Quantity surveyor for homeowners: when you need one and what you actually get
A quantity surveyor for homeowners building a private house, an engineer or a registered building technician like Yaakov Avital, turns the drawings and the specification you chose into a list of works and quantities on which all the contractors price exactly the same thing. Without such a list, each contractor submits a total price based on their own understanding, and comparing the bids rests mostly on gut feeling. This page explains when to order one, what to hand over, what the work looks like in practice and roughly what it costs.
When to bring in a quantity surveyor for a private house
The right time is once there are permit drawings and a specification, or at least a list of the materials you chose, and before you ask contractors for quotes. That way all the contractors get the same document, and you get bids that can be set side by side.
If the design is still changing substantially, it is better to wait or to plan an update round in advance. If the structural frame has already been given to a contractor, you can order a bill of quantities (BOQ) only for the stage that is not yet closed, for example the finishes chapters. That is what was done for a private house of about 200 m², where a BOQ was prepared for the finishes chapters only.
What to hand over before starting
- The permit drawing set (gramushka) and current architectural drawings.
- Structural drawings, in DWG if available.
- A finishes specification or the list of materials you have already chosen: flooring, wall tiling, sanitary ware and joinery.
- The aluminium and metalwork schedule.
- Plumbing, electrical and HVAC drawings, if they have been prepared.
- The external works plan: fences, paths, parking and paved areas.
There is no need to produce new material especially for the quote. Whatever is missing will be marked as missing in the BOQ, not entered as zero. Completing it when the material arrives is done as set out in the quote. A more detailed list is on the BOQ preparation page.
What the work looks like in practice
- You get in touch through the form and tell me briefly about the house: its size, its stage and what already exists.
- I go through the material and send the first questions, usually in one combined e-mail.
- You receive a written quote: what is included, what the deliverable is and how the payments are split.
- I prepare the BOQ and pass it to you for review.
- One update round is included, as long as there is no change in the design. A design change or substantial new material is priced separately.
The deliverable is an Excel file organised by chapter, with a description, unit and quantity for each item, which can be sent as it is to several contractors. What exactly the BOQ contains and how to compare bids with it is explained on the BOQ for a private house page.
Send all the contractors the same BOQ, in the same version, and ask each of them for a price for every item. A bid that arrives in a different structure, or as one total price, simply cannot be compared.
The BOQ keeps working after you choose a contractor
The BOQ the contractor priced becomes a convenient basis for changes: when you change the flooring, add a window or alter the kitchen, the change is calculated from the unit rate and the quantity, instead of negotiating from scratch. For payments during construction, too, you can check against the BOQ items which part of the work has been completed, alongside an on-site check by whoever supervises on your behalf.
It is also important to know what the quantity surveyor does not do. A quantity surveyor for homeowners does not replace a designer or site supervision, and the BOQ describes the work without choosing a material or a supplier for you. I am a registered building technician and a certified works manager, but the role here is quantities and an organised document. You can read about the other services, including those for buildings and contractors, on the quantity surveyor for construction projects page.
What a quantity surveyor for homeowners costs
For illustration only: for a private house of up to 150 m², a BOQ with structural frame and external works costs ₪3,500. A villa of about 300 m² with structural frame and external works: ₪7,000. Changes after work has started are priced from ₪2,000, and hourly work costs ₪450 per hour. Payment is split by stage of the work.
All prices are excluding VAT and are for orientation only. The price for each house is set in a separate written quote, after seeing the material. You can see ranges by type and size in the illustrative calculator.
What a professional quantity surveyor adds here. A homeowner is not expected to know what is missing from the drawings; that is part of the job. For example, the soil report calls for soil replacement under the whole area of the house, while the structural drawing marks it under only part of it. A quantity surveyor who comes from the field, an engineer or a registered building technician like Yaakov Avital, will mark the gap as a question for the structural engineer and the geotechnical consultant, and they will decide. That way the contractors price the same work. More on why you need a soil report.
For a private house, an early quantity takeoff helps you understand the budget before you sign with a contractor. If the takeoff was done from the permit drawings, it is worth updating it once the construction drawings arrive. If you are looking for a budget planner for a private house, this is the basis of the budget; how to build it and follow it is covered on the private house construction budget page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a quantity surveyor for homeowners also a site supervisor?
No. A quantity surveyor prepares quantities and a BOQ, and a site supervisor checks the work on site. These are two different roles, and you can use both. The differences between a quantity surveyor, a site supervisor and a designer are explained on the what is a quantity surveyor page.
Can I order a BOQ for the finishes chapters only?
Yes. It suits especially well when the structural frame contractor has already been chosen and you now need to compare bids for the finishes, such as plaster, flooring and wall tiling, paint and sanitary ware.
How many contractors should I send the BOQ to?
To the contractors you are really considering working with, not to a long list. It matters more that they all receive the same BOQ in the same version and return a price for every item, so that the comparison is on the merits and not only on the bottom line.
What happens if the drawings change after the BOQ is ready?
One update round is included, provided there is no design change. A design change or a new version of the drawings is priced separately, and every item that changed is marked so that it is clear what moved.
How long does it take?
Most of the time usually goes on completing the material, not on the takeoff. The more complete the drawings and the specification are when they arrive, the shorter the process, and once the material is complete the work moves ahead without breaks.
Have a project? Tell me briefly what the project is and what already exists. When the project is a good fit, I usually reply with focused questions and a written quote.
Contact me for a quote* Created with AI for marketing, for illustration only. Not reviewed by Yaakov Avital and not professional advice. Every project must be checked on its own by a professional quantity surveyor and an engineer.