How to get hired
These three titles often appear in the same job post, but the work is different. Know which one you are applying for.
Quantity surveyor and estimation engineer
A QS measures. You take quantities from drawings, prepare the bill of quantities (BOQ), and do rate analysis: the cost of one cubic metre of concrete from materials, labour, machinery and overheads. In India, measurement follows IS 1200, and government projects price against the CPWD Delhi Schedule of Rates or a state Schedule of Rates. Gulf and UK-linked projects use RICS's NRM or the POMI method, which Indian offices of global consultancies teach on the job.
The interview usually includes a test: a drawing and an hour to take off quantities of excavation, concrete, steel and plaster in Excel. Speed and a clean, checkable sheet matter more than the final digit.
Billing engineer
A billing engineer turns measured work into money. On the contractor side you prepare running account (RA) bills for the client, with measurements, test reports and photos as backup. You also certify subcontractor bills, which means checking that what they claim was actually built. Variations, extra items, price escalation and deductions are where billing engineers earn their pay. Site experience is the usual entry: most billing engineers spent two or three years recording measurements in the measurement book first.
Planning engineer
A planner owns the schedule. You build the baseline programme in Primavera P6 or MS Project, update progress every week, prepare look-ahead plans for the site and flag delays before they become disputes. Bigger projects add cost control: earned value, cash-flow forecasts and reports to the client, often under the title "project controls". The test in a planning interview is usually practical: build a small network with dependencies in P6 and show the critical path.
Moving in from site
The usual route is from site engineer. Three things help:
- Volunteer to prepare the measurement sheets and subcontractor bills for your area on site
- Learn Excel properly: SUMIFS, lookups, pivot tables and a clean bill format
- Learn P6 on a real schedule from your project rather than a course demo
Diploma holders often start as billing assistants or junior QS and rise fast if their measurements are reliable. For engineers in MEP, the same desks exist for electrical and HVAC packages, where you measure cable lengths, ducts and fittings.
Contracts knowledge
Senior QS and billing people are paid for contract knowledge: how variations are valued, notice periods for claims, liquidated damages, retention and final account. International and multilateral-funded projects often use FIDIC conditions of contract, and government projects use their own general conditions. Reading the contract for your current project end to end is the cheapest training available.
What the desk work is like
The work is in a site office or head office, mostly regular hours, with heavy weeks at month end when bills go out and at quarter end when management wants cost reports. You will argue, politely and often, with the client's QS and with subcontractors. Accuracy is everything: one error in a BOQ can cost lakhs, and people remember it.
The ladder runs Billing Engineer or Junior QS, QS, Senior QS, then Contracts Manager or Commercial Manager; planners rise to Planning Manager and Project Controls Manager. Many roles in this field are on contract for one project, so plan your next move before handover.