Quantity Surveying Apprenticeships

Can you get an apprenticeship in quantity surveying?

Absolutely! Quantity surveying apprenticeships are available at higher and degree levels. To get started, you’ll need either A-Levels (typically in Maths, Science or IT) or have completed an appropriate Level 3 apprenticeship. You’ll also have to be 18 years old.

There are two main routes to choose from:

The Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship qualifies you as a Quantity Surveying Technician. This is a great entry point if you want to get into the industry sooner, earn while you learn, and build up your practical experience from the ground up - without committing to a full degree programme straight away.

If you're looking to go further, the Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship qualifies you as a fully chartered Quantity Surveyor and comes with a degree-level qualification at the end of it. You'll get the same outcome as a traditional university route - but you'll be earning a salary and building real industry experience at the same time. For a lot of students, it's more rewarding path.

As a qualified quantity surveyor, you’ll be: 

• Working with clients to bring their vision to life

• Studying proposals to ensure they’re feasible

• Preparing tenders

• Estimating material quantities, as well as timings and costings

• Negotiating contracts and schedules 

• Performing risk assessments

• Assigning work to subcontractors and monitoring their progress at every stage

• Writing budget reports

How do quantity surveying apprenticeships work?

Quantity surveying apprenticeships let you split your week between work and study. You'll spend four days a week on the job, getting trained up on real construction projects, and the remaining day in college studying towards your professional qualifications. You'll also put in a minimum of 30 hours a week at work, with additional time for independent study.

How long it takes, again, depends on which route you go down:

The Level 4 Apprenticeship (Quantity Surveying Technician) is the shorter of the two, typically taking two to three years to complete. It's a solid option if you want to get qualified and into the industry faster.

The Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship is the longer commitment at around four to five years - but you come out the other side with a full degree and chartered Quantity Surveyor status. For most people, that extra time is absolutely worth it.

Here's something worth knowing regardless of which level you choose: some apprentices are offered permanent employment before they've even finished their course. Employers value apprentices because they have hands-on experience and genuinely understand what it takes to succeed in the industry.

Whichever route you take, you'll be in a strong position to secure a full-time role when you finish.

Do you have to go to university to become a quantity surveyor?

Good news - you don’t need to go down the traditional university route to become a quantity surveyor. You can join a RICS or CIOB-approved Chartered Surveyor Degree Apprenticeship programme instead and get miles ahead in your career. 

Degree apprenticeships are the crown jewels of the apprenticeship world. They give you the same qualifications as a degree, but have loads more benefits. 

• An average salary of £20,000 or so a year, which will increase once qualified

• No tuition fee debt, as the government and your employer will cover these for you

• Lots of practical workplace experience.

• A professional network built from day one, giving you industry connections that traditional students simply won't have when they graduate

So whether university just isn't for you, or you simply want to start earning and building your career sooner, a degree apprenticeship could be the smartest route into quantity surveying there is.

We have thousands of glowing reviews to help you decide exactly where to do an apprenticeship in quantity surveying - like this one from an apprentice at Savills.

Once employed, your company will place you with a university partner or professional training provider to study towards your qualification. Some of the universities currently offering quantity surveying degree apprenticeships include:

• Anglia Ruskin University

• University of Central Lancashire

• University of Greenwich

• Liverpool John Moores University

• London South Bank University

What skills do you need for quantity surveying?

Quantity surveyors are in huge demand in the construction industry. So if you want to be there at the top, jumping from project to project, working with huge clients, these skills matter:

• Maths, science or engineering knowledge

• Building and construction knowledge

• Good commercial awareness

• Strong analytical skills

• Being a great communicator

• Ability to show initiative

• Excellent attention to detail

• Project management skills

• Capable of staying calm under pressure.

Employers don’t expect you to have it all together when you start your apprenticeship. You’re there to learn at the end of the day. And all good things take time. Just make sure you bring your best self to work, ready to show everyone what you’ve got. The rest will take care of itself.

How much does an apprentice quantity surveyor earn?

Quantity surveying is one of the highest-paying careers in construction. But we all have to start somewhere. And apprenticeships are the first step on the career and salary ladder.

As a quantity surveying apprentice, you’ll get the National Minimum Wage. Some employers will top that up, so be mindful when applying for a role.

Once you’re qualified and know your way around the racecourse, you’re looking at taking home an average of £37,000 a year, which could shoot up to £80,000 with experience!