Hayman QS Ltd

Construction Cost Specialist

Rebecca Hayman has built her career on solid foundations – more than three decades in the industry and always following the advice of her mentor to

That principle has helped lead her to a major milestone, becoming a Registered Quantity Surveyor – the pinnacle of her profession. “I’ve belonged to my Institute for 20 years and you start out as a student member and you go through the graduates, probationary and members, and then if work hard you may get to be registered,” says Rebecca, who is the Taranaki representative for the NZ Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

Her path into quantity surveying was unplanned. After working for a prominent architect in Napier, she joined one of the city’s largest construction companies doing office work. Watching other women in the team handle QS tasks sparked her interest.

An opportunity with Mainzeal followed, and in 2005 she moved to New Plymouth as a QS trainee on the Pak’n Save build –learning fast, gaining experience and a husband. Neal was the head rigger for the crane, and the pair’s shared passion and knowledge of construction would later become the backbone of their business.

What’s kept her in the profession is the variety, problem-solving, and ability to save clients’ money, often behind the scenes. “Construction should be fun and exciting, not filled with unknowns and tension,” she says. “We take care of people’s finances as if they were our own.”

That can mean breaking down costs to check they are fair. “I got a claim for $30,000 and I went back to them and asked them questions and sent them back some confirmation documents and I got a $50,000 credit for a client.”

For those unfamiliar with the profession, she explains: “All construction comes at a cost; the earlier we get involved in any project the better, some clients talk with us before their architect.”

That involvement can range from early sketches - where she is adept at reading architectural plan - through to the final details of contract clauses.

This accreditation enables Hayman QS to work with clients whose lenders require a Registered QS, expanding the ways they can support a project’s needs.

Hayman QS works for clients, architects, builders, and lenders – from large commercial developers and ministry works through to ma and pa builders.

“New Zealand lenders’ policies are more and more often requiring a Registered Quantity Surveyor be involved, to protect their investment and ensuring the budget is maintained to suit,” she says. Offering that service locally means clients no longer have to bring in consultants from Hamilton, Palmerston North or further.

For 13 years, Hayman QS has provided independent quantity surveying services to the Taranaki region and Rebecca and Neal remain committed to ongoing professional development while delivering cost-effective solutions.

Projects range from small residential builds to large commercial jobs, including a current $14 million warehouse in Whanganui. Their own home at Egmont Village has been a test case for cost-saving ideas. “We bought all our own materials prior to building our home,” says Neal, whose background is in construction.

“That enabled us to keep the on-costs low, which was a huge cost-saving for us.”

Clients can also save by making informed choices on finishes. “If you choose a carpet that is $75 a square metre, as opposed to one that is $45 a square metre, by the time you carpet your whole house, it adds up,” says Rebecca.

Hayman QS helps clients find alternative products that offer the same look or performance at a lower cost. “If somebody had said, you have to clad that in Western red cedar if you want that look, I’d say no, you don’t. You buy New Zealand redwood and it looks exactly the same for a fraction of the cost.” They call it “value engineering” – “changing products without changing the whole design of the build.”

“You never stop learning,” she says. “Products are changing, but also the architects’ and engineers’ ways in which to use the new products as well.”

That might mean investigating materials such as SaveBOARD, “100% recycled plastic… fire retardant and seismically sound,” or recommending cost-effective accessibility solutions like rubber matting instead of expensive concrete ramps.

Hayman QS’s message to the business community is simple – involve them from the start. “Getting us involved at the earliest possible stage in your construction journey is where you’re going to get the best outcome,” says Rebecca. She was chuffed with a comment shared after a Taranaki Chamber of Commerce newsletter celebrated her registration: “It’s an asset to the region to have such a skill set available to us locally.”

“I’m not better than anyone else. I’m just a QS like other QSs, but I’m here to help locals save their money because it’s so hard to come by and you need to hang on to it,” she says. “Integrity is about doing the right thing when no one’s watching.”

Rebecca: 027 471 3421 rebecca@haymanqs.co.nz

Neal: 027 918 5461 neal@haymanqs.co.nz