CONSTRUCTION – CONSULTING

TRAINING & CAREERS

Your Lifetime Career Partner

 BUILDINGS
E S T I M AT I O N & C O S T I N G
ESTIMATION

Estimation is the scientific way of working out the

approximate cost of an engineering project before
execution of the work.

It is totally different from calculation of the exact cost

after completion of the project.
Estimation requires a thorough Knowledge of the
construction procedures and cost of materials & labour in
addition to the skill , experience, foresight and good
judgment.
 ESTIMATE
An estimate of the cost of a construction job is the
probable cost of that job as computed from plans and
specifications.

 Fora good estimate the, actual cost of the proposed work

after completion should not differ by more then 5 to 10 %
from its approximate cost estimate, provided there are no
unusual, unforeseen circumstances.
 NEED FOR ESTIMATE
1. It help to work out the approximate cost of the project in order to decide its feasibility
with respect to the cost and to ensure the financial resources, it the proposal is approved.

2. It is used for framing the tenders for the works and to check contractor’s work during
and after the its execution for the purpose of making payments to the contractor.

3. Requirements of controlled materials, such as cement and steel can be estimated for
making applications to the controlling authorities.

4. From quantities of different items of work calculated in detailed estimation, resources

are allocated to different activities of the project and ultimately their durations and
whole planning and scheduling of the project is carried out.
ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A GOOD ESTIMATOR
• In preparing an estimate, the Estimator must have good
knowledge regarding the important rules of quantity surveying.

• He must thoroughly understand the drawings of the structure,

for which he is going to prepare an estimate.

• He must also be clearly informed about the specifications

showing nature and classes of works and the materials to be
used because the rates at which various types of works can be
executed depend upon its specifications.
ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A GOOD ESTIMATOR (-ctd-)
A good estimator of construction costs should possess the following capabilities, also:-

1 = A knowledge of the details of construction work.

2 = Experience in construction work.

3 = Having information regarding the materials required, machinery needed, overhead
problems, and costs of all kinds.

4 = Good judgment with regard to different localities, different jobs and different workmen.

5 = Selection of a good method for preparing an estimate.

6 = Ability to be careful, thorough, hard working and accurate.

7 = Ability to collect, classify and evaluate data relating to estimation.

8 = Ability to visualize all the steps during the process of construction.

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A GOOD ESTIMATOR (-ctd-)
 Before preparing the estimate, the estimator should visit the site and
make a study of conditions, there. For example, if the construction of a large
building is planned, the estimator or his representative should visit the site and:

• Note the location of the proposed building.

• Get all data available regarding the soil.
• Make a sketch of the site showing all important details.
• Obtain information concerning light, power, and water.
• Secure information concerning banking facilities.
• Note conditions of streets leading to railway yards and to material dealers, and
• Investigate general efficiency of local workman.
TYPES OF ESTIMATES

 There are two main types of estimates:-

1 = Rough cost estimate.
2 = Detailed estimate.

 Depending upon the purpose of estimate, some types of detailed

estimate are as follows:-
a) Contractor's estimate
b) Engineer's estimate
c) Progress estimate
I = Rough cost estimate

• Estimation of cost before construction from plans or architectural

drawings of the project scheme, when even detailed or structural
design has not been carried out, is called Rough cost estimate.

• These estimates are used for obtaining Administrative Approval

from the concerning Authorities.

• Sometimes, on the basis of rough cost estimates, a proposal may be

dropped altogether.
Rough cost estimate (-ctd-)
• Unit cost is worked out for projects similar to the project under
consideration carried out recently in nearly the same site conditions.

• Unit cost means cost of execution of a unit quantity of the work.

 Rough cost estimate (-ctd-)
• To find rough cost of any project, this worked average unit cost is
multiplied with total quantity of the present work in the same
units.

• For example, in case of a building, plinth area (sq. ft.) of the

proposed building is worked out, which is then multiplied by the
cost per unit area (Rs. /ft2) of similar building actually constructed
in the near past in nearly the same site conditions, to find out the
rough cost estimate of the building.

• This cost is sometimes adjusted by the average percentage rise in

the cost of materials and wages.
 Rough cost estimate
 The rough cost estimate may be prepared on the following basis for different types of
projects:

1. Cost per square foot of covered area (plinth area) is the most commonly adopted
criterion for preparing rough cost estimate for most of the residential buildings.

2. For public buildings, cost. Per person (cost per capita) is used. For example,

Students hostel———————-—cost per student

Hospitals————————————Cost per bed

Hotel—————————————Cost per Guest

Rough cost estimate (-ctd-)
3. Cost per cubic foot is particularly suitable for commercial offices, shopping
centers, and factory buildings, etc.

