Chartered Surveyor

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Chartered Surveyor is the description (protected by law in many countries) of Professional Members and Fellows of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) entitled to use the designation (and a number of variations such as "Chartered Building Surveyor" or "Chartered Quantity Surveyor" or "Chartered Civil Engineering Surveyor" depending on their field of expertise) in the (British) Commonwealth of Nations and Ireland. Chartered originates from the Royal Charter granted to the world's first professional body of surveyors. Chartered Surveyors are entitled to use "MRICS" or "FRICS" after their names as appropriate.

Contents

Chartered Surveyors are highly trained and experienced property professionals. Surveyors offer impartial, specialist advice on a variety of property related issues and the services which they provide are diverse. [1]

Chartered Surveyors work in all fields of property and building consultancy. At the most basic level, their duties include valuing property and undertaking structural surveys of buildings. They also provide expert consultancy advice in property, construction, and related environmental issues.

United Kingdom

A Chartered surveyor in the United Kingdom is a surveyor who is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ("RICS"). Until the end of the 20th century, some members were members of the ISVA ("Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers"), but this organization merged with the RICS in 1999. [2]

In the reforms of the RICS in the 1990s, the former divisional structure of the institution was abolished, and the use of the alternative designations was retained solely for the use of members to retain clarification when informing clients of specialist areas of expertise. Despite the attempt to unify the profession under one title "chartered surveyor", there is very little in common across the whole range of disciplines that are within the grasp of all members. The core membership is based in the construction profession and another large sector deals with property ownership and management. Beyond these cores, there are marine, land, rural, and antiques specialists.

Chartered surveyors in the core of the profession may offer mortgage valuations, homebuyer's surveys and valuations, full building surveys, building surveyors' services, quantity surveying, land surveying, auctioneering, estate management, and other forms of survey and building-related advice. It is not usual for an individual member to have expertise in several areas, and hence partnerships or companies are established to create general practices able to offer a wider spectrum of surveying services.

An old Ordnance survey map Heathrow Before World War II Map.jpg
An old Ordnance survey map

Building surveying

As well as surveying, building surveyors in the UK give advice on design, construction, maintenance and repair. [3] They may also assess damage or dilapidations on behalf of an insurance company.

A Chartered Surveyor is one who attains MRICS professional membership via the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) by undergoing rigorous training and attaining key work experience across various technical competencies set out by the RICS who then in turn test, scrutinize, examine and assesses such candidates before awarding them Chartered status (MRICS). It is therefore accurate to say that all chartered surveyors can be qualified building surveyors, but not all qualified building surveyors are necessarily Chartered Surveyors. [4]

Quantity surveying

Quantity surveyors work for private and commercial clients, main contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry. Their function is the management of the commercial interfaces of construction: writing, negotiating, awarding, and administering contracts, including variations and claims arising during the performance of a contract; cost control and cost engineering, [5] i.e. to document and estimate costs, progress, and risks. In the UK, not all quantity surveyors are necessarily chartered surveyors; some may be chartered through the Chartered Institute of Building ("CIOB"). [6] Albeit, the title of 'Chartered Quantity Surveyor' can only be used by Members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Additional duties may include performing feasibility studies, preparing tenders, procuring materials, managing subcontractors, and even advice on taxation or building management. [7] Surveyors may also be involved in dispute resolution. [8]

Quantity surveyors sometimes act as project managers of a construction site. [6]

Land surveying

Essentially, land surveying is making accurate maps and plans. [9] Land surveying encompasses cadastral surveying, cartography, engineering surveying, hydrographic surveying and oceanographic surveying. [9] Land surveyors may be accredited by the RICS, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), or the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES), [9] but only RICS members can call themselves "chartered land surveyors". Members and Fellows of CICES are eligible to attain Chartered Engineer status through the Engineering Council. [10]

Auctioneering

Firms of chartered surveyors sometimes act in property auctions. [11]

Other aspects of surveying practice

As well as the services mentioned above, UK chartered surveyors may offer advice in boundary disputes, business rates, compulsory purchase matters and party walls. [12] ("Party walls" in the UK are walls on your property shared with your neighbors.)

