1.

Preliminary or Approximate or Rough Estimate:

This types of estimate are also called budget, preliminary estimate. This type of
estimate is prepared in initial stage of the project to give a clear idea to the
client about the amount of cost needed for the project and to get the
approval from necessary sanctioning bodies (for example: to get loans from
banks). Documents like project drawing plans, details about the land including
electricity & water supply system and sanitary system a full clear report are
necessary to the previous experience. eg: To calculate the estimate for a
house, a previously completed similar house will be considered. Here the
estimator already knows the rate for 1m2 areas & with that he/she calculates
the cost estimate for the newly proposed area of similar house.

Approximate estimate = Rate of 1m2 area (already known value) x Proposed

area (m2)

The preliminary estimate may be prepared by various way for different work
and structures as:

For Building:

1. Service unit method

2. Plinth area method
3. Floor area method
4. Carpet area method
5. Cubical content method

1.1 Plinth Area Estimate:

In this types of estimate plinth are being found out by multiplying the values of
length of plinth, width of plinth and plinth area rate. Here the plinth area is
referred as, external plinth area of the building at floor level. Simply it can be
also stated as the roof covered area of the building.

Plinth area rate is derived by dividing the total cost of a previously constructed
building by plinth area method. Documents such as line plan with complete
specifications & costs for services such as water, electricity should be attached
with plinth area estimate.

Plinth area estimate = Plinth area x Plinth area rate

Plinth area = Plinth length x Plinth width

Plinth area rate = Total cost of a previously built building / Total plinth area of
building.

In this method cost of 1 m2 area is calculates from the cost of similar plinth area
construction in the nearby area which is known plinth area rate.

Estimate cost = Plinth area x plinth area rate for 1 m2 area

For Example,

A building has plinth area 200 m2 and the plinth area rate in this area s R 3 500/-
per m2.

Estimated cost = 200 x 3500 =R 7,00,000

There are some restrictions in calculating the plinth area of a building project
and some area have to include or exclude when calculating the cost. Among
that, areas which include are, floor area with area of walls at floor level
excluding the offsets of the building, internal shafts of sanitary fittings within
2m2, lifts, air conditioning ducts, area of porch at floor level, a room on the
terrace or roof top with verandah outside.
1.2 Floor area or superficial estimate:

The superficial floor area also known as the square metre method of estimating
is one of the quickest methods of calculating the cost of a
building/construction project. It is the first estimate that will be prepared by a
Quantity Surveyor when initial sketch drawings are produced by the architect.
In this early planning and design stage, an architect may produce design
alternatives that can be priced by a Quantity Surveyor for cost comparison
purposes. Alternatively, the architect may design to a cost taking into account
the client’s budget.

The square metre method involves measuring the internal gross floor area of a
building and multiplying by the cost per m 2, to get the total cost of building.
The internal gross floor area is measured within the external walls (i.e. floor area
enclosed by external walls) without adjustments for partition walls, staircases or
lifts. For example, when measuring a simple rectangular single storey plan (20m
x 5m) with 230mm external brick walls and no open space, in a location where
the building rate is R8,000 per m2, you have to calculate the cost of building as
follows:

20m – (0.23 x 2) m = 19.54m

5m – (0.23 x2) m = 4.54m

Total Estimated Cost of Building Project = Internal Gross Floor Area x Cost per
m2

Total Cost = (19.54 x 4.54) m2 x 8000

1.3 Cube Method Estimating

The cube method estimating is a single rate method of estimating based on

the cubic content of a building. Cost per cubic metre method is specific for
building projects and aims to overcome the current criticism floor area method
that does not take into account possible variations of the storey height. The
building volume method became very popular in some European countries
like in Germany and Switzerland, where building costs are often expressed in
cubic meter prices. The total cost of the project will be given by:

Estimate = Volume X Unit Cost (Cost/m3)

{Volume = External plan area X Height X Cost (cost/ m3)}

In order to use the method, the building volume must be first assessed and
explicit rules exist in some countries for that purpose. Buildings with distinct types
of occupation should have corresponding volumes assessed separately, for
example, car park areas, shopping areas and office areas in a commercial
building. Specific works like excavations, foundations and external works ought
to be assessed separately by using cost comparisons or approximate
quantities, for example.

Costs per cubic meter may be difficult to find in countries where the method is
not current. Actually, such costs depend on a number of variables, like building
types, the proportion of wall area per floor area, quality of finishes and so on.

Cube Method Estimating Example

An office block with a cubic content of 18000m3 has been estimated to cost
R415.00/m3.

