Now is the time

By coincidence I have recently dug out the last issued fee scales for quantity surveyors dated June 1988 and analysed the BCIS tender price index (TPI) from June 1988 and compared that to the retail price index to the end of 2005 to see what adjustments would have to be made to the fee scales to keep pace with the cost of living.

In the early 90s, with deflation in the construction industry the adjustment to the fee scale to allow for cost of living increases in conjunction with the deflation was an uplift of nearly 50% - fat chance.

With the steady rise of the BCIS TPI and low inflation from the late 90's, by my calculation, the fee scales of 1988 will be in line with the BCIS and the RPI in 2006. Meaning that the fee scales will be valid again after 18 years!

For those of us who study the detailed surveys on quantity surveying fees produced by various bodies this will come as something of a shock when comparing the low fees in those publications.

So perhaps now is the time...

David Ovenden, Ovenden Quantity Surveyors