Not having a Quantity Surveyor.
Who are the people you should have in your team when you want to start building an Extension/loft conversion?
Banks – money lenders
Architects/design teams
Engineers
Quantity surveyors???
Builders
Party Wall Surveyor
Building Control
- There is a fantastic piece of a jigsaw missing between Architects and costs of build – only after Design is there any investigation as to how affordable it is? Many people aren’t even aware of what a Quantity Surveyor is (in the house extension world).
- People spend more time on pricing a wedding’s affordability or getting a car for the right price. Yet, people are kept in the dark as to the cost of demolishing half their house and rebuilding it at the early stages.
- Are builders qualified valuers? No!
- What is a Quantity Surveyor and why do they exist? – They are trained in the profession of structural valuation.
- Who uses a Quantity Surveyor in London? – Any constuction apart from most of the UK extension world.
- How can the Architects design something without knowing the budget? They should ask for the total Budget? – to show where each pound goes i.e. a steel beam is going to cost you – £600. Keep the beam or take it out? Chimney breast keep or takeout? What price? Raise the floor/lower the floor what price? This is something we do, evaluate affordability to the wish list.
- Some builders say they use a Quantity Surveyor which means different companies should come in at the same price with the only variable being fees. There will be line by line items…not summaries. A Quantity Surveyor should cost between £500- £1000, depending on size of build.
- Is there a conflict of interest between our regular Quantity Surveyor and 30 Day Extensions?
No – he has a professional code of conduct to adhere to. He leaves out our 15% fees – and only costs for labour and materials when pricing.
- Does 30 Days have a track record of asking for more money during the build? No, never unless there are ‘add on’s’.
I felt it worth bringing this issue to light. I hope it’s helpful.
Peter Snelson. CEO.
