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Quantity Surveying and Measurement for Building Works

Two contractors price the same bill of quantities and arrive at figures that differ by a third. Measurement discipline is usually the reason. Taking off from drawings, standard measurement conventions, bills of quantities and the pricing decisions behind a competitive tender.

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Register for this course

What you will be able to do

  • Read architectural and structural drawings accurately enough to measure work from them.
  • Apply recognised measurement conventions when taking off substructure, superstructure and finishes.
  • Compile a bill of quantities with clear preambles, preliminaries and trade sections.
  • Build up unit rates from labour, material, plant, wastage and overhead components.
  • Price provisional sums, prime cost amounts and contingency allowances correctly.
  • Value work in progress for interim payment certificates and reconcile it against the bill.

Course outline

  1. 01Drawing interpretation and scaling for measurement
  2. 02Taking off substructure and earthworks
  3. 03Measuring superstructure, roofing and envelope
  4. 04Finishes, joinery and services provisional allowances
  5. 05Preparing preliminaries and the priced bill
  6. 06Rate build up, wastage and escalation allowances
  7. 07Interim valuations and payment certificates
  8. 08Final account reconciliation exercise

Who should attend

Junior and candidate quantity surveyors, estimators, contracts administrators and site engineers who prepare or check measurements. Procurement officers and project accountants who must interrogate a contractor's priced bill will also benefit.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendarRegister
28 Sep to 2 Oct 2026Durban5R18,000Closed
5 to 9 Oct 2026Pretoria5R18,000Register
12 to 16 Oct 2026Nairobi5US$1,800Register
19 to 23 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam5US$1,800Register
26 to 30 Oct 2026Lusaka5US$1,800Register
2 to 6 Nov 2026Harare5US$1,800Register
9 to 13 Nov 2026Accra5US$1,800Register
16 to 20 Nov 2026Lagos5US$1,800Register
23 to 27 Nov 2026Dubai5US$1,800Register
30 Nov to 4 Dec 2026Johannesburg5R18,000Register
7 to 11 Dec 2026Cape Town5R18,000Register

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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Next session
29 Sep to 1 Oct 2026
Venue
Blantyre
3 day programme
FromR13,000
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