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Engineering & Architecture

Quantity Surveyor

Manage the financial and contractual side of construction projects — costing, tendering, contract administration, and claims.

CompetitiveVery High demand Global career Entrepreneurial
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Quantity surveyors (QS) are the financial managers of construction. They estimate and control the cost of buildings, roads, bridges, and infrastructure projects from design stage through to completion. They prepare Bills of Quantities, manage tender processes, administer construction contracts, value construction work in progress, and settle financial claims at the end of projects. In Sri Lanka, QS professionals work across government ministries, Roads Development Authority, Urban Development Authority, and hundreds of private construction companies and consultancies. The Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka (IQSSL) is the local professional body. Internationally, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the globally recognised standard.

What a Quantity Surveyor does daily

  • Prepare cost estimates at design and tender stages
  • Produce Bills of Quantities (BOQ) from architectural and engineering drawings
  • Manage the tender process for construction contracts
  • Value interim payments for contractors during construction
  • Administer construction contracts (FIDIC, NEC, SLS contracts)
  • Manage cost variations and change orders
  • Prepare and settle final accounts and financial claims
Why this matters: No construction project can succeed without financial control. Quantity surveyors ensure that buildings and infrastructure are built within budget, that contractors are paid fairly, and that disputes are resolved professionally. In Sri Lanka's rapidly growing construction sector, QS professionals are in high demand.

Step-by-Step Career Roadmap

What to do
  • Build strong Maths and English foundations — both are essential for QS
  • Visit a construction site and observe how buildings are built
  • Learn to read a simple building plan — rooms, dimensions, scale
  • Understand basic concepts of cost estimation: materials × unit price = cost
Key subjects
MathematicsEnglishScienceDrawing
Skills to build
Arithmetic precisionScale readingBasic cost awareness
Suggested activities
  • Construction site visit
  • Drawing scale plans of your home
  • Maths competitions
Important notes
  • QS is 60% maths, 30% contracts, 10% site knowledge — strong maths is non-negotiable
💡 Backup / alternative options
Civil EngineeringArchitectureAccounting / Commerce
⚠️ Important: Career paths and admission requirements change. Always verify the latest university entrance criteria, professional body requirements, and A/L subject combinations with official sources before making final decisions.