The QS and Construction Standards (Black Book) and New Rules of Measurement (NRM) were officially published today.

The standards will provide clients with new benchmarks for construction work and improve efficiency in the industry.

Alan Muse, Director of Built Environment Professional Groups at RICS, said: “Endorsed by industry and welcomed by government, the Black Book and NRM suite see RICS delivering real value to its members and the construction industry in defining what ‘good’ looks like.

“The use of these standards will provide clients with greater certainty and consistency in the construction process and will reduce risk, enabling a level playing field for clients to measure expectations against when procuring services, and for practitioners to benchmark their performance against.

“Clients and employers will likely reap cost and good practice efficiencies through the standardisation of construction and procurement costs and processes.

“If followed, these standards will form the basis of an efficient, cost effective industry.”

Paul Morrell, the government’s Chief Construction Advisor said: “The industry is going through a period of great change, with new contractual arrangements, new tools and technologies, new ways of working and new business models.

“There will always, however, be a need for standards, and for the disciplines of measurement.

“The launch of the RICS “Black Book” of practice standards is a timely contribution to both needs, and coupled with the New Rules of Measurement they will help to equip the profession with the means to maintain a high quality of service and advice to its clients through this time of transformation.”

The Black Book is a comprehensive suite of documents that defines good technical standards for QS and Construction. Developed in collaboration with practitioners, contractors, clients and other professional bodies, it consists of 40-50 guidance notes that can assist with advising and educating those training, as well as competent QSs.  The guidance notes, some of which are completed and some of which are currently under development, cover everything from Interim valuations, conflict avoidance and dispute resolution to procurement & tendering and retention.

Andrew Smith, Chair of the Black Book Steering Group, a member of the QS & Construction Professional Board and Director at Laing O’Rourke said: “The Black Book represents the industry leading standards that QS and Construction surveyors should use in practice.

“Guidance on the delivery of consistent standards enables us to provide certainty and better value to our clients, and minimises risk. This is the basis of a sustainable business and a sustainable, well-regarded profession.”

The NRM suite provides a common measurement standard for cost comparison through the life cycle of cost management.

The suite has been developed as a result of industry collaboration to ensure that at any point in a building’s life there will be a set of consistent rules for measuring and capturing cost data, thereby completing the cost management life cycle and supporting the procurement of construction projects from cradle to grave.