Quantity Surveyor: Qualifications, Designations and Requirements

| ,

Whether you hire a quantity surveyor due to loan contract demands or you’re looking for additional project cost management expertise, finding the right quantity surveyor for your next construction project starts with their qualifications.

PQS Certification (Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors)

Anyone can call themselves a project manager or project estimator. It doesn’t require a degree, actual job experience, or knowledge of construction and accounting practices. On the other hand, a professional quantity surveyor Is a certified professional with detailed knowledge of construction and construction methods, as well as law involving construction projects and accounting practices. One becomes a quantity surveyor after completing a rigorous course of study through an institution accredited by the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (CIQS) and passing an exam.

PQS certification is not a rubber stamp or a life-long certification. Like attorneys and engineers, maintaining the certification requires annual continuing education credits. These help quantity surveyors stay up-to-date with the latest advances in project management, budgeting, accounting, and construction methodologies.

Professional Engineer

When an engineer hands you their business card here in Edmonton, Alberta, you may notice P.Eng. after their name. This stands for professional engineer and indicates this individual is qualified to practice engineering and supervise others independently. Regulated by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientist of Alberta, APEGA for short, this designation indicates an individual with the education and experience to understand your construction project as a whole as well as the details.

Being PQS certified does not mean an individual is a professional engineer. It merely indicates they know how to identify whether the work is installed and determine any budgetary impacts. In fact, most Edmonton quantity surveyors are not professional engineers.

By working with a professional engineer, developers have qualified eyes inspecting the invoiced work, who can determine if a contractor’s installation adheres to best practices and specifications. This gives you peace of mind.

For quantity surveyors, quantity surveyor estimators, cost estimators, and construction cost consultants, PQS certification is the bare minimum.

Qualified Engineering Firm

Working with a qualified engineering firm ensures that your project will have the support that it means when it needs it. Let’s say you’re building an apartment in Edmonton and your project monitor notices incorrect flashing that will lead to long-term water damage. He recommends that you consult with another engineer at his firm, who may know a cheaper fix that will keep the project on budget.

Working with a qualified engineering firm ensures that your project will have the support that it means when it needs it. Let’s say you’re building an apartment in Edmonton and your project monitor notices incorrect flashing that will lead to long-term water damage. He recommends that you consult with another engineer at his firm, who may know a cheaper fix that will keep the project on budget.

This is the difference between an individual and a firm. An individual is always limited to what they personally know. By working with a firm, you have access to the entire group’s collective knowledge.

Experience

Experience matters.

Founded in 1986, Venture Engineering Consultants Ltd. is a leading Edmonton provider of quantity surveying and progress reporting. We work with major lenders throughout the area, and are intimately familiar with their construction loan monitoring and draw reporting processes.

Put over thirty years of quality surveying experience in your corner. Contact us at 780-484-1974 and let’s get started.

Previous

Project Monitoring: Helping with Costs and Management

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) Cost and Time to Complete

Next

Leave a Comment