PLINTH -The portion of a structure between the surface of the surrounding

group and surface of the floor, immediately above the ground.

PLINTH AREA -The built up covered area measured at the floor level of the
basement or of any storey.
COVERED AREA - Ground area covered immediately above the plinth level
covered by the building but does not include the spaces covered by;
a) Garden,
b) rockery,
c) well and well structures,
d) plant nursery,
e) swimming pool (if uncovered),
f) platform around a tree,
g) tank, fountain, bench,
h) CHABUTRA with open top and unenclosed on sides by walls and the like

Purpose of Estimation
1) To know the approximate resources for proposed work.
2) To know the requirements of tools, plants and equipment.
3) To keep control over expenditure during construction.
4) To draw up a construction schedule and programme.
5) To fix up the completion period.
6) To know the value of property.
7) To obtain administrative approval and technical sanction.
8) To invite a tender.

Advantages of Project Estimation:-

● Detail out each step required to perform an operation.
● Allow the Comparison of similar projects at different sites.
● Costs for totally new activities can be estimated without prior activity data.

Different Types of Estimates

● Preliminary Estimate or Approximate Estimate

● Plinth Area Estimate

● Cube Rate Estimate or Cubical Content Estimate

● Approximate Quantity Estimate

● Detailed Estimate or Item Rate Estimate

● Revised Estimate

● Supplementary Estimate

● Annual Repair or Maintenance Estimate

Preliminary or Approximate estimate

● This estimate is the estimate which helps in providing the INITIAL

PROJECT COST.
● The calculations for approximate estimate can be done with the
following data.
● The data can be had from a similar construction already completed in the nearby
area, executed by the department.
● For example: To calculate an approximate estimate for a Hospital, per bed cost is
calculated from the recently completed hospital and is multiplied with the number of
beds required.

Plinth Area Estimate

What is the plinth area?

It is the built up covered area measured at floor level of the basement or of any storey of
building.

How is it calculated?
The area is obtained by multiplying length and breadth (outer dimensions of building). Plinth
area

Estimate Method:-
The cost of construction is determined by multiplying plinth area with plinth area rate.

Cube Rate Estimate

This method is generally used for multi-storeyed buildings. It is more accurate than the plinth
area method. The cost of a structure is calculated approximately as the total cubical contents
(Volume of buildings) multiplied by Local Cubic Rate. The volume of a building is obtained by
Length X breadth X depth or height.
(The length and breadth are measured out to out of walls excluding the plinth of the set.)
The cost of building = volume of buildings X rate/ unit volume.

Approximate Quantity Estimate

In this method approximate total length of walls is found in running metre and this total
length multiplied by the rate per running metre of wall gives a fairly accurate cost.
How is it done?
For this method, the structure may be divided into two parts :-
• Foundation including plinth
• Superstructure
The running metre cost for the foundation and superstructure should be calculated first and
These running metre rates should be multiplied by the total length of walls.

Running metre rate for the foundation includes:- Approximate quantities of items such as
excavation, foundation, brickwork up to plinth and damp proof course are calculated
 and multiplying by the rates of these items the price is
determined. Similarly for superstructure the price per running metre is determined from the
approximate quantity of brickwork, wood works, roof, floor etc.

Detailed Estimates

● Detailed estimates are prepared in accordance with the complete set of

contract documents consisting of drawings, specifications and all other
technical documents and requirements.
● It is important to accurately estimate in detail all the cost components of the
project before bidding.
● The material quantity take-off or the quantity of materials for an item of work
can be easily calculated by using the information from contract drawings and
specifications.
● The current unit price of materials can be obtained from the material suppliers.
● In addition, the estimator has to add a certain percentage for wastage of
materials while calculating the material cost.

Revised Estimate

It is a detailed estimate and is required to be prepared under anyone of the following

circumstances:- •When the original sanctioned estimate is exceeded or likely to
exceed by more than
•When the expenditure on a work exceeds or likely to exceed the amount of administrative
sanction by more than 10%>
•When there are materials deviation from the original proposal ,even though the cost may be
met from the sanctioned amount.
The revised estimate should be accompanied by a comparative statement showing
the variation of each item of work, its quantity, rate and cost under original and
revised,side by side, the excess or saving and reasons for variation.

