wished I had been given a dollar for every time I had to explain what a Quantity Surveyor (QS) does. Over a decade later, the explanation hasn’t changed much—but what has changed is that there’s now a greater demand for QS professionals, particularly in sectors like data centres, infrastructure, and energy.

Organizations like the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) have raised awareness of QSs’ value to the US market. However, despite this progress, there are still companies in the US that don’t fully appreciate the impact a QS can have throughout the project lifecycle beyond the usual tasks like verifying progress or quantity take-offs.

So, what exactly do Quantity Surveyors do?

• Estimating, cost management and financial planning: QSs are the financial backbone of any project, managing costs from feasibility to the final account and ensuring projects stay within budget. Preparing detailed cost estimates, plans, and forecasts helps everyone make informed financial decisions.
• Risk management: Construction projects are full of risks—material price fluctuations, delays, contractual disputes, and so on. QSs identify, assess, and manage these risks, protecting a project’s financial and operational sides.
• Contract management: From creating contracts to managing change orders and resolving disputes, QSs are the glue that holds everything together. Their expertise ensures everyone sticks to the agreed terms and helps handle the bumps.
• Procurement and tendering: QSs handle procurement to ensure that the goods and services a project needs are obtained at the best price and quality. They prepare bills of quantities (BoQ) and tender documents, analyze bids, and help select the right contractors and suppliers.
• Claims and dispute resolution: QS professionals advise clients on claims, disputes, and contractual issues. They help handle legal complexities and work towards resolving conflicts amicably while protecting the client’s interests.

Why do quantity surveyors' matter?

Having a QS involved early on is crucial for keeping costs in check, ensuring solid financial oversight, and smoothing out the project’s execution. With the US seeing continued investment in infrastructure, technology, and energy, the need for solid cost and contract management has never been greater.

Especially with the ongoing drive for domestic energy production, the expertise of a QS ensures that projects not only stay on budget but also deliver maximum value to stakeholders. There is still work to bridge the gap and make QS an integral part of the US project landscape.

However, companies that embrace their role early on tend to see real benefits in cost savings, contract stability, risk mitigation and revenue maximization. As large-scale investments continue to pour in, having a QS on board isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential.