Quantity Surveying Guide

What This Guide Covers

This Quantity Surveying Guide is Cenex's open reference on the discipline of quantity surveying as it is practised in Australian infrastructure. It is written for engineers, project managers, contract administrators, and asset owners who need to understand how QS works — what the formal standards require, what deliverables to expect at each stage of a project, and how the discipline integrates with cost engineering, contracts, and project delivery.

The guide aligns with the standards published by the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS) — including the Australian Standard Method of Measurement (ASMM) and the Best Practice Costing Manual — and references the international body of practice maintained by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

For Brisbane and Queensland infrastructure clients, the practical value is commercial control: a clear Bill of Quantities, a defensible cost plan, consistent progress valuations, and a final account that can be audited. Cenex's quantity surveying service applies this guide in live project work, then connects it with cost estimating, commercial management, and risk modelling.

Who this guide is for

• Project managers and engineers who need to engage QS services correctly and interpret QS deliverables
• Asset owners and government clients procuring infrastructure through formal contract
• Contract administrators and commercial managers handling progress claims, variations, and EOT
• Anyone preparing for AIQS membership or RICS chartership in QS

Chapter outline

The guide is organised into five chapters that follow the lifecycle of a typical project. Click any chapter to jump in, or read end-to-end.