ASAP

Amity School of Architecture &

Planning
B Arch, Semester VI
Estimation, Costing &
Specification
(ARCH328)

Dr. Bandana Jha

Lecture-2
bjha@amity.edu 1
 DEFINITION OF ESTIMATE ASAP

Estimating is the technique of calculating or

Computing the various quantities

Costing is the expected Expenditure to be

incurred on a particular work or project.

Specification is a detailed description of the

designed materials used in construction

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 2

 NEED FOR EST. AND COSTING ASAP
1. Estimate gives an idea of the cost of work & its
feasibility - whether the project could be taken
up within the funds available
2. Estimate decides whether the proposed plan
matches the funds available
3. Estimate is required to invite the tenders and
Quotations and to arrange contractual works
4. Estimate is also required to control the
expenditure during the execution of work
5. Estimate also gives an idea of time required
for completion of the work
6. Architects Fee & Contractors Profit are also
based on Project Cost Estimate
Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu
3
 DATA REQUIRED ASAP

DATA REQUIRED TO PREPARE AN ESTIMATE

1. Drawings- plans, elevations, sections etc.

2. Specifications.
3. Rates.

The drawings have to be clear and with complete

dimensions

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 4

 DATA REQUIRED ASAP

2. SPECIFICATIONS
a) General Specifications:
Gives the nature, quality, class of work and
materials in general terms to be used in
various parts of the construction works. It
helps to form a general idea of building.
b) Detailed Specifications:
Gives the detailed description of the various
items of work laying down the Quantities and
qualities of materials, their proportions, the
method of preparation workmanship and
Execution of work.
Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 5
 DATA REQUIRED ASAP

3. RATES
For preparing the estimate the unit rates of each
item of work are required

For arriving at the unit rates of each Item,

following are required:
• Rates of various materials to be used in the
construction
• Cost of transport materials
• Wages of labour, skilled or unskilled of
masons, carpenters, Mazdoor, etc.,

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 6

 ASSIGNMENT 1 ASAP

Select your best project from past studios with a

minimum built-up area.

Complete all plans, elevations and sections with

dimensions

Give general specification of each item of works

in your design proposal.

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 7

 TYPES OF ESTIMATES ASAP

1. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE.

2. DETAILED ESTIMATE

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 8

 TYPES OF ESTIMATES ASAP

1. Preliminary or approximate estimate

 Early in the planning stage, both owner and

designers need an indication of the project cost
 Estimates prepared at this time have low accuracy
 Names used to describe such estimates include
preliminary, ballpark, blue sky, seat-of-the-pants,
and order of magnitude.
 Purposes is to help owner/client to make a
decision to proceed with the project.
 Preliminary estimates are made in less a day
 Expected accuracy is no better than within 20-
30%. Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 9
 TYPES OF ESTIMATES ASAP

1. Preliminary or approximate estimate.

 Required for studies of various aspects of work of
project and for its administrative approval.
 In case of commercial projects helps in finding the
ROI- whether the net income earned justifies the
amount invested or not.
 Preliminary estimate is prepared from the practical
knowledge and cost of similar works.
 It is accompanied by a report explaining necessity
and utility of the project, with a site or layout plan.
 A percentage 5 to 10% is allowed for
contingencies
Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 10
 TYPES OF ESTIMATES ASAP

1. Preliminary or approximate estimate.

The following are the methods used for preparation of

approximate estimates

- Square Feet Method

- Plinth Area Method
- Unit Base Method
- Cubical Content Method

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 11

 PRELIMNARY ESTIMATES ASAP

1. Square Feet Method

 Square foot estimating is method of developing a

preliminary estimate based on historical data
 Effective when features of the proposed project are
known, but not designed
 It is necessary to know the type of building or
facility and the proposed number of square feet.
 Prevalent method of estimate amongst Architects ,
Builders and Contractors
 Most housing and other Real Estate is marketed
and sold on this basis.
Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 12
 PRELIMNARY ESTIMATES ASAP

2. Plinth Area Method

The cost of construction is determined by multiplying

plinth area with plinth area rate.
The area is obtained by multiplying length and
breadth (outer dimensions of building).
In fixing the plinth area rate, careful observation and
necessary enquiries are made in respect of quality
and quantity aspect of materials and labor, type of
foundation, height of building, roof, wood work,
fixtures, number of stores etc.

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 13

 PRELIMNARY ESTIMATES ASAP

2. Plinth Area Method

 As per IS 3861-1966, the following areas are

included while calculating plinth area of buildings:

 Built Area within walls at all floor levels

Internal shafts of sanitary installations not

exceeding 2.sqm, lifts, air-conditioning ducts etc.

Porches of non-cantilever type.

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 14

 PRELIMNARY ESTIMATES ASAP

2. Plinth Area Method

 Following Areas are not included:

 Area of lofts
 Unenclosed balconies
 Architectural bands, cornices etc.
 Domes, towers projecting above terrace level
 Box louvers, vertical sun breakers etc.

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 15

 PRELIMNARY ESTIMATES ASAP

3. Unit Based Method

 Cost estimate is calculated by multiplying
the total number of units with unit rate.
In case of Schools and Colleges, the unit
considered to be as ‘One Student’ or ‘One
Classroom’
In case of Hospital, the unit is ‘One Bed’.
In case of a Hotel, the unit is ‘One Room’
Unit Rate is calculated by dividing the
actual expenditure incurred or cost of similar
building in the nearby locality by the number
of units.
Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 16
 PRELIMNARY ESTIMATES ASAP

4. Cubical Content Method

 The cost of a structure is calculated
approximately as the total cubical contents
(Volume of buildings) multiplied by Local
Cubic Rate
This method is generally used for
multistoried buildings
 Widely used by Engineers and Building
Contractors

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 17

 PRELIMNARY ESTIMATES ASAP

4. Cubical Content Method

It is said to be more accurate that the other
two methods viz., plinth area method and
unit base method.
The volume of 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 off set.
The cost of string course, cornice,
corbelling etc., is neglected.
The cost of building= volume of buildings x
rate/ unit volume.
Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 18
 ASSIGNMENT 2 ASAP

a) Make a list of 25 Construction items and

submit their unit of Measurement.

b) Identify a Brick Wall in the project selected for

assignment 1. Draw a section of the Brick Wall
from “Foundation to Roof Level”. Label the
general specification of each item of works in
the section.

Dr. Charu Nangia, Professor 19

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REFERENCES
1. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of
Current English, Oxford, 1952, p. 1069.
2. L.V. Redman and A.V.H. Mory, The Romance
of Research, 1923, p.10. 3
3. The Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences, Vol.
IX, MacMillan, 1930.
4. Estimating And Costing in Civil Engineering,
BN Dutta, 2010

Dr. Bandana Jha, Professor, bjha@amity.edu 25