When I first started studying quantity surveying, I understood the theory behind cost planning and procurement, but it wasn’t until I started working on live projects that I really began to appreciate how much influence the role has on shaping the built environment.
Today, I’m a Graduate Quantity Surveyor at Egis, supporting the commercial delivery of projects across a wide range of sectors. My role covers everything from preparing cost estimates and tender documentation before construction begins, through to post-contract work such as site visits and valuations.
One of the things I enjoy most is the variety. No two days are really the same. Depending on the stage of a project, I could be attending a progress meeting on-site at Mossburn Distillery in Jedburgh, helping prepare cost plans for a new development or working alongside the wider design team to understand how technical decisions affect project delivery.
The projects I’m currently involved in have given me exposure to very different types of work, which has been invaluable as a graduate. One of the most exciting is the Victoria Street Spa project, where an old nightclub is being transformed into a luxury spa as part of the Virgin Hotels development. Victoria Street has provided great insight into the complexity of delivering large-scale refurbishment and development projects in a logistically challenging city centre location.
Why I enjoy quantity surveying
People often assume quantity surveying is mainly about numbers and spreadsheets, but there’s much more to it than that. A large part of the role is problem-solving, collaboration and understanding how commercial decisions influence quality, programme and design outcomes.
On projects like Victoria Street Spa, every decision has to must balance cost, quality and time carefully. Quantity surveyors play an important role in helping project teams make informed decisions while keeping the wider vision for the project in mind.
What I’ve found most rewarding is how collaborative the role is. You work closely with architects, engineers, contractors and clients throughout the entire project lifecycle. It’s not simply about reporting costs; it’s about helping projects move forward successfully.
Learning through live projects
One of the biggest things I’ve developed since joining Egis has been the ability to apply what I learned at university in a real project environment.
Preparing estimates and cost plans makes much a lot more sense when you can see how they develop projects evolve in practice. Being involved in live projects, attending site visits and seeing how decisions are made day-to-day has helped develop my understanding far beyond what an academic environment alone can provide.
As a graduate, having exposure to projects at different stages has also been incredibly valuable. It’s given me a much broader understanding of the full project lifecycle and how different disciplines come together to deliver successful outcomes.
A career that shapes the built environment
What I enjoy most about quantity surveying is that you can see the impact of your work develop over time. Whether it’s a refurbishment, hospitality project or major development, you’re helping shape places that people will use and experience every day.
For anyone considering a career in the built environment, quantity surveying offers a mix of technical knowledge, collaboration and real-world problem-solving. Every project is different, and there’s always something new to learn.
That’s what continues to make the role exciting for me - being part of projects from the earliest stages and watching them gradually become reality.
