We've launched our guide to the profession for those considering a career in surveying or those seeking a career change. We've covered everything from what the jobs involve through to how to pursue the necessary qualifications and the different paths open to you after that. In this first article we ask what does a surveyor do and we take look at what different roles involve ...

The term surveyor encompasses a range of roles. Anything from valuing antiques through to commercially managing multi-million pound construction contracts can be considered as a surveying role. Generally speaking the term 'surveyor' is usually used when referring to three main areas.

Building Surveyor

Building surveyors tend to be involved with existing buildings rather than new construction. Typically they deal with issues surrounding maintenance, alteration, and refurbishment of an existing struture. The job involves being out and about a lot as more time is spent out on site inspecting buildings and meeting with clients than in other areas of surveying. Only a limited amount of time is spent behind a desk compiling reports and preparing documetation such as schedules of dilapidations (basically involves listing out all the areas where the condition of a building has fallen below a certain standard)

They advise their clients on a number of building issues such as planning, structural issues, preservation of buildings and compliance with listed building legislation. They aim to help the client to comply with all legal requirements whilst doing so in a cost effective way.

Quantity Surveyor

A quantity surveyor (QS) is responsible for the measurement, quantification, and costing of a construction project. A QS working for a client, typically know as a professional QS (PQS), will get involved at the very start of a project to estimate the likely cost of the project based on  initial high level design information and rates from a price book like spons. They will then stay involved as the design and detail develops so that at the time the project is ready to be let to a building contractor they can advise the client what the final cost of the project should be (usually within 5-10% accuracy).

The PQS would then usually stay involve to ensure the client gets the best price from the building contractors, manage any valuations and payments due to them during the project, and aid in closing out the financial elements of the project at the end.

Working for a building contractor is slightly different as the role usually involves the management of any sub-contractors and depending on the size of the project they may be based permanently on-site. The contractors QS will need to ensure that they pay out less money on subcontracts, materials, plant, and labour than they are receiving from the client as their contract price. It is usual for the contractors QS can also become involved in preparing applications for payment, reports, and claims up-line to the client.

General Practice Surveyor

General practice surveyors tend to be seen as the professions 'all-rounders' as they get involved with a little bit of everything. You'd be involved in the valuing, marketing, managing, buying, and selling processes of both property and land. Most general pratice surveying jobs involve a fair amount of negotiation as they liase with tenants, owners, and prospective buyers in order to to ensure that a property transaction goes through smoothly. They also tend to need some legal knowledge in a wide variety of areas covering planning, building regulations, and contracts.

Some general practice surveyors will review existing arrangements on an annual basis and update them as necessary. This could include reviewing rents dealing with maintenance and repair issues. Often they will be responsible for large property portfolios and so the annual reviews will tend to be at a startegic programme level rather than dealing with them on a case by case basis although this usually depends on the size and nature of the specific practice you work for.

Others in general practice will work on new developments and this will often involve working closely with architects, town planners, civil servants to consider the feasibility of new developments. Assessing feasibility will often include examining not only the financial viability but also the social and environmental impact of a scheme.

In short, general practice surveyors get involved in a wide spectrum of property and land deals and are responsible for ensuring these transactions happen smoothly.

Anything Else?

The above is by no means an exhaustive list and there are many other areas of surveying you could consider including environmental, land, planning, and development surveyors.

Once you've decided what area of surveying you want to get into then you'll want to have a think about whether it can offer you the working life you want. How does surveying differ from other careers .Will you be mainly based at a desk or out on site? Do you work in teams or mostly independently?

These are the issues we'll be looking at in part two of become a surveyor ...

Article originally on my construction news & resoucrce site