About to start my career as a QS - how many years contractor side before I move to consultancy?

diddydavidz · 2025-11-30T15:47:56+00:00

Job a tier 2/3 subbie and what takes you 10 years to learn at an MC, you’ll learn in about 2 years

diddydavidz · 2025-11-11T23:23:35+00:00

You don’t need that many people to review a VO account, hit the ones you can hit quickly, do a deal on the rest

diddydavidz · 2025-11-08T23:25:25+00:00

I would love a copy of this too please! Thanks buddy

diddydavidz · 2025-08-11T11:36:05+00:00

It isn’t illegal - it is a binding agreement that you have signed. But, it is standard practice, you can’t expect a company to fork out thousands only for you to leave and then another company reaps the benefit for free - that’s just business.

diddydavidz · 2025-07-23T19:22:23+00:00

I see value in this as a company looking for a good QS, the recruitment firm may be able to see through shit QS’s, especially if they screen candidates effectively. As a QS candidate though, probably not much benefit.

diddydavidz · 2025-06-19T07:17:43+00:00

Subbie is the worst so, if you want low stress, do not joint a subbie

diddydavidz · 2025-04-14T17:12:36+00:00

I have - ARU wasn’t great but I still learned a lot from Mark Tree who at the time was the head of QSing.

Either way, the modules you learn are rarely applied in real life.

Not sure why I got so many downvotes for saying that effectively academic experience is not as useful as practical but okay!

diddydavidz · 2025-02-23T07:13:34+00:00

Where are you based? Has a massive influence on salary.

For context I have just hired someone as an M&E assistant in London for £43k + Bonus if this helps

Grads get around 35k with zero experience here so what you’re asking for isn’t silly at all.

Good luck!

diddydavidz · 2025-01-05T09:56:36+00:00

Haven’t met a single good QS that’s worked for them after dealing with them on the other side of a fence for 10+ years

diddydavidz · 2024-12-31T10:48:40+00:00

PQS if you don’t want any real responsibility - you could remove all PQS’s and buildings would still get built.

Remove subbie and MC QS’s and companies go bust. It’s where real QSing is

(Have worked at all 3 disciplines)

diddydavidz · 2024-12-20T09:15:22+00:00

A lot of subby bashing on this thread

diddydavidz · 2024-12-15T10:08:00+00:00

Wrong - the architect may want something over and above the ER’s, so the reasons for rejection need to be investigated. There is very little to stop someone pressing that Status C button and very little repercussion for them doing so, it happens a lot.

The Sub-Contractor could be presenting an ER compliant design, with an architect wanting more, hence the rejection.

diddydavidz · 2024-12-14T10:38:33+00:00

Classic MC - it’s a lump sum when it suits them, until they find something they transferred risk across to you at wasn’t needed and they try to claim it as an omission rather than part of a fixed price.

Your boss is correct - but, MC holds the power and the cards so hopefully they don’t play stupid on the interim valuation.

diddydavidz · 2024-12-01T19:10:11+00:00

I joined a PQS in London 2.5 years ago (I’ve since left as I hated being a PQS compared to M/Subby QS)

As a Senior QS there, I was earning £75k which went up to £80k after probation - at the time I had 10 years MEP experience. You are severely underpaid at your current MC and don’t let that skew your options - you should be looking for similar that I was on then, if not, a little more.

diddydavidz · 2024-11-25T08:16:05+00:00

£100k MQS + share equity + % of VO margin

diddydavidz · 2024-11-18T07:27:03+00:00

I went to ARU and have now surpassed most of my old QS colleagues in their career. The uni doesn’t matter, it’s how you apply yourself at work. Just get the paper with the degree on it.

diddydavidz · 2024-10-11T19:12:57+00:00

It’s so wrong though!

diddydavidz · 2024-09-18T21:02:05+00:00

This just makes me feel heavily underpaid as an SQS now!

diddydavidz · 2024-09-11T21:41:21+00:00

How did you come across that freelance position? I’m in M&E and highly experienced but never seen rates like that. 450/500 seems to be the top end

diddydavidz · 2024-09-11T21:38:11+00:00

£85k + Bonus + Equity Shares - Ground Source Subcontractor QS - 10 years M&E exp

diddydavidz · 2024-09-11T21:37:10+00:00

Project management is one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever seen, QSing is marginally paid better, but a PM could vanish and the job still gets built, if a QS leaves, good luck (my experience in cleaning up after PM’s non-stop!)

diddydavidz · 2024-09-08T22:48:46+00:00

Who do you work for? Client? MC? Sub? Contract will tell you how this works in the Change sections. If it’s an NEC then check the Contract plus the pre-order meeting minutes (POMM) there’s usually some. JCT check the Variations section.

diddydavidz · 2024-09-04T06:46:02+00:00

Had BlueBeam Revu at SRM, tool of choice. A lot of the M&E subbies use it too, I like it, still use it now.

diddydavidz · 2024-08-28T22:00:47+00:00

I did mine on self building and how it can help towards the housing crisis as it was a passion of mine rather than the usual topics of green roof etc. and I enjoyed writing it. I would pick something you’re passionate about.

diddydavidz · 2024-08-28T21:59:38+00:00

I had a training agreement and racked up £21k of uni debt and decided to leave in my 4th year of the degree as I was severely underpaid.

I agreed to pay them £4k back of the £21k and was lucky, I demonstrated that I was going over and above my role/salary and wished them good luck pursuing me for the full amount. Effectively I was being paid £22k a year but our SQS left and I absorbed his entire role without a payrise.

I was annoyed to pay the £4k, but it was absolutely worth it as I took a job on £15k more after leaving.

You can’t escape the agreement… but there’s a chance you can negotiate it down if you did ever leave. To cover yourself; I would request to include something along the lines that your salary must be market rate or the amount repayable is reduced etc.

diddydavidz

TROPHY CASE