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