Modern building construction is complex. The design of buildings is subject to functional, dimensional, technological and financial constraints and, therefore, requires a team of professionals of varied training and experience. These are Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and Builders. The Quantity Surveyor is one of the professionals of the design and construction team. He is an essential link between the client who is the commissioner of the development, the Architect and the Engineers of various fields who undertake the design works, and the Builder who undertakes the building works. He is the expert on construction costs and communications and his services are used from the inception of a project to its completion. His major skills are in analysis of design/cost relationships. He advises on and controls the budget as well as dealing with contract procedures and documentation and the financial administration of construction contracts. Expert cost advice is essential. It is no use designing structures which meets the functional, dimensional, and technological requirements of a brief, and is aesthetically satisfying, but which the client cannot afford or is uneconomical.