DATA REQUIRED TO PREPARE AN ESTIMATE

1. Drawings - plans, elevations, sections etc.

2. Specifications - This gives the nature, quality, class and work and materials in
general terms to be used in various parts of work.
3. Schedule Rates – used for

1. Arriving at the unit rates of each item.

2. The rates of various materials to be used in the construction.
3. The cost of transport materials.
4. The wages of labour, skilled or unskilled of masons, carpenters, Amador,
Etc.,

LUMP SUM
While preparing an estimate, it is not possible to work out in detail in case of
petty items. Items other than civil engineering such items are called lump sum
items or simply L.S.Items.

The following are some of L.S. Items in the estimate.

1. Water supply and sanitary arrangements.

2. Electrical installations like metre, motor, etc.,
3. Architectural features.
4. Contingencies and unforeseen items.

A bill of quantities (BOQ) is a document created by a quantity surveyor or cost consultant

that contains information on the quantity of materials, labour, and their costs in a
construction project.
It generally includes information such as the scope of work, the cost of labour, the materials
utilised, the number of workers employed, and so on. Contractors can use this information
and data to quote rates for their specific work.
A Bill of Quantities ensures that the project runs smoothly and without complications. After a
construction, design has been completed and specifications have been created, BOQs help
in cost computation. It acts as an important link between stakeholders consultants
/engineers, and contractors.

Purposes of Bill of Quantities

● To make the tendering process more uniform.

● For establishing a method for valuing the project that is both transparent and
exact.
● To provide a thorough description of the work and its rates, as well as the
overall cost.
● To help quantity surveyors in ensuring that individual contractors have filed
valid tenders that comply with the specifications.

Significance of Bill of Quantities (BOQ)

● One of the most essential documents in the construction industry is the bill of
quantities.
● A Bill of Quantities offers a contractor a clear picture of the whole project
about which contractor has to work on it.
 ● BOQ gives a base to the clients for valuing, comparing tenders, and
comparing contracts.
● It's required for preparing the contractors' final bill

Softwares :

1. Excel
2. procore
3. Autodesk Construction Cloud
4. QS
5. CostX

CENTRE LINE METHOD

◆ • In this method total Centre to Centre length of walls having the same type of
foundation is calculated.
◆ • Then find out the quantity by multiplying the total Centre to Centre length by
the respective breadth and the height.
◆ • In this method, the length will remain the same for excavation,concrete in
foundations,and for superstructure (with slight difference when there are cross
walls or number of junctions).
◆
➔ This method requires special attention and considerations at the junctions, meeting
points of partition or cross walls.
➔ 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 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.
➔ 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) shall have to be made from the total centre length of B type walls.
 Long Wall - Short Wall Method

➢ In this method, the wall along the length of the room is considered to be a
long wall while the wall perpendicular to the long wall is said to be a short
wall.
➢ To get the length of a longwall or shortwall, calculate first the centre line
lengths of individual walls.
➢ Then the length of the long wall (out to out) may be calculated after adding
half breadth at each end to its centre line length.
➢ Thus the length of a short wall is measured into and may be found by
deducting half breadth from its centre line length at each end.
➢ The length of the long wall usually decreases from earth work to brick work in
superstructure while the short wall increases. These lengths are multiplied by
breadth and depth to get quantities.
➢ At corners of the building where two walls are meeting, no subtraction or
addition is required.

Contingencies-
An amount added to an estimate to allow for items, conditions, or events for which quantity
can not be predicted in advance at the time of preparing the estimate.

Rate analysis

The process of determining rate per unit of any work in Civil Engineering project like
earthwork, concrete work, brickwork, plastering, painting etc. is known as Analysis of
Rates or simply Rate Analysis. The rates of materials and labour vary from place to place
and hence the rates of different items of work also vary from place to place. The rates of
these works further help in determining cost of particular work and in turn cost of the
project.

6.2. Necessity of Rate Analysis

To determine the actual cost per unit of the items.
To work out the economical use of materials and processes in completing the
particulars item.
To calculate the cost of extra items which are not provided in the contract bond,
but are to be executed as per the directions of the department.
To revise the schedule of rates due to increase in the cost of material and labour or
due to a change in technique.

