Cost planning is the core discipline that sits behind every construction budget decision. This guide walks through the RIBA-stage cost plan journey, the elemental method, RICS NRM1 structure, contingency allowances and a full worked example - everything a QS needs to build a defensible cost plan.
Forget the glossy job description. Here's a realistic, illustrative day in the life of a UK quantity surveyor - from the morning site walk to the last cost report email, and how contractor-side days differ from consultant-side ones.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi's construction boom is pulling in UK quantity surveyors with tax-free packages. Here's what the move actually involves, from visas to take-home pay.
Managing subcontractor claims UK: how commercial managers should assess loss and expense, extension of time and disruption claims, what evidence to demand, and when to settle versus reject.
Dayworks value instructed work on a time-and-materials basis when it cannot be fairly measured any other way. Here is how dayworks schedules price labour, plant and materials, how JCT and NEC treat them, and why unsigned sheets cause so many disputes.
Liquidated damages compensate an employer for late completion without the cost and delay of proving actual loss. Here's how LADs work under JCT and NEC, why the Cavendish Square v Makdessi case changed the penalty test, and how QSs apply them in practice.
Free tools
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.
