Construction Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor are two distinct professions within the construction industry with specific academic qualifications (though some modules may be common) and clear roles at the construction site.
Yet there inevitably occurs overlapping where one party appears to take over the other’s role. But are the two roles interchangeable? Can one party replace the other?
Let’s look at what is typically expected of each party.
A normal day for a quantity surveyor may include:
- Estimating or forecasting the cost of labour, plant, and material required for a project
- Preparing tender documents, contracts, budgets, bills of quantities and other documentation
- Tracking changes to the design or method of working and adjusting budget projections accordingly
- Procuring or agreeing on the services of contractors or subcontractors who work on the construction of the project
- Measuring and valuing the work completed on-site
- Liaising with the client and other construction professionals, such as site managers, project managers and site engineers
- Selecting and sourcing construction materials
A normal day for a construction manager may include:
- planning and coordinating a project from start to finish, including organising the schedule of work
- hiring and managing staff for the project
- managing the construction site on a day-to-day basis, including supervising the labour force, monitoring subcontractors, checking materials, inspecting work and overseeing quality control
- ensuring the project is delivered on time and on budget by setting benchmarks, agreeing budgets and monitoring progress
- checking design documents with architects, surveyors and engineers
- promoting and maintaining health and safety, including site inspections to ensure safety rules are being followed
- maintaining regular communication and attend meetings with clients and their representatives to inform them of progress on the project, i.e. stakeholder management
- communicating with any consultants, subcontractors, supervisors, planners, quantity surveyors and others involved in the project
- dealing with any unexpected problems that may occur during the project
Mutual appreciation of each professional’s input is critical to the smooth running of projects. Regular consultation will eliminate any friction that could derail the project. – with input from Metroun.
