Measurement Based Procurement of Buildings

• Recent changes in procurement routes have reduced the requirement for measurement to be carried out on behalf of clients before a contractor is appointed. Responsibility for measurement has now passed down the supply chain.
• It is in the interest of the industry and its clients that measurement is carried out consistently. There is therefore a continued need for a standard method of measurement and by implication, a continued need for measurement skills.

Contents
This report has been based on the Measurement Based Procurement of Buildings survey issued in July 2002 by BCIS on behalf of RICS Construction Faculty. The survey was sent to consultants, contractors and local authority clients.

The aim of the research was to establish the current practice in measurement-based procurement in the UK. The results show the continued importance of measurement to the procurement process and highlight various factors including; a difference in opinion between consultants and contractors about the provision of measurement, the widespread use of SMM7 by consultants and contractors and a demand for a standard method of measurement for Approximate (Builders’) Quantities.

 RICS members can download the report free of charge from within the member's areas on the RICS website. Hard copies of the report can be purchased at £95 each.