Duties and Responsibilities of Quantity Surveyors in the Procurement of Building Services Engineering

Quantity surveying is global and provides services across various industries. Quantity surveyors are involved in all phases of a facility's lifecycle such as feasibility, design, construction, extension, refurbishment, maintenance, and demolition. The competencies of quantity surveyors are aimed at producing constructions that meet the client's value system. Building engineering services are part of buildings, but quantity surveyors’ involvements in procurement are limited. Therefore, this study examines the kinds of services that quantity surveyors play in the procurement of building services. Primary data is collected through a survey questionnaire. The results of the findings led to the conclusion that quantity surveyors were actively involved in the procurement of building services. Cost advice during construction is the most offered service while advice on the impact of building engineering services on environment is seldom offered. However, most of the services are still at the downstream side in the supply chain. The analytical method and detailed costing techniques were predominantly applied for estimating building engineering services. We argue that there is a need for quantity surveyors to move to the upstream in the supply chain for competitiveness. The results of the study are useful to quantity surveyors, service engineering consultants, academic institutions and other stakeholders in the construction industry.