If you are interested in a career within the built environment of South Africa, Career Excel Academy is your first choice. We offer various courses that can set your path to build a successful career in this high-demanding industry. Our Higher Certificate in Quantity Surveying is a prime example of how we can assist you to comprehend and apply the various tasks and responsibilities of a Quantity Surveyor.

There are several contributing factors to the shortage of specialists within the built environment of South Africa. The biggest factor comes in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating effects that it had on the industry throughout 2020 and the following years. Luckily, the industry is starting to recover, requiring an influx of specialists to pick up the pace and step into the important roles. At Career Excel Academy, we prepare our students for these roles. Our lecturers are industry professionals who share their knowledge and experience with our students.

Today, we look at the tasks and responsibilities of a professional Quantity Surveyor to give you some insight on this career path.

What Does a Quantity Surveyor Do?

• Office-Based Tasks and Responsibilities: When enrolling with our Higher Certificate in Quantity Surveying, you will quickly understand that such a career involves both office-based and on-site tasks and responsibilities. A Quantity Surveyor’s office-based tasks include careful project planning and establishing the feasibility of a proposed budget that must be created by them. Such a budget is based on initial cost estimates, cash flow projections, and other crucial elements. A Quantity Surveyor is also tasked with contracts and tenders, requiring them to prepare accommodating documentation, evaluate incoming bids, negotiate corresponding contracts, and analyse involved costs. Cost management, reporting, and communications round out their office-based duties.

• On-Site Tasks and Responsibilities: Another crucial element that students are taught when enrolled with our Higher Certificate in Quantity Surveying, is the on-site element of such a career path. Quantity Surveyors must visit the corresponding construction sites to evaluate progress, assess quality, and check various compliance and safety regulations. They are also tasked with risk assessment and solving any problems that relate to construction costs, material acquisitions, and similar issues that fall within their scope of work. Dependent on the project’s stage and progress, the Quantity Surveyor will always have a specific task to perform and complete, allowing the construction project to move forward and stay within the reaches of its designated budget.

CEA is your first choice when you want to start your career in the built environment in South Africa. Our Higher Certificate in Quantity Surveying is an excellent choice if you want to pursue such a career path. Feel free to contact us directly if you want to enrol for 2026.