How to find a civil engineer or quantity surveyor
One specialist or different roles
Under this vacancy several different people are sought. A site engineer keeps the work records, takes measurements and prepares bills for payment. A quantity surveyor (estimator) works out the cost of the work in specialist software and prepares running bills of completed work. A supervising engineer checks quality on site. A designer works with drawings. If you mix everything in the ad, those who can do a little of everything will respond, when you need someone strong in one particular area.
What to put in the request
- Post — site engineer, quantity surveyor, supervising engineer, designer.
- Duties — estimates, bills of quantities and running bills, work records, site supervision, measuring quantities.
- Type of projects — multi-storey residential complex, private houses, roads, industrial buildings, government tenders. Each has its own documentation requirements.
- Software — estimating software, Excel, AutoCAD, Revit, ArchiCAD.
- Qualifications — for example, a civil engineering degree and any licence or registration that applies to the role.
- Experience — in years and on similar projects.
- Salary, city and format — an estimator often works remotely, a site engineer is usually on site.
Example request
“A developer in Dubai needs a quantity surveyor. Preparing estimates, bills of quantities and running bills for a multi-storey residential complex, checking quantities with site supervisors. At least 3 years of experience, remote work with visits to the site, salary from AED 2,200 a month.”
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write the request in your own words, without choosing a category. It is checked: no ads or contacts, with hints on missing details. Then candidates in your area reply in the chat: they describe their experience, software and expected pay. BlaBlaPrice shows the strongest replies first, with reviews of the candidate next to them. Your phone stays hidden, and it is all free for employers. Read more on the “How it works” page.
How to check the candidate
Ask separately about experience on your type of project: estimates for housing and for roads differ a lot in structure, standards and the way bills are settled.
For government tenders or publicly funded projects the requirements for paperwork are stricter, so state this in the request separately.
For an estimator, ask them to talk about their last project: quantities, who the client was and which software they used. A test task on a small estimate will tell you more than a CV. For government tenders, ask whether the candidate has worked with their documentation requirements.
For work on site you will also need a site foreman, and for building with your own crew a construction worker.
For those looking for a job
Register as a service provider, choose this category and your area, and you will get vacancies for engineers and estimators that you can respond to. See other construction trades in the “Construction / finishing works” section.
