(Lec 6 – Measurement by approx.

methods)

ESTIMATION – COSTING – VALUATION

ECV – 03104401
B.Tech - 7th Semester

Prepared by
Prof. Bhushan Raisinghani (BMR)
M.Tech (by Res.) - Structural Engineer
(Specialized in strategies for Earthquake Resistant Design of Buildings)
 Approximate methods for estimation ?
• Plinth area method
• Cubic rate or cubic-metre method
• Approximate quantities with bill method
• Service unit or Unit rate method
• Bay method
• Cost comparison method
• Cost from materials and labour
 Plinth Area Method
• Determine plinth area.
• It may be worked out from Floor Area, Carpet Area, Covered Area or Rentable
Area.
• Plinth area is the built-up area measured at the floor level of basement or of any
storey of building. Calculated by taking external dimensions of the building
excluding plinth offsets.
❑ Following shall not be included in the plinth area: area of loft, balcony, architectural feature,
area of vertical sun breaker or box louver projecting out, cantilevered porch, spiral staircase
including landing, open platform, terrace at floor one, towers, turrets, domes projecting above
the terrace level at terrace, additional floor in seating assembly.
• Floor area is the plinth area less the area of walls.
❑ Following shall be included: door & window openings in wall, intermediate pillars, pilaster along
wall, flues which are within wall, fire place project beyond face of wall, etc.
• Carpet area is the floor area less the area of the following portions: verandah,
corridor & passage, entrance hall & porch, staircase & stair-cover, bathroom &
lavatory, kitchen & pantry, store, canteen, shaft & machine room for lift, AC
duct & plant room, shaft for sanitary piping.
• Covered area is the ground area covered by the building immediately above the
plinth level. The area covered by the following in the open space is excluded
from the covered area: watchmen’s booth, pumphouse, garbage shaft, electric
cabin, uncovered staircase, ramps, garden, rockery, plant nursery, waterpool,
swimming pool, platform round a tree, drainage, culvert, conduit, gully pit,
gutter, etc.
• Rentable area shall be the carpet area along with: the carpet area of
kitchen, pantry, store, lavatory, bathroom and 50% of carpet area of
unglazed and 100% of glazed verandah. The following shall not be
considered in it: storage space on top, landings on staircase, 50% of area
of balconies.
• Circulation area is a certain amount of free space area required for movement
and access of different room, sitting room, kitchen, bath, etc. for those who use
the building which is known as circulation or free space area. This included
verandah, balconies, passages, corridors, porches, entrance, halls, staircases,
mumties, shafts for lifts. Horizontal circulation – 10-15% of whole area and
Vertical circulation – 4-5% of the whole area of building.
Estimate cost of a proposed building on plinth area basis :
Cost = plinth area of building x plinth area rate of the locality for similar
buildings constructed recently
Plinth area calculation :
in absence of plan determine the floor area for all the rooms, circulation area
and area of sanitary block according to the requirements of the owner or from
the line plan.
add to this area, the area of walls to get the approximate plinth area. To calculate
the plinth area from carpet area add the area of walls (15-17% but 8% for RCC
frame) and horizontal circulation area (10-15%) to the carpet area.
wall area / floor area = 8% (RCC) , 15-17% (ordinary bldg.) , 25% (thk. walls)
 Cubic rate or Cubic metre method
This method is more accurate than plinth area method, because the cost of a building
depends not only on its plinth area but also on the volume of building.
The volume or cubic content of the proposed building is worked out and multiplied by
the rate per cubic volume of similar building in that locality constructed recently.
The preparation of estimate depends on:
1) Total volume calculated
2) Present rate per cubic metre of similar buildings constructed recently in locality

Rule: determine the height of building from half the depth of foundation and plinth
area to be taken as per IS 3861.
A person constructs a building of plinth area equal to 100sq.m on a plot of land
in a certain locality at a cost of Rs.95,000. The height of building from ground
level to the top of roof is 3.5m and a parapet wall of height equal to 80cm is
constructed on terrace. Determine the cost of a similar building of plinth area
equal to 135sq.m to be constructed in the same locality by plinth area rate and
also by ‘volume rate’.
Plinth area rate = 95000 / 100 = Rs. 950/sq.m
For 135sq.m plinth area, cost of building = 135 x 950 = Rs. 1,28,250/-

Cubic volume of building = 100sq.m x (3.5 + 0.8/2) = 390 cu.m

Cubic metre volume rate = 95000 / 390 = Rs. 243.59/-
Cost of proposed building = 135 x (3.5 + 0.8/2) x 243.59 = Rs. 1,28,250.13
 [ Cost from materials and labour method ]
Find approximate quantities of materials and labours required per sq.m of the plinth
area for a proposed building by:
1. Arbitary deduction
2. Empirical equations developed by Central Building Research Institute (C.B.R.I)

As arbitrary method is not standard, equations recommended by CBRI should be

followed to estimate the quantities of materials.
 Specifications for Single & Double Storey Construction
1. Foundation:
▪ CC (1:5:10) 15cm thk
▪ Brickwork in CM (1:6)
▪ 38mm DPC of CC (1:2:4)
2. Walling:
• Brickwork in CM (1:6) – 23cm thk. load bearing & 11cm partitions
• RCC work in lintels, beams and chajjas (1:2:4)
3. Flooring
▪ 38mm thk. CC (1:2:4) laid over CC (115mm thk.) 1:5:10
4. Roof:
• RCC slab with lime concrete terrace (av. 11cm thk.)
 Specifications for Four Storey RCC Framed Building
1. Foundation excavation:
▪ 2m deep
▪ RCC in column footings (1:2:4) with bed concrete (1:4:8)
▪ 38mm DPC of CC (1:2:4)

