What is the difference between a building surveyor and a quantity surveyor?

• A building surveyor focuses on the physical and technical side of a project (design, condition, repairs, compliance), while a quantity surveyor manages costs, budgets and timelines.
• Building surveyors assess properties, identify defects, advise on repairs and regulations, and are often involved on-site from purchase through to completion.
• Quantity surveyors handle financial planning, including estimating costs, materials, labour and schedules, ensuring the project stays within budget and on time.
• Typically, hire a building surveyor when buying or renovating a property, and a quantity surveyor at the early feasibility stage to plan costs and project timelines.

A building surveyor handles the physical aspects of constructing or refurbishing a building, such as design, maintenance and repair recommendations. A quantity surveyor is responsible for the budgets, timescales and volumes of material involved in a project. 

In other words, the main difference between the two is that building surveyors are tasked with the design and physical aspects of a building, while quantity surveyors are accountable for the costs and schedules.  

The following article will bring further clarity to the different roles, helping you hire the right people at the right time. 

What is a building surveyor?

A building surveyor is responsible for the design and technical aspects of a building project. Their primary aim is to ensure the client’s brief is fulfilled to the highest standards of quality and safety. 

What does a building surveyor do?

A building surveyor’s role is extremely varied, and will change depending on the intricacies of a certain project or brief. Generally, their role includes: 

• Surveying properties to identify faults 
• Providing repair and remediation recommendations 
• Advising on boundary disputes 
• Taking care of planning applications
• Ensuring a building meets fire safety standards, accessibility standards and building regulations 
• Assessing damage in flood and fire events

This list is not comprehensive, and you must liaise with your chosen building surveyor to get a sense of their involvement in the project. 

When should you hire a building surveyor?

A building surveyor should be hired the moment your offer on a property is accepted, but before contracts are exchanged. They should also be hired before major renovations, too, and in instances when you want to carry out property renovations. 

Much of their work is delivered on-site, unlike a quantity surveyor who will mostly be based in an office. They will usually be involved in a project all the way from initial purchase to final completion.  

What is a quantity surveyor?

A quantity surveyor is responsible for the financial and time management side of a building project. Their role is to help the client get value for money by ensuring the project runs on schedule and within budget. 

What does a quantity surveyor do?

A quantity surveyor’s role will vary depending on the individual project, but they essentially act as a timeline and construction cost consultant. Their primary responsibilities can include: 

• Carrying out inspections and creating detailed building survey reports 
• Calculating material quantities and costs 
• Calculating labour costs 
• Calculating overall project costs 
• Creating tender documents
• Preparing a Bill of Quantities 
• Estimating project timelines 
• Advising on legal, planning and contractual elements 
• Advising on environmental and safety issues 
• Issuing advice on repairs 

Liaise with your chosen quantity surveyor to scope out the extent of their role and how they can assist you. 

When should you hire a quantity surveyor?

A quantity surveyor is trusted with the financial and time planning dimension of a building project. As such, they should be hired at the very beginning of a project during the feasibility stage to lay out realistic budgets and schedules. Unlike a building surveyor, they will not be on-site very often, and most of their work is delivered from the office. They may also be required throughout the construction phase to monitor cash flow and timelines. 

Support your project with UK-based quantity surveyors and chartered building surveyors today. Here at Aedifice, we provide client-centred surveyor services for the healthcare, residential, commercial and education sectors. With experienced RICS surveyors and project managers here to handle your project, please get in touch for more information.