Quantity Surveying
What a quantity surveyor really costs
The honest numbers on QS salaries, day rates and the hidden extras, and how pay-per-project stacks up.
In short
An employed quantity surveyor in the UK typically earns £70,000 to £80,000, but the salary is only part of the cost.
Once you add employer National Insurance, pension, holiday, sick pay, a vehicle and software, the true all-in cost lands around £100,000 a year.
A freelance QS usually charges £400 to £600 a day. Construction Estimates offers a third option: a fixed fee per project, so you only pay when you have work to measure.
Who it's for
Anyone researching what a quantity surveyor costs before deciding whether to hire, contract or outsource.
If you are weighing up a quantity surveyor, the headline salary is misleading. A QS salary of £70,000 to £80,000 is normal for an experienced surveyor, but that figure is what they take home, not what they cost you.
Add employer National Insurance, pension contributions, paid holiday, sick pay, a vehicle and the software a QS needs, and the true all-in cost is around £100,000 a year. That is a fixed bill you carry every month whether your pipeline is full or empty. For a firm with steady, high volume work, it can be worth it. For most, the maths is hard.
The freelance route avoids the standing cost but introduces a different one. Day rates of £400 to £600 add up quickly on a long take-off, and you are paying for time rather than a finished result. You also have to find a good surveyor who is free when you need them.
Our model is the third option. You pay a fixed fee per project, agreed before we start. In a quiet month you pay nothing. In a busy month you pay only for the jobs you have. The same measured take-offs, bills of quantities and tender pricing to RICS NRM, with none of the standing cost and none of the day-counting.
What you get
How it works
Work out your real need
Look at how often you actually need measured quantities. A few projects a year rarely justifies a £100,000 standing cost.
Compare the options
Weigh an employed QS against freelance day rates and pay-per-project. Each suits a different volume of work and level of certainty.
Pay only for what you use
Send us a project, agree a fixed fee, and pay for that job alone. Scale up when you win more, with nothing on the payroll.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need QS-grade numbers without the salary?
Upload your drawings and we'll come back with a fixed fee and a turnaround time. Pay per project, with no one on the payroll.
Upload Your Drawings