A field journal for UK quantity surveyors
Honest, well-researched writing on careers, contracts and craft — for the surveyors construction left to figure things out alone.
CITB data shows the UK construction industry needs 41,200 extra workers a year through 2030. Here's the scale of the skills shortage, its causes, and what it means for your career and salary as a QS or commercial manager.
A site surveyor works on construction sites to ensure that buildings and infrastructure are built in exactly the right position, to the right levels, and in line with design drawings. This guide explains what a site surveyor does day-to-day, how the role differs from a quantity surveyor and building surveyor, what qualifications you need, and what you can expect to earn in 2026.
Thinking about going freelance as a quantity surveyor? Day rates in 2026 range from £300 to £1,200+ depending on experience and sector, but the move to freelance involves more than chasing a higher rate. This guide covers how to set up, find work, price yourself, handle IR35, and build a sustainable freelance QS career in the UK.
The RICS Rules of Conduct are not just ethics theory. They affect competence, communication, client service, inclusion, public confidence and the way chartered surveyors make commercial decisions.
A Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is a detailed document that breaks a construction project down into individual measured items — describing what needs to be done, how much of it there is, and leaving space for contractors to insert their prices. This beginner's guide explains what a BOQ is, why it exists, what goes into one, and how quantity surveyors produce and use them.
Cost Value Reconciliation, or CVR, is one of the most important commercial reports used by contractor-side quantity surveyors. This guide explains what a CVR is, how it works and why it matters.
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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 2025/26 HMRC rates.
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Promotions, pay rises, transitions, and the long arc of a surveying career. Honest writing on what the job pays, where it leads, and how to get more from it.
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The working knowledge of quantity surveying, from fundamentals to specifics. Cost planning, measurement, valuation, variations, CVRs, final accounts — the practical craft that fills a working week.
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CostX, Bluebeam, Causeway, BIM, Excel for QS, and the AI tools changing the workflow. Honest reviews and practical workflows, not vendor talking points.
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Market reports, sector analysis, and interviews with senior surveyors. What the construction pipeline, regulation, and economy actually mean for the people doing the measuring.
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For graduates, apprentices, and career-switchers. The universities, degree apprenticeships, and entry routes that actually lead to working QS roles — and what to expect in your first year.
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JCT, NEC4, FIDIC, and the clauses that show up on real projects. Plain-English guides for surveyors who need to understand a contract by Monday morning, not pass an exam.