Employers

The largest employer of Chartered Surveyors is Turner & Townsend. [13]

Becoming a Chartered Surveyor

In order to become a Chartered Surveyor, trainees must undertake a degree accredited by the RICS and pass the Assessment of Professional Competence. [14] Occasionally RICS withdraws accreditation of degree courses. [15] [16]

Notable Chartered Surveyors

United Arab Emirates

A Chartered surveyor in the Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates are professionals who provide expert advice on various aspects related to real estate, construction, and property-related matters. Their primary role is to offer specialized services to individuals, businesses, and government entities to help them make informed decisions about property assets. Here are some of the key tasks and responsibilities of chartered surveyors in the UAE:

Property Valuation

Chartered surveyors assess the value of residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural properties. They consider factors such as location, condition, market trends, and other relevant variables to provide accurate and impartial property valuations.

Property Management

They manage and oversee real estate properties on behalf of property owners, ensuring that they are well-maintained and generating maximum returns. This may include rent collection, lease negotiations, and property maintenance.

Building Surveys

Chartered surveyors conduct detailed inspections of buildings to assess their condition and identify any structural issues, defects, or potential risks. They provide comprehensive reports to clients, which are crucial for buyers, sellers, and property investors.

Project Management

They may act as project managers for construction and development projects. They oversee the planning, design, and execution of projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and meeting quality standards.

Feasibility Studies

Chartered surveyors conduct feasibility studies for proposed real estate developments. These studies assess the viability of a project, taking into account factors such as market demand, costs, and regulatory requirements.

See also

Related Research Articles

Real estate appraisal, property valuation or land valuation is the process of developing an opinion of value for real property. Real estate transactions often require appraisals because they occur infrequently and every property is unique, unlike corporate stocks, which are traded daily and are identical. The location also plays a key role in valuation. However, since property cannot change location, it is often the upgrades or improvements to the home that can change its value. Appraisal reports form the basis for mortgage loans, settling estates and divorces, taxation, and so on. Sometimes an appraisal report is used to establish a sale price for a property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors</span> Organization

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a global professional body for those working in the Built Environment, Construction, Land, Property and Real Estate. The RICS was founded in London in 1868. It works at a cross-governmental level, and aims to promote and enforce the highest international standards in the valuation, management and development of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.

A quantity surveyor (QS) is a construction industry professional with expert knowledge on construction costs and contracts. Qualified professional quantity surveyors are known as Chartered Surveyors in the UK and Certified Quantity Surveyors in Australia and other countries. In some countries such as Canada, South Africa, Kenya and Mauritius, qualified quantity surveyors are known as Professional Quantity Surveyors, a title protected by law.

The Society for the Environment (SocEnv) is an umbrella body for environmental organisations in the UK. Its primary function is the licensing of its member institutions to confer chartered status on sustainability and environmental professionals worldwide. It was established in response to the need to encourage the highest levels of professionalism in the field of sustainability.

A Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) is a professional qualification in the United Kingdom that is awarded by the Society for the Environment through its 24 licensed member organisations.

A building control body is an organisation authorised to control building work that is subject to the Building Regulations in England and Wales (similar systems are provided in Northern Ireland, and in Scotland where the term 'building standards' is used. Such regulations or standards are also known as building codes in other parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Building engineer</span>

A building engineer is recognised as being expert in the use of technology for the design, construction, assessment and maintenance of the built environment. Commercial Building Engineers are concerned with the planning, design, construction, operation, renovation, and maintenance of buildings, as well as with their impacts on the surrounding environment.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is a global organization which exists to promote and advance for the public benefit the science and practice of building and construction. Originating in 1834 as the Builders Society and incorporated in 1884 as The Institute of Builders, the institute was renamed the Institute of Building in 1965 and granted its royal charter of incorporation in September, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RICS Books</span>

RICS Shop is the commercial publishing and bookselling arm of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors</span> Professional surveying organisation

The Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors or CICES is a professional association in the field of civil engineering surveying, headquartered in the United Kingdom. CICES members consist mainly of commercial managers, quantity surveyors, and geospatial engineers working and studying within civil engineering surveying. The institution began in 1969 as the Association of Surveyors in Civil Engineering, became a registered educational charity in 1992, and received a royal charter in 2009. The institution advocates for engineering projects and education.

