What it takes to be a quantity surveyor
YOU must have seen buildings of different forms, residential and commercial. Some of them look so magnificent that you wonder what it took to erect them. It takes a lot of planning, labour and materials to put up buildings. Architects’ main work is to put the building’s plan on paper. As part of
CAREER GUIDANCE
By Jamesa Wagwau
YOU must have seen buildings of different forms, residential and commercial. Some of them look so magnificent that you wonder what it took to erect them. It takes a lot of planning, labour and materials to put up buildings. Architects’ main work is to put the building’s plan on paper. As part of the planning, contractors have to know what it will take to have the building in place.
The material and labour cost required from foundation to the finishing must be calculated. Quantity surveying programme gives you skills to calculate in minute details the quantities and value of the materials that a building requires.
A quantity surveyor uses the architect’s design to calculate the unit rates including mechanical plant, labour and materials a building needs. These details expressed in monetary terms are referred to as the ‘bills of quantities’.
Skills:
Quantity surveying programme offers the following skills:
Elements of structural analysis.
Construction materials and technology for surveyors.
Development economics.
Principles of management and accounting.
Economics for property and construction.
Urban and regional planning.
Construction contract law for surveyors.
Construction project management.
Analysis of prices and estimating.
Communication skills for technology.
Training:
Department of Construction Economics and Management, Faculty of Technology, Makerere University offers a four-year Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying degree programme. The current fee is sh825,000 per semester.
Requirements:
You need good principal passes of at least grade B and above in the core and relevant subjects. The core subjects for this degree programme are Mathematics and Physics.
Other relevant subjects are Technical Drawing, Geography, Economics, Fine Art and Chemistry.
Both girls and boys who are qualified are eligible for admission into this programme.
Career opportunities:
Construction industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of Uganda’s economy.
People are constructing both commercial and residential houses.
Quantity surveyors are required to provide unique services of measurements, valuation and supervisory support to other professionals in the industry. Career opportunities will continue to increase for quantity surveyors for as long as the construction industry flourishes.
Many quantity surveyors work with private construction firms while others team up with architects to offer construction services. The starting salary ranges between sh700, 000- sh1,000,000 depending on the construction company one works with.
By Jamesa Wagwau
YOU must have seen buildings of different forms, residential and commercial. Some of them look so magnificent that you wonder what it took to erect them. It takes a lot of planning, labour and materials to put up buildings. Architects’ main work is to put the building’s plan on paper. As part of the planning, contractors have to know what it will take to have the building in place.
The material and labour cost required from foundation to the finishing must be calculated. Quantity surveying programme gives you skills to calculate in minute details the quantities and value of the materials that a building requires.
A quantity surveyor uses the architect’s design to calculate the unit rates including mechanical plant, labour and materials a building needs. These details expressed in monetary terms are referred to as the ‘bills of quantities’.
Skills:
Quantity surveying programme offers the following skills:
Training:
Requirements:
You need good principal passes of at least grade B and above in the core and relevant subjects. The core subjects for this degree programme are Mathematics and Physics.
Other relevant subjects are Technical Drawing, Geography, Economics, Fine Art and Chemistry.
Both girls and boys who are qualified are eligible for admission into this programme.
Career opportunities:
Construction industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of Uganda’s economy.
People are constructing both commercial and residential houses.
Quantity surveyors are required to provide unique services of measurements, valuation and supervisory support to other professionals in the industry. Career opportunities will continue to increase for quantity surveyors for as long as the construction industry flourishes.
Many quantity surveyors work with private construction firms while others team up with architects to offer construction services. The starting salary ranges between sh700, 000- sh1,000,000 depending on the construction company one works with.