Quantity Surveyor

Quantity Surveyor (Refurb & Conservation) | Central London | Permanent | Immediate



If you can price a brick and explain a box gutter, read on.



You'll suit this if you:

• Started on the tools (carpentry or similar) or you've spent serious time on scaffold, not just in spreadsheets.

• Know what a box gutter is, how a roof goes together, and what happens before/after the scaffold goes up.

• Can talk brick bonds, temporary works, CAT scans (cable avoidance), propping, and sequencing without phoning a friend.

• Enjoy getting out to site, walking the job, and controlling the numbers because you understand the build.



The Work (real examples, not buzzwords):

• Live refurb & conservation of listed/period assets across Central London.

• Section 20 mansion blocks, façade retention, structural cut & carve, high-spec commercial refurb.

• Values mostly £150k-£2m (some £2-3m+) with tricky access, neighbours, and logistics.



Where you add instant value:

• Valuations & variations grounded in what's actually buildable this week.

• Scoping packages with an eye for temporary works, access, waste routes, and build sequencing.

• Sitting with PM/SM and agreeing the method before you agree the money.

• Final accounts that stand up because you understood the detail on day one.



Litmus Test (be honest with yourself):

• Could you explain to a client how you'd remove two internal columns to create a big retail space, at least at outline method level (temp works, propping, sequencing, back-propping, steel install, finishes make-good)?

• Do you know today's ballpark price of common bricks and what might move it?

• Can you sketch how you'd detail a box gutter tie-in on a refurb roof and the risks to watch for?

If you're nodding, you'll likely fly here.



About the Contractor:

• 30 years in high-quality restoration & conservation, ~£13m turnover.

• 16-18 live projects; core trades in-house (restorers, stonemasons, decorators); roofs/M&E/specialist packages subbed but tightly managed.

• Tight, practical team who back people that take ownership.



What you've probably done:

• 3-5+ years post-grad QS (or more) with real site exposure-ideally carpentry/trade background.

• Refurb/conservation experience ideal, but solid builder's eye matters more.

• Confident with take-offs, CVRs, valuations, variations, budgets, accruals, and closing final accounts.

• Happy up a scaffold, in a plant room, or over drawings with an SE.



Progression & Package:

• Chance to own fewer, higher-value jobs with complex commercial oversight.

• Path to lead QS/commercial manager as you grow.

• Competitive salary/benefits, plus the autonomy to run your jobs like you mean it.



No long cover letter needed. Let's talk-no pressure.

Michael Ogunyankin · (phone number removed) · michael @ borneltd . com