CE 325

QUANTITY SURVEYING
Prepared by:

Engr. Conrado V. Baleña

FUNDAMENTALS OF
QUANTITY TAKEOFF
Quantity Takeoff
The quantity takeoff is the process whereby
the estimator prepares a complete list of all
building components that need to be
constructed to complete the project. (Steven
Peterson, Construction Estimating Using Excel)

A quantity takeoff is a process of measuring

the work of the project in the form of a series
of quantified work items. (D. Pratt,
Fundamentals of Construction Estimating)
Annual
Review
Quantity Takeoff
• An estimate begins with a quantity takeoff.
• Quantity Takeoff is a process of measuring the work of the
project in the form of a series of quantified work items.
• To prepare the takeoff, an estimator has to break down the
design that is shown on the drawings and described in the
specifications into predefined activities (work items) that
correspond to the operations the contractor will perform to
complete the work of the project.
What is Measured?
• The estimator should note that quantities of work are
measured in the takeoff process, not quantities of materials.
– Materials takeoff is to compute the quantity of materials that need
to be purchased in order to construct a particular item of the
project.
– Quantity takeoff
• computes the net in place quantity,
• provides sufficient information for pricing
• Some work items computed that does
not involve materials, e.g Hand Trowel
Units Of Measurement
Items of work are measured in the units most appropriate to the type of work
involved, and this is reflected in the rules of measurement adopted by the estimating
department.

Item Unit Item English System Metric System

Number Cast iron manhole cover No., Each, Ea. No. Each, Ea.
Length 6" Dia. drain pipe Linear feet Linear meter (m)
Area Form footings Square feet Square meter (m2)
Volume Excavate trenches Cubic yard Cubic meter (m3)
Weight #3 Rebar in footings Pounds (lb) Kilogram (kg)
Measuring “Net in Place”
• Net in Place means that quantities are calculated using the
sizes and dimensions indicated on the drawings with no
adjustments to the values obtained for waste factors and
suchlike.

• Reasons in taking ‘Net in Place’ quantities

– Consistency
– Objectivity
– Unit Price Contracts
– Comparisons of Operations Efficiencies
1. Consistency
• Without a fixed ruling, some estimators would measure “net,”
others measure “gross” and yet others may combine both
“gross” and “net” quantities in a single estimate.
• As a result, it becomes far more difficult to make a
meaningful comparison or assessment of different estimates
because the basis of the estimates, the quantity of work
involved, will not have been determined in the same way for
each estimate.
2. Objectivity
• Measuring “net” quantities results in an objective appraisal of the
design.
• Add-ons for waste factors, swell factors, compaction factors, and
the other adjustments applied to quantities taken off are all
subjective assessments.
• It is much easier to review item unit prices when the quantities
have been measured in an objective standard fashion than when
they have been exposed to the subjective evaluation of the
person who measured them.
3. Unit Price Contracts
• Measurement of work done on a unit price contract is
invariably required to be calculated on a “net” quantity basis.
• The reason for this is quite obvious if we consider the
consequences of allowing contractors to increase quantities
by waste factors of their own choice when the work is to be
paid for on the basis of the quantity of work done.
• Net
• Net + Wastage (%)
4. Comparisons of Operation Efficiencies
• The efficiency of construction operations is often analyzed in
terms of cost or hours spent per unit of work done.
• If the amounts of work done are measured on a subjective
basis with a variety of “add- on” factors applied to the
quantities obtained, comparing the efficiencies determined in
one analysis with those obtained in another is meaningless.
 • Consider the results of the analysis of Mirana’s project and Luna’s project.
• These supervisors spent Php 1190 and Php 1200, respectively, placing concrete in
footings, but Mirana measured a “net” quantity of 100 cubic meter, while Luna
measured a “gross” quantity of 105 cubic meter, which included a 5% waste factor.
Using these values gives the following costs per cubic meter:
𝑃ℎ𝑝 1,190.00
Mirana’s 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡: = 𝑃ℎ𝑝 11.90 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚3
100 𝑚3

𝑃ℎ𝑝 1,200.00
Luna’s 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡: 105 𝑚3
= 𝑃ℎ𝑝 11.90 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚3

• From this analysis it would appear that Luna’s operation is more efficient because
of the lower cost per cubic yards obtained.
• However, if the concrete amounts are calculated on the same basis, which is 100
cubic meter net in both cases, the result is reversed—Mirana’s cost per cubic
meter (Php 11.90) is lower than Luna’s (Php 12.00).
Take Off Rules
1. Takeoff items comprise two components:
a) Dimensions that define the size or quantity of the item in
accordance with the required units of measurement for that item
b) A description that classifies the item in terms of the requirements
of the standard method of measurement.
2. Dimensions are entered onto the takeoff in this order:
length, width, and depth (or height).
Take Off Rules
3. When using the metric system, record dimensions in meters
rounded to two decimal places. Thus, 3489 mm is written as
3.49 m and 1200 meters would be 1200.00 m.
4. If a dimension does not come directly from a tender
drawing, provide side calculations on the quantity sheet
showing how it was determined; this should be done even
for the simplest calculation.
Take Off Rules
5. To avoid compounding rounding errors, fractions of a
dimension are not rounded in side calculations until the end
result of the calculation is obtained.
6. Use dimensions obtained directly from drawings, or
calculated from figured dimensions, in preference to scaled
dimensions.
The estimator should use drawings to obtain dimensions only as a
last resort because drawings are not always accurately drawn to scale.
Take Off Rules
7. Deductions listed with the dimensions are written in red or
enclosed in brackets “< >” and noted as deductions.
8. Throughout the takeoff, insert headings to indicate such things
as the trade being taken off, the location of the work under
consideration, and the phase in which the work is classified.
Side notes are also useful to explain what is being measured, especially
when the work is complex or unusual.
All of these headings and notations help provide an audit trail so that
the estimator or any other interested party can more easily review the
takeoff.
Take Off Rules
9. It is recommended that the estimator use highlighter pens to
check off items of work as the takeoff progresses.
This identifies what has been measured and distinguishes it from what
remains to be considered.

