The cost of building - THE Quantity surveyors role
Thinking about building a new home, extending or refurbishing but don't know where to start? Taking on a construction project can be a daunting experience. You can feel bombarded at times with new terminology, unknowns, risks and details you may never have considered prior to embarking on this venture.
The fear of mounting house build costs as you sit down to plan your new new build or extension is very real, but it doesn’t have to prove overwhelming. The role of a quantity surveyor is to provide cost advice on all aspects of construction, this is our sole purpose in the design team.
do i need a quantity surveyor?
Before determining whether a QS is the right way forward for you, it’s important to know precisely what’s involved and informing yourself on how a QS can add value and support you in achieving your project goals.
Generally, there are three stages to a construction project:
Budget Stage - At early design stage an estimate is compiled based on concept / pre-planning / planning drawings. We will discuss all of the likely elements and options available for your project. We will set a budget for the construction of the project to create a baseline for the next stage of detailed design.
Tender Stage - Following detailed design from your architect and other design team members, the Quantity Surveyor takes all of the details from the drawings and specification and creates a document known as a "Bill of Quantities". Referred to as the "BoQ", this forms the pricing document for potential building contractors. The main advantage of the BoQ is that all builders tendering must price the exact same document; this ensures clarity, comparability and openness in the tender process. It will be very clear following the tender analysis which contractor has provided the most competitive quote. A contractor is appointed and we prepare contract documentation for signing.
Post-contract stage - We can provide cost consultancy throughout the build, recommending the value of interim payments to the builder based on progress carried out each month and assessing the value of any changes made to ensure value for money. The advantage of having the Bill of Quantities is that it forms a basis for any changes to the works required, be they credits or extras.
Darby & Associates Chartered Quantity Surveyors can provide you with a competitive quote for one or all three stages listed above. Call us today for a free consultation!
What our clients say
“We used Darby and Associates for an extensive house renovation and extension in Malahide.It was a big and complex project and Eoin helped us every step of the way from examining tenders for contractors, to monitoring, controlling and reporting on costs all the way through the project from end to end. We learned the value of using a Quantity Surveyor, in a time of escalating building costs, ensuring the builder kept to the contract. He also helped us keep to budget and advised us on the costs of alternative options helping us make timely decisions. Eoin was very reachable, only ever a phone call away. We would highly recommend his services.”
“We engaged Eoin as our Quantity Surveyor on a complex project involving an alteration to an existing house, and a new build. He provided us with initial estimates of costs to allow us develop the design to a spec which would be within our budget, and provided a Bill of Quantities for the tendering process. During the construction phase, with his assistance and guidance we managed to complete the project under budget, despite several unforeseen changes with the potential for substantial over-runs. At all times we found him to be friendly, efficient, thorough and personable, and would have no hesitation recommending him in the future.”
“We recently used Eoin Darby as QS on our house build. It was clear to see that Eoin had great passion and knowledge for the project. He was very professional and reliable in every aspect of the job. Eoin managed to get our project in on budget which without his help our costs would have far exceeded our budget. Eoin was able to negotiate on our behalf from tender stage all the way through to completion, dealing with all the various suppliers to get us the best deal possible. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommending Eoin and his team to anyone looking for a Quantity surveyor, in my opinion it was the best decision we made in the whole process, and I can honestly say we wouldn’t have been able to complete the project without his help and expertise.”
“Once our house plans were finalised we hired Eoin to help us come to a realistic cost for our new build & to draw up our Bill of Quantities. We initially had no plans or budget to have a QS for the duration of our build, however we found working with Eoin gave us a such a level of comfort that we were not prepared to proceed without his input. Therefore we made compromises to keep him on board for the duration of the project. We were extremely happy with this decision as we found Eoin’s advice & guidance invaluable during this stressful & vulnerable time. It was very comforting to know that someone always had our back. Eoin was a pleasure to deal with, he always gave us his time when required & always delivered on time & as agreed. We would highly recommend Eoin to anyone building their own home, especially to those on a set budget. We had a strict budget and Eoin helped us build our house on budget, and we even managed to squeeze in a few small extras”
“We have worked with Eoin for two years now. We use his services to provide our clients with a detailed breakdown of costs for their proposed developments prior to lodging planning permission as it gives all parties an accurate idea of the costs involved and this can have an impact on the scale or design of the project. We also use Eoin for preparing BoQ’s as part of our tender pack. We find this very useful when doing tender analysis and it can be referred to throughout the build process. In all of our dealings with Eoin we have found him professional, prompt & most importantly accurate in his costings. He has always delivered on time & on budget even when we have tight deadlines”
“On embarking on a self build, it was daunting. Our family home was a personal project & the budget was tight. Having Eoin’s service involved, meant I could rest assure that the financial side of our project was taken care of. We came in on time and more importantly within budget, thanks to Eoin. I’d highly recommend Eoin’s services. I was extremely happy”