Construction surveying or building surveying is to provide dimensional control for all stages of construction work, including the stake out of reference points and markers that will guide the construction of new structures such as roads, rail, or buildings. These markers are usually staked out according to a suitable coordinate system selected for the project.

A chartered professional is a person who has gained a specific level of skill or competence in a particular field of work, which has been recognised by the award of a formal credential by a relevant professional organization. Chartered status is considered a mark of professional competency, and is awarded mainly by chartered professional bodies and learned societies. Common in Britain, it is also used in Ireland, the United States and the Commonwealth, and has been adopted by organizations around the world.

Isurv is an online information service for expertise in natural and built environments. It was launched in September 2003 by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and provides insight from verified legal experts and industry practitioners relating to construction.

Environmental surveying is the title of a profession within the wider field of surveying, the practitioners of which are known as environmental surveyors. Environmental surveyors use surveying techniques to understand the potential impact of environmental factors on real estate and construction developments, and conversely the impact that real estate and construction developments will have on the environment.

The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) was established on 28 February 1969. It is the leading source of professional advice on Landed Property and Construction in Ghana. It was established out of the Ghana Branch of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors following a resolution during the annual general meeting in 1969. Members of the Institute of Quantity Surveyors and the Licensed Surveyors Association practising in Ghana at the time were also incorporated at the beginning.

Dona Enfreeda Rangani Chitra Weddikkara (1947), known as Chitra Weddikkara, is a Sri Lankan professor of building economics, a chartered architect, a chartered quantity surveyor, an external examiner, an administrator, and a frequent speaker at construction-related professional venues.

A Chartered Building Surveyor is a specialist type of Chartered Surveyor involved in all aspects of property and construction, from supervising large mixed-use developments to planning domestic extensions and diagnosing building pathologies. Building surveying is one of the widest areas of surveying practice. It has a varied workload and can include everything from the conservation and restoration of historic buildings to contemporary new developments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University College of Estate Management</span> Online college of real estate related subjects

The University College of Estate Management, formerly the College of Estate Management (CEM) is an independent UK-based higher education institution which provides courses by distance learning for people in the real estate development and construction industries throughout the world. UCEM is also one of eight original members of the Independent Universities Group, made up of universities not funded by the HEFCE. As of 2013, UCEM had educated over 150,000 students.

The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors is a surveying organisation in Hong Kong.

References

  1. ↑ Benedictus, Leo (26 September 2009). "The chartered surveyor: Made to measure". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  2. ↑ Property Week
  3. ↑ Government careers advice Archived February 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine site
  4. ↑ "Residential Building Surveys London". ZFN. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  5. ↑ "Icoste". Archived from the original on 2007-07-13. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  6. 1 2 Salford University
  7. ↑ Prospects website Archived March 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Government careers advice Archived February 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine site
  9. 1 2 3 Our property website
  10. ↑ "Quick Guide Plus to Chartered Engineer (CEng)" (PDF). CICES. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  11. ↑ RICS Archived March 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ RICS website Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Top 50 Surveyors". Building . Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  14. ↑ Ford, Liz (1 December 2007). "So you want to work in ... Building surveyancy". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  15. ↑ Bassey, Amardeep (25 February 2001). "SURVEYOR SNOBS IN UNI WRANGLE". Sunday Mercury . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  16. ↑ "Degree without license". Times Educational Supplement . 19 January 1998. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  17. ↑ "Find a member: Andy Irvine". Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  18. ↑ "Commercial Property Services in Edinburgh". Jones Lang LaSalle. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  19. ↑ Dunton, Jim (23 May 2013). "Former Scots rugby star swaps scrum for surveying". Building . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  20. ↑ "Find a member:Paul Morrell". Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  21. ↑ "Find a member:Tim Wonnacott". Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  22. ↑ "Find a member:Marianne Suhr". Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors . Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  23. ↑ "Find a member:Philip Serrell". Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
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