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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.

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Quantity surveyor reviewing cost records on a target cost contract - open-book accounting is central to the pain/gain share mechanism.

Target Cost Contracts: How They Work and When to Use Them

Target cost contracts split the difference between agreed and actual cost through a pain/gain share mechanism. Here is how they work, how NEC4 Option C implements them, and when to use one.

Date20 Sept 2026CategoryContracts & Law
Quantity surveyor reviewing final account documents and variation schedules on site - final account construction

Final Account in Construction: What Every QS Needs to Know

The final account construction stage closes out every variation, claim and remeasurement into one agreed figure. Here's how the process works under JCT and NEC, what documents you need, and how to avoid the disputes that drag it out.

Date19 Sept 2026CategorySkills & Practice
A quantity surveyor reviewing a subcontractor application for payment against site records and previous valuations.

How to Process Subcontractor Applications for Payment

How to process a subcontractor application for payment from submission to final payment date, including what to check when valuing the work, the statutory notice timeline, and how to avoid smash and grab adjudications.

Date18 Sept 2026CategorySkills & Practice
A construction professional reviewing and editing their CV on a laptop before applying for jobs

How to Write a Construction CV That Gets Interviews

Most construction recruiters spend under 30 seconds on a first CV read. Here's how to structure, quantify and tailor your construction CV so it survives that first pass and lands the interview.

Date17 Sept 2026CategoryCareer Development

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