Quantity Surveying
Quantity surveying is the second BORAQS domain. It tests measurement, cost planning, procurement and contract-administration competence: producing reliable bills, valuing work, controlling change and settling final accounts under the contract and Kenyan public-procurement rules.
Core rules and concepts
- Measure using the standard method of measurement stated in the contract. Do not mix SMM7, NRM2 and CESMM4 rules in one bill; each has its own deduction, unit and item-coverage conventions.
- A bill of quantities is not a price list. It is a measured statement of work, usually with preliminaries, measured works, provisional sums and dayworks. Prime cost sums cover nominated suppliers/subcontractors; provisional sums cover unknown work.
- Cost control follows design: elemental cost plans, cash-flow forecasts and monthly cost reports. Variations must be valued using contract rates where applicable, or fair rates plus reasonable profit.
- Public projects follow the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 and PPRA regulations: approved budgets, competitive tendering and published award decisions.
Worked example
An interim certificate shows measured work of KES 28,000,000 and materials on site of KES 2,000,000. Gross valuation = KES 30,000,000. Retention at 5% = KES 1,500,000, assuming the retention cap is not reached. Previous certificates total KES 12,000,000. Net amount due = 30,000,000 − 1,500,000 − 12,000,000 = KES 16,500,000. The QS checks measured quantities, rates, materials ownership and retention before the architect certifies.
Traps
Do not double-count preliminaries in measured items. Do not treat the contract sum as the final cost. Do not release retention before the contractual defects period ends. Do not value omitted work at tender rates when the contract requires a fair valuation. Do not certify materials that are not securely stored on site.