The target population came from random sampling of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) Membership Directories. Two-hundred questionnaires were sent to QS firms in early 2003, half to Hong Kong quantity surveyors (HKQS) and the other half to UK quantity surveyors (UKQS). Out of 100 questionnaires sent to QSs in Hong Kong, thirty-eight completed questionnaires were returned (i.e. a 38 per cent response rate), whereas out of 100 questionnaires sent to QSs in the UK, thirty-four completed questionnaires were returned (a 34 per cent response rate). The total response rate was 36 per cent. The following analysis will draw a comparison between responses from HKQS and UKQS.