Quantity Surveyor CV Example
Updated 30 June 2026
A quantity surveyor CV must speak the language of the role: project values, contract forms, software, and RICS status. Whether you are a PQS (consultant-side cost planning and employer's QS duties) or a contractor's QS (commercial management, CVR, and subcontract accounts), the hiring manager needs to see your sector, your toolset, and the scale you operate at within the first ten seconds. This guide shows you how to build a CV that passes the ATS screen and wins the interview.
Quantity Surveyor CV examples
Graduate Quantity Surveyor
entryLeads with RICS APC progress, names the software learned, and quantifies placement projects to show readiness despite limited experience.
Quantity Surveyor (PQS)
midMRICS status up front, clear PQS focus, names flagship projects (HS2), and evidences the full pre- and post-contract cycle with strong cost-saving metrics.
Senior Quantity Surveyor (Contractor's QS)
seniorChartered status, contractor-side commercial focus, CVR ownership, and leadership across high-value rail and civils projects with detailed contract and software evidence.
How to write a quantity surveyor CV
Format and length
Two pages, reverse-chronological. Name and contact details at the top, personal statement next (three to four sentences), then Experience, Education, Professional Memberships/Achievements, and Skills. No photo, no date of birth (UK convention). Use a clean sans-serif font (Calibri, Arial, 11pt) and consistent spacing. Save as PDF unless the application system asks for Word.
What to include in each section
| Section | What to include | What to leave out |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | RICS status (MRICS or APC stage), PQS vs contractor's QS, years of experience, sector (infrastructure/residential/commercial/civils), typical project value band, key contracts (NEC/JCT), and one standout skill or achievement. | Generic claims ("hard-working", "team player"), unquantified experience, or omitting RICS status. |
| Experience | Job title, employer, dates, location. Three to four bullet points per role: project name and value, contract form, your specific duties (cost planning/CVR/procurement/final accounts), software used, and quantified outcomes (savings, variance %, time saved). Name flagship projects (HS2, Crossrail, a recognisable scheme). | Bare duties ("prepared valuations"), missing project values, no contract forms, no software, generic "managed budgets" without figures. |
| Skills | List the QS software you use (CostX, Causeway, Bluebeam, Excel), contract forms (NEC3/NEC4, JCT, FIDIC, Network Rail standards), measurement standards (NRM1/2/3), and relevant technical skills (AutoCAD, BIM, CVR, procurement). | Soft skills in the skills list (save those for bullets), outdated tools, or listing software you have never used in a real project. |
| Education | Degree title, institution, dates, classification. Note if RICS-accredited. A-levels or BTEC in brief. | Unrelated modules, school addresses, or excessive detail on secondary education. |
| Achievements | RICS status (MRICS with year chartered, or APC progress), other certifications (NEC accreditation, CSCS card), awards. | Listing training courses as achievements, or omitting RICS status entirely. |
Section order and what matters most
Lead with your personal statement (RICS status first), then Experience (most recent role first, three to four bullets each), Education, Achievements (RICS/certifications), and Skills. Recruiters scan for RICS status, project values, and contract forms in the first 20 seconds, so front-load those details.
Personal statement examples
MRICS-qualified private-practice quantity surveyor with five years' experience on infrastructure and commercial projects to £120M. Skilled in cost planning, NRM measurement, procurement, and employer's-side cost control under NEC4 and JCT. Track record of delivering projects on budget and identifying value-engineering savings averaging 8%.
Hard-working and detail-oriented quantity surveyor looking for a new role to use my skills and grow my career. Experienced in budgets and contracts, with strong communication skills and a passion for construction. A team player who thrives under pressure.
Writing your experience
The result-plus-metric pattern
Every bullet should follow this shape: what you did + the project context (value, contract, sector) + the quantified outcome. QS hiring managers read for project values, contract forms, software, and savings or variance percentages. A bullet without numbers reads as junior.
| Weak (duty-focused) | Strong (outcome-focused) |
|---|---|
| Responsible for cost planning and preparing Bills of Quantities. | Prepared NRM2-compliant BoQs and cost plans for five infrastructure schemes (£8M to £28M), analysing bids and negotiating with contractors to achieve average savings of 7.2%. |
| Managed interim valuations and variations on a construction project. | Administered interim valuations and assessed compensation events on a £19M NEC4 ECC rail-infrastructure project (part of the HS2 enabling works programme), maintaining cost forecasts within 1.5% variance. |
| Handled subcontract accounts and payments. | Administered subcontract accounts for three packages totalling £1.9M, processing interim payments and ensuring compliance with JCT subcontract terms, with zero late-payment disputes. |
Name the project, the contract, and the software
Do not write "worked on a large infrastructure scheme". Write "led cost planning on a £42M NEC4 ECC rail scheme (HS2 enabling works), using CostX for measurement and Bluebeam for drawing takeoff". Specificity signals you can hit the ground running.
Action verbs for quantity surveyors
Use verbs that match the QS workflow: prepared, measured, assessed, administered, negotiated, procured, coordinated, forecast, reconciled, agreed, identified, recovered, substantiated, analysed, delivered. Avoid generic verbs ("managed", "handled", "responsible for") unless paired with a concrete outcome.
