Page 45 - BASIC PRINCIPLES OF QUANTITY SURVEYING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES

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2.2.4 The Quantity Surveyor

❑ The Quantity Surveyor, or QS, has a big role to play in which
building materials are chosen, and they'll give the client

pricing recommendations early in the project to help them

figure out how much it'll cost to finish. They commonly provide
product parameters to the Architect and/or Client, but it would

be a common misperception that they are merely looking for
the lowest price.

❑ They also will be looking for value, either in Capital Cost or
Operational Cost as well as issues like good availability.

2.2.5 The Main Contractor

❑ The Main Contractor oversees and manages the Client's
building construction, adhering to the Architect and

Engineers' blueprints. The work is delivered under the terms
of a contract.

❑ Specialist subcontractors will be chosen by the Main
Contractor based on their capability, availability, and cost.

❑ If a project is designed and built, the contractor will be in

charge of product selection by the engineer and architect.

They will have in-house decision makers who will understand
the needs of the client and brief the specifiers. They need to

ensure that construction activity will not be slowed due to

product shortages, and that product costs will remain within
budget, so they can stay profitable

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