The table that will be displayed below are for buildings of different shapes and
plinth areas varying from 30sq.m to 300sq.m.
The quantities obtained will be of average constants.
These information are useful for preparation of building cost index, preplanning
of materials and labour requirements in a building project.
 Equations for Material Requirements (C.B.R.I) , A = plinth area in sq.m

Name of Equations for Four storey RCC Frame

material Single Storey Double Storey super structure
Bricks (% no.) 2.26A + 66.8 2.15A + 63 -26.2 + 2.56A -0.0096A2
Cement (Tonne) 0.153A + 0.57 0.145A + 0.54 0.182A – 0.35
Steel (kg) 21.3A - 314 21.97A – 305 -1491 + 92A – 0.36A2
Sand (cu.m) 0.47A - 7 0.376A – 5.6 0.361A – 0.38
Coarse Aggregate
20mm & down 0.176A – 0.21 0.178A – 0.21 0.295A -0.75
40mm & down 0.145A + 1.5 0.075A + 0.78 0.45 + 0.0027A + 0.0001A2
 Equations for Four storey RCC
Name of material
Single Storey Double Storey Frame super str.
Brick Aggregate (cu.m) 0.113A – 0.83 0.056A – 0.42 0.021A + 0.01
Lime (quintal) 0.145A – 0.35 0.073 – 0.17 0.063A – 0.08
Surkhi (cu.m) 0.052A – 0.37 0.026A – 0.18 0.01A
Timber frames & 0.019A + 0.23 0.019A + 0.23 0.02A + 0.11
shutters (cu.m)
Primer (Lt) 0.068A 0.068A 0.061A + 0.56
Paint (Lt) 0.108A + 0.27 0.108A + 0.27 0.085A + 1.93
Equations for Labour Requirement , A = plinth area in sq.m (super str. Only)

Labour Equations for Four storey RCC

(in days) Single Storey Double Storey Frame super str.
Mason 1.335A + 28 1.355A + 26 1.67A - 2
Carpenter 1.184A - 9 1.194A - 9 1.61A
Painter 0.089A 0.089A 0.09A
Blacksmith 0.269A - 4 0.274A - 4 -16 + 1.01A – 0.004A2
Mazdoor 4.769A + 32 4.91A + 33 5.49A – 9.2
Equations for Material and Labour Requirement for structure in Four-storeyed
RCC framed building , A = plinth area in sq.m

Labour
Materials Equations Equations
(in days)
Cement (t) 0.0204A – 0.014 Mason 0.023A
Sand (cu.m) 0.036A Carpenter 0.05A
C.A 20mm and 0.071A – 0.01 Blacksmith -1.6 + 0.1A – 0.0003A2
down (cu.m)
Steel (kg) -171 + 10.46A – 0.041A2 Mazdoor 0.343A
Approximate Cost for Water Supply, Sanitary & Electrification Works

Item Cost
Water Supply 4 – 5% of estimated cost for building works
Sanitary 4 – 5%
Electrification 9% of estimated cost of building works
Electric fans & Lights 3% of the estimated cost of building works
 Total Cost (100% excluding water supply, sanitation & electrification

Cost of fdn. & plinth 18% Cost of flooring 6%

Cost of doors & Cost of brickwork from

windows 20% plinth to roof 23%
Cost upto GL Cost of RCC
13% Cost of roofing work except
Cost from GL 20% roofing 6%
to PL & DPC Cost of
5% plastering &
finishing 7%
Prepare a preliminary estimate for a framed four storey office building having a
carpet area of 300sq.m for each floor. Assume areas occupied by corridor,
verandah, lavatories, staircase, etc. as 25% of built-up area and that occupied by
walls and columns as 8.5% of the same.
Given:
Built-up area rate of GF (exc. fdn.) = Rs 1500/sq.m
Built-up rate for 1st & 2nd floor = Rs 1650/sq.m
Build-up area rate for 3rd floor = Rs 1800/sq.m
Extra for foundation = 20% of super-structure cost
Extra for special architectural treatment = 1% of building cost
Extra for water supply and sanitary = 7% of building cost
Extra for electrical installation = 8% of building cost
Extra for contingencies = 4% of overall cost
Extra for work charged establishment = 10% of overall cost
Extra for other source = 5% of building cost
Built – up area i.e. plinth area
= carpet area + circulation area + area occupied by walls & columns

Carpet area = 300sq.m (given)

Let x = plinth area in sq.m
x = 300 + (25% + 8.5%) x plinth area (x) = 300 + 0.25x + 0.085x
Hence, x = 451.13sq.m

Ground floor 451.13sq.m cost at Rs. 1,500/sq.m = Rs. 6,76,695/-

1st & 2nd floor 2 x 451.13sq.m cost at Rs. 1650/sq.m = Rs. 14,88,729/-
3rd floor 451.13sq.m cost at Rs. 1800/sq.m = Rs. 8,12,034/-
Total cost of superstructure = Rs. 29,77,458/-
Extra for foundation at 20% of superstructure = Rs. 5,95,491/-
Building Cost = Rs. 35,72,949/-