10.Takeoff descriptions need to contain sufficient information for

the estimator to later price the work involved.
Estimators use abbreviations extensively in takeoffs to increase the
speed of the process, and detail which can be easily added at the pricing
stage may be omitted from descriptions at the time of the takeoff.
Take Off Rules
11. When describing a takeoff item, the estimator does not mention in the
description or measure separately any of the following items because they will be
dealt with later in the process of pricing the takeoff items:
a) Transportation or any other costs associated with the delivery of the materials
involved
b) Unloading materials f) Stripping formwork
c) Hoisting requirements g) Form oil
d) Labor setting, fitting, or fixing in position h) Rough hardware
e) Lapping, cutting, or waste of materials i) Scaffold
• The estimator should be aware that while all the above rules are in
place to obtain the consistency and objectivity required, there is
always an occasional situation in which the work is not routine and a
better result may be obtained if the rules are relaxed.
• So estimators, to continue to be effective, have to preserve a certain
flexibility of approach keeping in mind their major goal of pricing the
work of the project as efficiently as possible.
Accuracy of Measurement
• The quantity takeoff should accurately reflect the amount of work
involved in a project, but how accurately should the work be
measured?
• There is no clear answer to this question as the level of accuracy
pursued by the estimator depends on the costs and benefits of
attaining high accuracy.
• Devoting extra time to improving the accuracy of the
measurement of certain items of work may not be justified.
• The takeoff has to be as accurate as possible given the nature of
the work being measured and the cost of attaining high accuracy.
Measurement Of Concrete Work
Items
• It is not difficult to calculate the
quantities of concrete with a high
degree of accuracy as concrete
items are usually well- detailed on
contract drawings.
• Also, the time spent carefully
measuring concrete work can be
justified as items of concrete are
relatively expensive.
Excavation Work Items
• Excavation items are not detailed
well, on drawings, and the unit
prices of these items are usually
quite low.
• With the excavation trade, the
estimator usually has to ascertain
the dimensions of the work by
applying judgment based on
experience; this results in an
assessment that may be quite
different from the volumes of
work actually excavated.

• Price per cubic meter

• Manual labor = Php 500.00
Accuracy of Measurement
• An estimator constantly has to balance the cost of achieving
high accuracy against the value obtained from the increase in
accuracy.
• A more accurate takeoff is always a better takeoff.
Organization of the Takeoff
• The order of the takeoff will generally follow the sequence of
the work activities of the project and, conveniently for the
estimator, the contract drawings are usually presented in this
sequence.
Work Sequence Work Sequence Work Sequence
1. Earthworks 1. Earthworks 1. Concrete
2. Concrete 2. Concrete 2. Masonry
3. Masonry 3. Masonry 3. Metals
4. Metals 4. Metals 4. Finishes
5. Finishes 5. Finishes 5. Earthworks
• An estimator needs a strategy to deal with large projects.
• Without a systematic approach, the estimator can easily get lost
in the takeoff process and reach a point at which it is not clear
what exactly has been measured and what is left to be
considered.
• A simple yet effective strategy that can be used with any estimate
consists of first dividing the project into manageable size parts,
proceeding through the takeoff one part at a time, and, within
each of these parts, measuring the work as a sequence of
assemblies.
• How the project is divided up is entirely dependent on the
nature of the project;
– high-rise projects, for instance, are most easily divided floor by
floor or by groups of floors.
– Some projects can be divided into zones, phases, or even separate
buildings.
• The estimator will often find that the contract drawings
reflect these divisions as it is common for a large project to be
designed in parts rather than as one large whole.
• An assembly is a component of the work that can be
considered separately from the other parts of the work.

Consider the example of a perimeter

foundation wall as an assembly in the
estimate of a building. The basic idea is that
the estimator measures all the work involved
in an identified assembly, then moves on to
consider the next assembly.
• In this example, the estimator may takeoff all of the following
items associated with this one assembly before passing on to
the next assembly:
a) The concrete in the wall
b) The forms to the sides of the wall
c) The forms to openings and block-
outs in the wall
d) The rubbed finish on the exposed
concrete of the wall
e) The reinforcing steel in the wall
Major Advantages of Taking Off by Assemblies
• The assembly is evaluated only once and the same dimensions are
shared by a number of items within the assembly, thus avoiding
repetition.
• Takeoff by assemblies or “work packages” is utilized in many of
the better computer estimating programs, which produces a very
powerful and speedy estimating tool.
• The process of scheduling the project is made easier when
assemblies have been used in the takeoff because the activity
breakdown used by schedulers corresponds quite closely to the
assemblies measured by the estimator.
BASIC FORMULAS USED IN
ESTIMATING