Freelance QS support for construction companies across Essex, London and the UK — from early-stage cost planning to final account.
The role of a Quantity Surveyor
A Quantity Surveyor manages the financial and commercial side of a construction project from first enquiry through to final payment. Before a contract is signed, that means translating drawings and specifications into measured costs — producing cost plans at early design stages, preparing detailed Bills of Quantities (BOQs) for tender, pricing packages for subcontractors, and carrying out accurate material and labour take-offs. The goal is to give the contractor a clear, defensible number before committing to the work.
Once a project is on site, the QS role shifts to protecting and recovering the commercial position. That includes valuing work in progress for interim applications, identifying and pricing variations as the scope changes, managing the subcontractor supply chain commercially, and progressing the final account through to agreed settlement. Without this support, contractors routinely leave money on the table — through under-claimed applications, unpriced variations, or final accounts that drag on without resolution.
Most small to mid-size contractors don't have the budget or the workload to justify a full-time QS on the payroll. The work is project-specific — it spikes during the tender period, picks up again on site, and there are quieter periods in between. That's where a freelance Quantity Surveyor makes commercial sense: you access experienced commercial support exactly when the project demands it, without the ongoing employment overhead.
Whether you need someone to price an upcoming tender, manage the commercial side of a live project, or bring a difficult final account to a close, the scope of work and fee are agreed upfront — no surprises, no open-ended commitment.
How the work is prepared
Every rate carries a visible build-up. Labour is shown as days by trade, materials are listed with quantities, and waste and plant are carried as live percentages against the material and labour totals rather than buried in a lump sum. If a client’s QS, a funder or a contract administrator queries a figure, the working sits behind it and can be produced immediately.
Bills of Quantities are measured to NRM2, or to SMM7 where an existing contract or framework still references it. Anything genuinely uncertain at tender stage is carried as a provisional sum with the calculation shown behind it, rather than as a bare figure — so the risk is visible to you before you commit, not discovered on site.
That method comes from hands-on commercial experience with UK contractors — tender pricing, subcontractor procurement, valuations and final accounts under JCT forms of contract. The scope and the fee are agreed in writing before any work starts.
What I offer
Specialist support across the full project cycle — pre-contract and post-contract. Each service is priced on a fixed fee agreed before any work begins.
Accurate, measured take-offs from drawings and specifications. Material and labour quantities extracted and structured for pricing — new build, refurbishment and fit-out.
View service →Full tender pricing and BOQ preparation for competitive submission. Subcontractor enquiries issued, returns analysed, and a robust, compliant bid delivered on time.
View service →Fully measured, NRM-compliant Bills of Quantities prepared to the standard required for competitive tender, contract formation and post-contract cost control.
View service →On-site commercial support — interim valuations, variation management, subcontractor account control, and final account negotiation through to agreed settlement.
View service →Why contractors choose Hobday QS
You get the commercial rigour of an experienced QS without the overhead of employment. The fee is agreed before the work starts so there are no surprises — and no retainer when the project is done.
Get in touch
Tell me what you need — whether it's a single tender, ongoing site support, or a final account that needs closing out. I'll come back to you the same day with a clear, fixed fee.