Quantity Surveying Reports

Not for all construction projects, but QS Reports are often highly valuable depending on the scale, compexity and compliance requirements. Here's a breakdown:

1. Small Residential Projects
   • For small builds (like a single dwelling, extensions or renovations), a formal Quantity Surveyor (QS) report is not always required.
   • Builders often provide costs estimates themselves.
   • However, a QS Report can still help the client verify whether the builder's quote is realistic and whether contingencies are required.
   • Occasionally, Banks may require a QS Report to secure finance for a project.
2. Medium to Large Commercial of Residentifal Projects
   • For larger, more complex projects, QS Reports become very important.
   • QS Reports provide detailed Bills of Quantities (BoQ), cost plans and cash flow forecasts.
   • Lenders, investors and insurers often require an independent QS Report before releasing funds.
3. Government and Institutional Projects
   • Public sector and infrastructure projects typically must have independent QS reporting as part of procurement and governance requirements.
   • This ensures transparency, fairness in tendering and accountability for taxpayer spending.
4. Finance and Risk Management
   • Many banks and financiers require a QS Report before approving or continuing loan drawdowns.
   • The QS acts as the funder's watchdog - confirming progress claims and variations accuracy and ensuring value for money.
5. Legal and Dispute Resolution
   • A QS Report can be essential evidence in case of disputes over payment claims, delays or scope changes.

• • Not legally required for every project but strongly recommended for anything beyond small-scale works.
  • Mandatory in practice for many financed, public or large commercial projects.

Yes, a client can absolutely customise the contents of a QS Report, but the level of flexibility depends on the purpose of the QS report and any third-party requirements attached to it. ProfitPays explains the general guiding principles further as follows:

1. Private Client Projects (Self-Funded)
   • The QS can tailor the report to suit the client's needs.
   • Examples of customisation:
     • More focus on cost breakdown by trade (plumbing, electrical, finishes etc).
     • Simplified summaries for non-technical clients.
     • Inclusion of cashflow projections or staged payment advice.
     • Optional sections like risk analysis, escalation allowances or procurement advice.
2. Bank, Investor Funded, Government or Institutional Projects
   • Customisation is limited because fianciers usually have set templates or minimum requirements.
   • A QS must include specific details such as:
     • Project cost plan.
     • Valuation of works completed (for progress claims).
     • Contingency and variation tracking.
     • Forecast to completion.
   • The client can still ask for extra detail but the QS cannot omit the mandatory sections.

• • A private homeowner might ask a QS to produce a "client-friendly" summary with plain english explanations of allowances and risks, alongside the technical cost breakdown for the builder.
  • A property developer might request a QS Report to include a sensitivity analysis (e.g: what happens if material costs rise 10%)

• • Yes, QS Reports are flexible in private projects and can be customised to fit the client's decision making needs. But if the report is for a bank, investor or government body, the client has less say - those stakeholders dictate what must be included.

Great question - the update frequency of a QS report depends on the project stage, size and whom the QS report is for. Here's how it usually works:

1. Before Construction (Planning & Design Stage)
   • Design stages - QS Reports are updated whenever the design reaches a certain stage of completion (i.e: concept, schematic, detailed design etc)
2. During Tendering
   • Updated once when drawings are finalised and ready for contractors.
   • Often includes the Bill of Quantities (BOQ) and final pre-tender estimate.
3. Construction Phase
   • Updates are linked to progress claims and variations.
   • For bank or investor funded projects, the QS provides a monthly or stage based report confirming:
     • Value of work completed.
     • Remaining costs and forecast to completion.
     • Assessment of variations and contingencies.
   • Frequency:
     • Monthly (common for commerical projects).
     • At each loan drawdown stage (common for residential builds)
4. Post Completion
   • A final account QS Report confirms total cost, variations and reconciliation against budget.
   • Sometimes required for financiers, insurers or dispute proceedings.

• • Small residential builds: At loan stages (slab, frame, lock-up, fixing, completion) or when costs change significantly.
  • Light commerical and government projects: Monthly during construction and at every major design milestone.
  • Investor and bank projects: As often as the financier requires (usually monthly or per drawdown)

Yes, QS Reports are commonly provided to banks, councils and other authorities, but the purpose and format will differ depending on who's receiving it:

1. Banks and Financiers:
   • Very common - banks often require QS Reports before approving or releasing funds.
   • Uses:
     • Confirming the initial cost plan is realistic, before finance approval.
     • Progress claim reporting - QS checks that the builder has completed the work claimed before the bank releases the next payment.
     • Monitoring variations, contingencies and forecasting costs to complete.
   • Typically, banks insist on independent QS Reports.
2. Councils and Local Authorities:
   • Councils don't usually need a full QS report for development approval (DA) or building permits.
   • But in some cases, councils (or state planning authorities) require cost reports for:
     • Development applications (e.g: in NSW, a registered QS must sign off on a cost summary report if the project value exceeds certain thresholds).
     • Infrastructure contributions and levies - often calculated as a percentage of project cost, which must be certified by a QS.
     • These reports are shorter, more standardised and focus on declared project cost, not a full BOQ.