Estimate = Cubic content X Rate per cubic metre

Estimate = 18000m3 x R415.00

Total estimated cost = R7,470,000

Calculation of volume is subject to rules of measurement

o Measured from external faces of external walls

o Height of the building is taken from the top of foundation to

For pitched roof

o A point midway between the ceiling and the apex of roof 2/3 where roof
space is unoccupied

o A point three-quarters from the ceiling to the apex of the roof where roof
space is occupied

For Flat roof

o A point 610mm above the roof structure

Cube Method Estimating Advantages

o Quick method

o Simple math process

o Easy to understand

o Satisfactory on works of a recurring nature.

o Suitable where cubic content of a space or a building directly influences

the cost of an element.

Cube Method Estimating Disadvantages

o Need higher levels of skill to assess unit rate

o Do not express the actual cost of different parts of the building

o Due to large number of variables, difficult to adjust unit cost

o Doesn’t provide any indication about amount of usable space

o Fails to take account of variations in plan, shape, storey height/ total

number of storeys etc.

1.4 Storey enclosure method

Storey enclosure method is a single rate method estimating, this method has
largely unused in practice. It measures the area of external walls, floors and
roof areas (effectively enclosing the building) and multiplying them by an
appropriate weighting factor.

Take into account of the difference in plan shape total floor area, the vertical
position of the floors, overall height, storey height, extra costs of providing
usable floor areas below ground.

Storey Enclosure – Rules of measurement

Areas of the various floors, roof and external walls are calculated, and each is
weighted by a different factor to provide a total number of storey enclosure
units. For total estimate amount. Calculated storey enclosure units are
multiplied by a storey enclosure rate obtained from previously analysed
projects.

1. Floor areas, measured from the internal face of external walls and subject to
the following weightings

Basements X 3

Groundfloor X 2

First floor X 2,15

Second floor X 2.30 and add 0,15 for each successive floor

2. Roof areas are measured in its plan projection, to the extremities of eaves:
roof x 1.

3. External wall areas, measured on the external face of the walls:

Basement wall area X 2 (basement floor to ground floor level)

Aboveground wall areas X 1 (ground floor to ceiling of top floor with no

deduction for openings)
When this method was suggested, it aimed at overcoming the problems
detected in other single-rate estimating methods, by taking into account
variations in plan shape and storey height. Unfortunately, the method was
never totally adopted by construction professionals because it requires much
more calculations than other single-rate methods and because the rates
needed cannot be directly extracted from historical data.

Storey Enclosure Method Estimating Advantages

 Takes into account of differences in plan shape, total floor area, vertical
position of the floors, overall height, storey height, extra costs of providing
usable floor areas below ground
 Provides a single rate
 Cost of external works etc. can be added

Storey Enclosure Method Estimating Disadvantages

 Historical data are not readily available

 Less helpful when considering client and architect’s requirements
 Difficult to assess the effect of changes to specifications
 No standard method of measurement
Storey enclosed estimating method Example:

Drawing for Building M

20M 45M 20M

40M

4th 4M
4M
3rd 4M

4M
2nd
4M
6M
1st
6M
Grnd flr

Basement 1

Basement 2

Rule 1: Twice the area of lowest storey

= 2 (85m × 40m)

= 2 (3400m²)

= 6800m²
Rule 2: Area of roof assuming the roof doesn’t overlap (area of the 4th floor since
it is the last storey)

= 45m ×40m

= 1800 m²

Rule 3: Twice the area of each successive rising floor + factor of 0.15 increasing
for each level for intermediate floors

Sections: factor of 0.15

2.00 (B2)

2.15 (B1)

2.30 (GF)

2.45 (1st)

2.60 (2nd)

2.75 (3rd)

2.90 (4th)

A. = 2.15 (85m × 40m)

= 2.15 (3400m²)

= 7310m²

B. 2.30 + 2.45 + 2.60 + 2.75 + 2.90 = 13.00

Since they have the same area:

= 13.00 (45m × 40m)

= 13.00 (1800m²)

= 23400m²

TOTAL - 7310m² + 23400m² = 30710m²

Rule 4: Perimeter × height (for external enclosure)

For basement 2 and 1:

A. 2 × (85m + 40m) × 2 × 6 = 3000m²

For ground floor to 4th floor:

B. 2 × (45m + 40m) × 5 × 4 = 3400m²

TOTAL - 3000m² + 3400m² = 6400m²

Rule 5: Area of lowest floor + average height × perimeter for work below ground
floor level

A. 85m × 40m = 3400m² (Area of lowest floor)

B. = 6+12 × 2 (85m + 40m)

= 9 × 2 (125)

= 2250m²
 TOTAL -3400m² + 2250m² = 5650m²

Completion

Rule 1: 6800m²

Rule 2: 1800m²

Rule 3: 30710m²

Rule 4: 6400m²

Rule 5: 5650m²

TOTAL: 51360m²

= 51360m² × R2500 / m²

= R128 400 000