4. For water tank/reservoir, cost may be worked out on the basis of capacity in
gallons of water stored.

5. For roads and railways, cost may be found out per mile/kilometer of
length.

6. For streets, cost may be per hundred feet/meters of length.

7. In case of bridges, cost per foot/meter of clear span may be calculated.

 EXAMPLE

Calculate the total rough cost estimate and cost

per Flat for a multi-storey (4-storeyed) block

consisting of 40 residential flats. Other details are

given in the table:

Sr. No PORTION AREA UNIT COST (Rs./sq.ft.)
(sq. ft)
Building Sanitory Electric Sui Gas
Works Works Services Services
1 Main Flat Area

(i) Ground Floor 20030 1800 130 100 60

(ii) Ist Floor 20030 1500 130 100 60
(iii) 2nd Floor 20030 1650 130 100 60
(iv) 3rd Floor 20030 1800 130 100 60

2 Park Area at G. Floor 75,800 800 -------- 40 -------

3 Circulation Area in all 4 floors 1936 1050 -------- 70 -------

4 Covered Shopping Area at G. 920 950 -------- 70 -------

Floor

5 Attached Servant Quarters 2112 1150 55 70 40

Add the following costs as Lump Sum :
1- Road and Walkways
2- Land Scaping
3- External Sewerage
4- External Water Supply, Overhead and Underground Water Tanks
with pumping machinery for each set of Flats
5- External Electricity
6- Boundary Wall
7- Miscellaneous unforeseen items
8- Add X % development charges.
9- Add Y % consultancy charges
 DETAILED ESTIMATE
• Detailed estimates are prepared by carefully and separately
calculating in detail the costs of various items of the work that
constitute the whole project from the detailed working
drawings after the design has been finalized.

• The mistakes, if any, in the rough cost estimate are eliminated in

the detailed estimate.

• Detailed estimates are submitted to the competent authorities for

obtaining technical sanction.
DETAILED ESTIMATE
• The whole project is sub-divided into different items of work or
activities. The quantity for each item is then calculated
separately from the drawings as accurately as possible. The
procedure is known as "taking out of quantities".

• The quantities for each item may be estimated and shown in the
pattern which is called "Bill of quantities."

• The unit, in which each item of the wok is to be calculated,

should be according to the prevailing practice as followed in
various departments of the country.
 BILL OF QUANTITIES
Description No Measurements Quantity Total Remarks
Sr.No
of item Quantity
Lengt Breadth Height
h
PRICED BILL OF QUANTITIES
Sr. No. Description of Unit Quantity Rate Cost Remarks
Item
DETAILED ESTIMATE
• Each item of the work is then multiplied by its estimated current rate calculated
by a fixed procedure to find out cost of the item.

• At the end, a total of all items of the work are made to get the total estimated
cost.

• The rates are usually as per Schedule of Rates for the locality plus a premium to
allow for rise in labor and material rates over and above the schedule of rates.

• A percentage, usually 5% is also provided on the total estimated cost for the
work to allow for the possible contingencies due to unforeseen items or
expenditure or other causes, besides 2% establishment charges.
 DETAILED ESTIMATE
 Besides drawings and details of measurements and calculation of quantities (Bill of Quantities), the
following documents are also usually submitted with the detailed estimate for obtaining Technical
Sanction:
 A report explaining History, necessity, scope and main features of the project, its design, and estimate,
etc

 Specifications lying down the nature and class of work and material to be used in various parts of the
work.

 The abstract of cost (priced Bill of Quantities) showing the total quantities under each sub-head, rate
per unit of measurement, and cost.

 Calculation sheets showing calculations for important parts of the structure. In fact, in
estimating the art and skill lies only in the computation of details without any omissions, of all parts of
the building or work.
1- CONTRACTOR ESTIMATE
It is made by the contractor for determining the price or
prices to be bid.

It is usually a carefully prepared detailed estimate .

2- ENGINEER’S ESTIMATE

This type of estimate is made by the Engineer (Consultant)

usually for the purposes of financing the work and for
checking bids and running bills submitted by contractors.
3- PROGRESS ESTIMATES
• These are made by the Engineer at regular intervals for the
completed parts of the project during the progress of the
work for determining the amounts of partial payments to be
made to the contractor.

