Key Takeaways

• Align your quantity surveyor resume tightly with each job’s requirements, including ATS optimization techniques.
• Highlight measurable outcomes like cost savings, budget compliance, and procurement cycle improvements.
• Include targeted keywords for roles such as cost estimator and construction estimator to pass automated screening.
• Structure your resume around clear sections: contact info, summary, experience, education, and skills.
• Use industry-standard software and contract experience as key differentiators.

Table of Contents

1. Understanding the Role of a Quantity Surveyor

To craft a sharp resume, anchor it in a precise understanding of the quantity surveyor role and its connections to cost estimation and project management.

Core responsibilities to feature (and mirror in keywords):

• BOQ preparation and measurement:
  Produce and validate bills of quantities (BOQ) and schedules of rates using industry standards.
• Cost estimation and planning:
  Develop detailed estimates and rate analyses for pre-tender and pre-contract stages.
• Procurement and tendering:
  Lead or support procurement strategies, supplier evaluation, and tender processes.
• Contract administration:
  Manage NEC/FIDIC contracts, change orders, claim negotiations, and final accounts.
• Valuations and payments:
  Certify valuations and monitor ongoing cost performance.
• Risk and value management:
  Facilitate value engineering and track project risk registers and contingencies.
• Reporting and stakeholder collaboration:
  Prepare commercial reports and liaise with project teams.

Key skills to highlight:

• Value management and engineering
• Cost estimation and planning
• BOQ preparation and takeoffs
• Procurement and tendering
• Contract administration (NEC, FIDIC)
• Project controls and earned value reporting
• Software proficiencies: CostX, Candy, Bluebeam, Excel, AutoCAD, Revit, Primavera P6
• Negotiation and stakeholder communication

Typical career progression: ranging from Graduate Quantity Surveyor through Senior and Commercial Lead roles with increasing leadership and strategic responsibilities.

2. Key Components of a Quantity Surveyor Resume

An effective resume is concise, metrics-driven, and ATS-optimized. Use a clean, single-column layout and strong headings.

Contact Information

• Full name
• Phone number
• Professional email (e.g., [email protected])
• City, State or City, Country
• Optional: portfolio or LinkedIn (typed text, no graphics)

Professional Summary (3–4 sentences)

Condense your value proposition, specialties, and standout metrics. Adjust by experience-level, e.g. emphasizing internships and software for juniors vs. leadership and high-impact results for seniors.

Work Experience

Structure:

• Job Title | Company | Location | Dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY)
• 4–6 bullets, leading with quantifiable achievements
• Use metrics like cost savings, budget adherence, contract values, and cycle time reduction

Education and Certifications

• BSc or MSc in Quantity Surveying or related field
• Chartership (RICS) and training in NEC3/NEC4, FIDIC, contract law
• Software certifications (CostX, Candy, BIM, Primavera)

Skills

Include 8–12 targeted, ATS-friendly hard and soft skills such as:

• Cost estimation, BOQ preparation, rate analysis
• Procurement, tendering, bid evaluation
• Contract administration (NEC/FIDIC), change management
• Valuations, final accounts, claims handling
• Project controls, earned value management, risk registers
• Software like CostX, Candy, Bluebeam, Excel (advanced), AutoCAD, Revit, MS Project, Primavera P6
• Stakeholder communication, negotiation, leadership

3. Crafting a Cost Estimator CV

Cost estimator CVs share foundations with quantity surveyor resumes but emphasize pre-contract work, bid strategy, and pricing rigor.

Overlap with quantity surveyor resumes:

• BOQ preparation, quantity takeoffs, rate analysis
• Cost planning and benchmarking
• Procurement strategy and tender documentation

Distinct emphases for cost estimators:

• Early-stage cost models & parametric estimating
• Tender pricing and sensitivity analysis
• Estimate validation and governance

Example bullet points:

• Produced elemental cost plans for six projects maintaining ±5% accuracy at tender stage.
• Led quantity takeoffs using CostX and Bluebeam, reducing turnaround time by 18%.
• Developed procurement schedules, securing 7% cost reductions through strategic sourcing.
• Validated supplier quotes, identifying $420K of overpricing and improving bid competitiveness.