6.3. Factors Deciding Rate of Items

The various factors that are involved in determining rate of any item, process or work are
mentioned below:
Specifications of works and material about their quality, proportion and
constructional operation method.
Quantity of materials and their costs.
Cost of labour and their wages.
Location of site of work and the distances from source and conveyance charges.
Overhead and establishment charges
Profit and miscellaneous expenses of the contractor

6.4. Procedure of Rate Analysis

The analysis of rates is worked out for the unit payment of the particular item of work
under two heads: Materials and Labour.
The cost of items of work = Material cost + Labour cost
Other costs included to the above cost of items of work are:
o Tools and Plants ( T & P ) = 2.5 to 3 % of the labour cost
o Transportation cost (if conveyance more than 8 km is considered.)
o Water charges = 1.5 to 2 % 0f total cost
o Contractor’s profit = 10 %

Material cost
The rate of various materials as per specifications for the items under consideration can
be chalked out from a market survey. The costs of materials are taken as delivered at site of
work. This is inclusive of:
The first cost (cost at origin),
Cost of transport, railway freight (if any), etc.
Local taxes and other charges.

a) Lead statement
The distance between the source of availability of material and construction site is known
as "Lead” and is expressed in Km. The cost of conveyance of material depends on lead.
This statement is required when a material is transported from a distant place, more than
8kms (5 miles). The lead statement will give the total cost of materials per unit item
including first cost, conveyance loading-unloading, stacking charges etc.

6.4.2. Labour cost

To obtain labour cost the number and wages of different categories of labourers, skilled
(Skilled 1st Class), semi-skilled (Skilled 2nd Class) and unskilled, required for each unit of
work should be known and this number is multiplied by the respective wage per day. The
labour charges can be obtained from the standard schedule of rates. 30% of the skilled
labour provided in the data may be taken as 1
st class, remaining 70% as 2nd class.
The length of time required to do a certain piece of the work may vary according to the
skill and mental development of the workmen and working conditions to the particular
job.

a) Task or out-turn work

This is the quantity of work which can be done by an artisan or skilled labour (with the

help of semiskilled and unskilled labours) of the trade working for 8 hours a day. The out-
the turn of work per artisan varies according to the nature, size, height, situation, location
etc.

Out-turn is more in larger cities, as the more specialised and experienced labourers are
available, than the small cities and countryside.

6.4.3. Miscellaneous cost

a) Cost of equipment, Tools and Plants (T & P)
The cost of equipment and ordinary tools and plats and miscellaneous petty items
(sundries) are added to the specific item rate as lump-sum. A provision of 2.5 to 3 % of
The labour cost is made for such items. In certain tools and plants if it is difficult to
allocate their use for a particular item of rate; then the cost of such tools or plants may be
allocated to the overhead expenditure.
For big works and projects where it becomes necessary to use special types of equipment
like batching plants or WMM plant or dumpers or cranes for transportation of concrete
mix, provisions of an amount 1% to 1.5% of the estimated cost is provided in the estimate
under the head “special tools and plants”.
b) Water charges
For drinking purpose of the workers and for the work, arrangement of water is made
sinking tube well; bore well or from temporary connection from municipality. For this
purpose a provision of 1.5 to 2 % of total cost (Material + Labour & Sundries) is made in
the estimate.
c) Over head charges
Overhead charges include general office expenses, rents, taxes, supervision and other cost
which are indirect expenses on the job. Expenses for small tools such as planks, ladders,
ropes and other hand tools are also included in the over-head charges. A provision of
2.5% to 5% is made in the rate analysis as overhead charge. Overhead charges can be
divided under two categories: General Overhead and job overhead.
General overhead:
These are the expanses made throughout the year irrespective of running works in hand.
These include:
o Establishment charge including rent of office space and taxes
o Salaries to office staff
o Purchase of stationary, Printing, postage etc.
o Electricity, telephone and water bills
o Travelling expenses
Job overhead:
These are the expenses indirectly incurred for the job or the project. These include:
o Salaries of personnel engaged for the work (Site engineers, Surveyors or site
office staff)
o Rent of temporary site office space, electricity, telephone and water bills
o Handling of materials
o Repairs, carriage and depreciation of T & P.
o Labour welfare, safety measures and insurance etc.
o Interest on investment
o Theft and other losses.

c) Contractor’s profit
Generally a provision of 10% is made in the rate analysis as contractor’s profit for
ordinary contracts. For small jobs 15% profit and for large jobs 8% profit may be
considered as reasonable. Contractors profit is not included in rate analysis if material is
supplied by the department.