• On large contracts, such estimates are commonly made each

month and, hence, are frequently called monthly estimates.
UNFORESEEN ITEMS IN DETAILED ESTIMATE

• While preparing a detailed estimate, one had to be very careful

to see that all items of the work are incorporated.
• It is likely that a few Items, though unimportant in nature,
might have been overlooked and which may result in raising
the estimate of the project.
• There may be also certain unforeseen circumstances affecting
the project.
• Hence, a certain allowance usually 5 to 10% of the total cost,
is made in the estimation which will take care of all these items
that are unforeseen or are overlooked and are known as
"Contingencies".
METHODS OF DETAILED ESTIMATE
• The dimensions, length, breadth and height or depth are to be taken out from
the working drawings (plan, elevation and section).

• Junctions of walls, corners and the meeting points of walls require special
attention.

• For symmetrical footings, which is the usual case, earthwork in excavation

in foundations, foundation concrete, brickwork in foundation and plinth, and
brickwork in superstructure may be estimated by either of the two methods:

(1) SEPARATE OR INDIVIDUAL WALL METHOD

(2) CENTER LINE METHOD
SEPARATE OR INDIVIDUAL WALLS METHOD
• The walls running in one direction are termed as "long
walls” and the walls running in the transverse direction, as
"Short walls", without keeping in mind which wall is lesser
in length and which wall is greater in length.
• Lengths of long walls are measured or found "Out-to out"
and those of short walls as "In-to-in".
• Different quantities are calculated by multiplying the length
by the breadth and the height of the wall.
• The same rule applies to the excavation in foundation, to
concrete bed in foundation, D.P.C., masonry in foundation
and super structure etc.
 SEPARATE OR INDIVIDUAL WALLS METHOD
• For symmetrical footing on either side, the center line remains
same for super structure, foundation and plinth. So, the simple
method is to find out the centre-to-centre lengths of long walls and
short walls from the plan.
• Long wall length out-to-out
= Center to center length + half breadth on one Side + half breadth
on other side.

= Center to center length + one breadth

• Short wall length in-to-in = Center to Center length - one breadth.

SEPARATE OR INDIVIDUAL WALLS
METHOD
This method can also be worked out in a quicker way., as follows:

For long walls

• First of all, find the length of the foundation trench of the long wall “out-to-out” in the same manner
as explained above.
• The length of the foundation concrete is the same.
• For the length of the first footing or first step of the brick wall, subtract two offsets (2x6"=12") in
foundation concrete from the length of the trench or concrete.
• For the second footing subtract from the length of the 1st footing two offsets (2x2.25"= 4.5"), for 3rd
footing subtract from the length of the 2nd footing 2 offsets (4.5") and in this way deal with the long
walls up to the super-structure.

For short walls

Follow he same method but instead of subtracting add two offsets to get the corresponding lengths in-
21 Breadth 21 Breadth

Foundation
Trench
 CENTRE LINE METHOD
• In this method, total length of centre lines of walls, long and short, has
to be found out.
• Find the total length of centre lines of walls of same type, having same
type of foundations and footings and then find the quantities by
multiplying the total centre length by the respective breadth and the
height.
• In this method, the length will remain the same for excavation in
foundations, for concrete in foundations, for all footings, and for
superstructure (with slight difference when there are cross walls or
number of junctions).
• This method is quicker but requires special attention and considerations
CENTRE LINE METHOD
• For rectangular, circular polygonal (hexagonal, octagonal etc)
buildings having no inter or cross walls, this method is quite simple.

• For buildings having cross or partition walls, for every junction,

half breadth of the respective item or footing is to be deducted from
the total centre length.

• Thus in the case of a building with one partition wall or cross wall
having two junctions, deduct one breadth of the respective item of
work from the total centre length.
CENTRE LINE METHOD
• For buildings having different types of walls, each set of walls shall have to be dealt
separately.

• Find the total centre length of all walls of one type and proceed in the same manner as
described above. Similarly find the total centre length of walls of second type and deal this
separately, and so on.

• Suppose the outer walls (main walls) are of A type and inner cross walls are of B type.

• Then all A type walls shall be taken jointly first, and then all B type walls shall be taken
together separately.

• In such cases, no deduction of any kind need be made for A type walls, but when B type
walls are taken, for each junction deduction of half breadth of A type walls (main Walls)
CENTRE LINE METHOD

• At corners of the building where two walls are

meeting, no subtraction or addition is required.

• In the figure, the double cross-hatched areas marked

P,Q,R, & S come twice, while blank areas, A,B,C, & D
do not come at all, but these portions being equal in
magnitude, we get the correct quantity.
THANK YOU
[email protected]

w w w.t r i ko n a . c o n s k i l l . i n
http://theconstructor.org/construction/estimating-costing/

approximate-construction-cost-estimation/6483 /
C O N S k
C O N S k