4. Tailoring Your Construction Estimator Resume for ATS and Job Descriptions

To pass ATS and capture human attention, mirror the language and priorities of the job posting.

Step-by-step tailoring process:

1. Extract top keywords from the job description (e.g., NEC contracts, EVM, BOQ measurement).
2. Embed primary keywords prominently in your summary and skills.
3. Weave remaining keywords into achievements where truthful.
4. Quantify savings, accuracy, and cycle time reductions.
5. Maintain ATS-friendly formatting with single-column, no graphics or text boxes.

Industry-specific examples:

• Civil projects: Improved CPI from 0.88 to 1.01 with rigorous cost controls.
• MEP/building services: Reduced mechanical package costs by 8% via vendor rationalization.
• Data centers: Achieved 5% CAPEX reduction through early supplier engagement.

5. Senior Quantity Surveyor Resume Tips

Senior-level resumes must highlight leadership, strategic impact, and portfolio oversight.

Focus areas:

• Team leadership and mentoring
• Procurement strategy and contract negotiations
• Advanced contract administration and claims resolution
• Process improvements and digital workflow integration

Powerful metrics:

• Budget compliance over 90% portfolio-wide
• Cost reductions of 9% or more through value engineering
• Claims settled with over 90% agreement
• Procurement cycle time reduced by 14%

Example bullet: “Led commercial team of 10 surveyors across $220M CAPEX portfolio; increased budget compliance from 84% to 95% through standardization and EVM reporting.”

6. Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid generic content, poor ATS optimization, and lack of metrics to boost your screen-in rates.

• Listing duties without achievements or numbers
• Using confusing layouts and missing keywords
• Not quantifying impact with savings or accuracy improvements
• Including irrelevant or outdated experience
• Typos, inconsistent tense, and grammatical errors
• Walls of text or too long resumes (keep within 1–2 pages)

Transform responsibilities into quantified achievements using the CAR method (Challenge–Action–Result).

Example before/after:

Before: “Managed subcontractor payments.”
After: “Managed subcontractor valuations and certifications for 14 packages, cutting disputed items by 80% and improving payment turnaround by 5 days.”

Conclusion: Update Your Quantity Surveyor Resume with the Right Template and Resources

A tailored quantity surveyor resume aligned with industry core competencies and measurable results positions you ahead of the competition.

Action steps to take today:

• Update the professional summary to reflect tailored keywords and measurable value.
• Quantify your achievements with metrics like cost savings and bid wins.
• Refresh your skills with ATS-friendly terms and software.
• Use the provided template below for clear, professional structure.
• Compile a “metrics bank” for rapid tailoring of future applications.

Reusable resume template (adapt and tailor):

[Full Name]
[Phone] | [Email] | [City, State]

Professional Summary
[Years of experience] quantity surveyor specializing in [cost estimation, BOQ preparation, procurement, NEC/FIDIC contract administration]. Proven record of [2–3 measurable outcomes: cost savings %, budget compliance %, cycle time reduction, bid wins, claims settled].

Work Experience
Senior Quantity Surveyor | [Company], [Location] | [Dates]
- [Leadership/strategy metric-driven achievement]
- [Procurement/contract administration achievement]
- [Value engineering or EVM success with numbers]
Quantity Surveyor | [Company], [Location] | [Dates]
- [BOQ/tendering win with value or accuracy metrics]
- [Subcontractor valuations/final accounts impact]
- [Risk/contingency or reporting improvement]
Assistant Quantity Surveyor | [Company], [Location] | [Dates]
- [Takeoffs, rate analysis, estimating contribution]
- [Procurement support; supplier comparison]
- [Software/tool proficiency outcome]

Education
BSc/MSc [Discipline] | [Institution], [Year]
Certifications: [Chartership/Accreditation], NEC/FIDIC | Software: [CostX, Candy, Bluebeam, Excel]

Skills
Cost estimation, cost planning, BOQ preparation, rate analysis, procurement, tendering, NEC/FIDIC, change orders, valuations, claims, earned value, risk registers, CostX, Candy, Bluebeam, Excel, AutoCAD, BIM/Revit, MS Project
    

For additional insights on ATS optimization and crafting targeted resumes, you may find these articles helpful:
- ATS Resume Tips for 2025
- Crafting a Winning Construction Manager Resume