Skip to content

A field journal for UK quantity surveyors

Building your path to success in quantity surveying.

Honest, well-researched writing on careers, contracts and craft — for the surveyors construction left to figure things out alone.

Latest articles

View all →
A quantity surveyor and site manager reviewing drawings during a site valuation

Construction Valuation Guide: How QSs Assess Interim Payments

Every interim payment on a construction contract starts with a valuation. This guide walks through how a QS measures work on site, values materials, applies retention and agrees a figure with the other side, with a full worked example.

Date6 Oct 2026CategorySkills & Practice
Quantity surveyor reviewing a construction contract during a dispute

Construction Dispute Resolution: Options for QSs and CMs

Payment disputes, valuation disagreements and delay claims are a fact of life on site. This guide walks quantity surveyors and commercial managers through every construction dispute resolution route available in the UK, from a quiet negotiation to a full Technology and Construction Court hearing.

Date5 Oct 2026CategoryContracts & Law
UK construction site team reviewing recruitment and workforce planning documents, 2026.

Construction Recruitment Trends UK 2026

CITB says the sector needs 41,200 extra workers a year through 2030, yet output is barely moving. Here is what that mismatch means for QS and commercial management hiring in 2026.

Date4 Oct 2026CategoryIndustry & Insights
A commercial manager and client reviewing a cost report together on site

How to Build Strong Client Relationships as a CM

Building client relationships in construction is a commercial discipline, not a personality trait. Here's how senior CMs use transparency, early warning and calibrated pushback to keep clients on side.

Date3 Oct 2026CategoryCareer Development
A quantity surveyor building a construction cash flow forecast on a laptop with a printed S-curve chart on the desk

How to Build a Construction Cash Flow Forecast (With Template)

Cash flow forecasting is one of the most valuable skills a QS or commercial manager can offer - to a contractor, a client, or their own freelance business. This guide breaks down the S-curve method, the inputs you need, and a worked example, step by step.

Date2 Oct 2026CategorySkills & Practice
A quantity surveyor building up a liquidated damages rate on a laptop spreadsheet, cross-referencing a construction contract

How to Calculate Liquidated Damages: A QS Step-by-Step Guide

Liquidated damages construction calculations rest on a genuine pre-estimate of the employer's loss. This guide walks through the loss categories, a full worked example and how to express, cap and document the rate so it survives challenge.

Date1 Oct 2026CategoryContracts & Law

What we write about

Free tools

Built for freelance surveyors

Browse all tools →

Calculator

Freelance Day Rate Calculator

Enter your day rate and contract structure to see exactly what lands in your bank account after tax — comparing Ltd Company, Umbrella and Inside IR35 side by side using the latest 2026/27 HMRC rates.

2026/27 tax year · England, Wales & NICalculate your take-home →

Browse by category

All categories →

Join 2,000+
UK surveyors.

Career moves, contract tips, and industry insight — delivered free every two weeks. No spam, ever.