Evidence the full cost cycle
Spanning pre- and post-contract duties shows seniority. For a PQS: cost planning (RIBA Stages 2–5), NRM measurement, BoQ preparation, tender analysis, procurement, interim valuations, change control, and final accounts. For a contractor's QS: CVR, subcontract procurement and administration, interim applications, compensation events/variations, loss-and-expense claims, and final account negotiation. If you have done all of these, say so with a project example for each.
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
Education
List your degree (BSc or MSc Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, or Construction Economics), institution, dates, and classification. State whether the degree is RICS-accredited (most UK QS degrees are). If you completed a placement year, mention it briefly ("Placement year with a Tier 1 contractor, 2015–16"). Include A-levels or BTEC in one line (subjects and grades) but no detail beyond that.
RICS status: the first credential recruiters scan for
Your RICS status belongs in two places: the personal statement (first sentence) and the Achievements section. If you are chartered, write "Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), chartered [year]". If you are undertaking your APC, write "RICS APC candidate ([X] months completed, final assessment scheduled [quarter/year])". If you are pre-APC, state your degree accreditation and your intention to pursue chartership. Omitting RICS status entirely makes a CV read as incomplete.
Other certifications that matter
- NEC accreditation (NEC3 or NEC4 Project Manager or Supervisor accreditation) if you work on NEC contracts regularly.
- CSCS card (Black card for professionally or academically qualified persons). Not always required for office-based QS roles, but common for site-facing positions.
- Prince2, APM PMQ, or similar project-management certifications if you have moved into commercial or project leadership.
Do not list generic training courses ("Health & Safety Awareness", "Excel Intermediate") as achievements. Save the Achievements section for RICS, NEC accreditation, and any industry awards or recognition.
Common mistakes to avoid
Listing duties instead of outcomes ("responsible for cost planning and valuations").
Show the project, the value, the contract, and the result: "Prepared cost plans and interim valuations on a £42M JCT SBC office scheme, delivering the project 3% under budget through proactive change control."
Omitting RICS status or APC progress entirely.
Lead the personal statement with your RICS status: "MRICS-qualified" or "RICS APC candidate (18 months completed)". It is the first credential recruiters scan for.
No project values, contract forms, or software named anywhere on the CV.
Every project bullet should include the contract value ("£19M scheme"), the contract form ("NEC4 ECC Option C"), and the software you used ("CostX for measurement, Bluebeam for takeoff").
Failing to signal PQS vs contractor's QS, leaving the recruiter guessing which side you work.
State your side in the personal statement: "private-practice quantity surveyor" (PQS) or "contractor's QS with expertise in CVR and commercial management".
Generic personal statement that could apply to any construction role ("hard-working, good communicator, passionate about construction").
Lead with RICS status, years of experience, sector, typical project value, and key contracts: "MRICS-qualified PQS with five years on infrastructure projects to £120M, skilled in NEC4 and cost planning."
Listing soft skills in the Skills section ("excellent communication", "team player") instead of technical skills and software.
The Skills section is for tools, contracts, and methodologies: CostX, NEC4, NRM2, CVR, procurement. Demonstrate soft skills through your achievement bullets, not a list.
Junior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Leads with degree and APC progress, mentions placement or first role, names the software learned and the contract forms studied. | Leads with MRICS and years of experience, states PQS or contractor's side, names the sectors and project values managed, and highlights leadership or specialist expertise (CVR, NEC, final accounts). |
| Project values | £3M to £8M schemes, often supporting a senior QS. Quantifies tasks ("measured quantities for a 42-unit block") rather than whole-project outcomes. | £20M to £250M schemes, often as lead QS or commercial manager. Quantifies whole-project outcomes ("delivered £42M scheme 3% under budget", "secured £4.7M in compensation events"). |
| Contract and commercial depth | Assisted with interim valuations, measured quantities, supported tender analysis. May name JCT or NEC but limited evidence of independent contract administration. | Independently administered NEC compensation events, led procurement and tender negotiations, ran monthly CVRs, negotiated final accounts, and managed commercial risk. Names specific contract clauses and mechanisms (early warnings, loss-and-expense, subcontract contra-charges). |
| Software and methodology | Competent in CostX, Bluebeam, Excel. Learning NRM2 measurement and basic cost planning. | Expert in CostX, Causeway, advanced Excel (CVR, forecasting models). Proficient in NRM1/2/3, AutoCAD, BIM coordination, and commercial risk registers. |
| Scope of duties | Pre-contract focus (cost planning, BoQ, measurement) or post-contract support (assisting with valuations, variations). Rarely spans the full cycle independently. | Spans the full cost cycle independently: feasibility estimating, cost planning, procurement, interim valuations, change control, final accounts. Often leads a team or mentors graduates. |
| Leadership and mentoring | No line-management responsibility. May be an APC candidate receiving mentoring. | Manages a team of QSs or commercial assistants, mentors APC candidates, acts as RICS assessor, or leads bid-team commercial input. |