QUANTITY SURVEYING AND ESTIMATION

WHAT IS AN ESTIMATE
Before taking up any work for its execution, the owner or builder should have a thorough knowledge
about the volume of work that can be completed within the limits of his funds or the probable cost that may
be required to complete the proposed work.
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It is therefore necessary to prepare the probable cost or estimate for the proposed work from its plan
and specification.
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Otherwise, it may so happen that the work has to be stopped before its completion due to the
shortage of funds or of materials. 
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Besides the above, an estimate for any public construction work is required to be prepared and
submitted beforehand so that sanction of necessary funds may be obtained from the authority concerned. 
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Thus an estimate for any construction work may be defined as the process of calculating the
quantities and costs of the various items required in connection with the work .
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It is prepared by calculating the quantities, from the dimensions on the drawings for the various items
required to complete the project and multiplied by unit cost of the item concerned. 
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To prepare an estimate , drawing consisting of the plan , the elevation and the section through
important points, along with a detailed specification giving specific description of all workmanship ,
properties and proportion of materials , are required. 
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PURPOSE OF ESTIMATING:-
To ascertain the necessary amount of money required by the owner to complete the proposed work .
For public construction work, estimates are required in order to obtain administrative approval , allotment
of funds and technical sanction. 

To ascertain quantities of materials required in order to programme their timely procurement. To
procure controlled materials, if any, like cement , steel, etc. quantities of such materials are worked out
from the estimate of the work and attached with the application for verification.

To calculate the number of different categories of workers that is to be employed to complete the
work within the scheduled time of completion.
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To assess the requirements of tool , plants and equipment required to complete the work according to
the programmed. 
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To fix up the completion period from the volume of works involved in the estimate. 
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To draw up a construction schedule and programmed and also to arrange the funds required
according to the programming. 
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To justify the investment from benefit cost ratio.(for ideal investment ,this ratio should be more than
one) 
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To invite tenders and prepare bills for payment. 
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An estimate for an existing property is required for valuation
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DATA REQUIRED FOR ESTIMATING:-
1. Drawings i.e. plans, elevations, sections etc.
2. Specifications.
3. Rates.

DRAWINGS
If the drawings are not clear and without complete dimensions the preparation of estimation become very
difficult. So, it is very essential before preparing an estimate.

SPECIFICATIONS
a) General Specifications: This gives the nature, quality, class and work and materials in general terms to
be used in various parts of wok. It helps no form a general idea of building.

b) Detailed Specifications: This 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.

RATES
For preparing the estimate the unit rates of each item of work are required.
1. for 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 labor, skilled or unskilled of masons, carpenters, Amador, etc.

LUMPSUM
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 meter, motor, etc.,
3. Architectural features.
4. Contingencies and unforeseen items.
In general, certain percentage on the cost of estimation is allotted for the above L.S.Items. Even if sub
estimates prepared or at the end of execution of work, the actual cost should not exceed the L.S.amounts
provided in the main estimate.

WORK CHARGED ESTABLISHMENT:

During the construction of a project considerable number of skilled supervisors, work assistance, watch
men etc., are employed on temporary basis. The salaries of these persons are drawn from the L.S.
amount allotted towards the work charged establishment. That is, establishment which is charged directly
to work. An L.S.amount of 1½ to 2% of the estimated cost is provided towards the work charged
establishment.
UNITS OF MEASUREMENT:
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QUANTITY SURVEYOR
• The Quantity Surveyor is a person who works with builders and architects and whose job is to
calculate how long particular pieces of work will take and how much they will cost.
• In simple, Quantity Surveyor estimates quantities of materials, cost and completion time.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF A GOOD QUANTITY SURVEYOR :

• Through knowledge of procedures (or) practices of civil engineering construction.
• Knowledge on latest construction techniques and procedures.
• Knowledge on duties of various officers/engineers Of an Engineering department.
• Knowledge in calculation of quantity accurately.
PETTY SUPERVISION AND CONTINGENCIES:
A provision is to be made in abstract estimate as a percentage of structural cost (say2 to3%) towards
meeting the expenses like
 Employing watchman
 Construction of storage facilities for cement, etc.
 Conveyance of water
 Supervision of work
 Such provision is called P.S and contingency charges.

PLINTH AREA:
• The built up area of a building measured at floor level of any story is called plinth area.
• It is calculated for the roofed area of a building by taking external dimensions, excluding the plinth
offsets.
• The area of the courtyard, open areas, balconies and cantilever projections should not be included
in it.

FLOOR AREA:
• Total area of floors in between walls i.e. areas of floor of all rooms, verandas, corridors, stores,
bath and lavatories etc. is called floor area.
• Floor Area=Plinth Area – Area occupied by walls which should include the area of doors and other
opening’s, intermediate pillars or supports

CIRCULATION AREA :
• The floor area of the verandas, corridors, passages, entrance halls, staircase room and amenities,
porticos, balconies, shafts, lifts is known as circulation area. such area is used for movement of
persons using the buildings

CARPET AREA:
• The livable area of buildings is called carpet area. It is the total floor area minus the circulation
area and minus the other inhabitable area such as bathrooms, water closets, air conditioning room
etc.
• It should exclude kitchen, pantry, stores and similar other rooms which are not used for living
purposes in residential buildings.

ESTIMATE OF A WORK CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS

• Approximate estimate
• Detailed estimate.
• Abstract estimates.

Approximate estimate
• As Preparation of detailed estimate involves lot of time and resource, the approximate cost of a
structure is determined by short cut method based on same available data about similar structure.
• Such an estimate is called an approximate estimate.
• The approximate estimate is also called as proforma estimate /preliminary estimate/ rough
estimate.
Need for approximate estimate
Approximate estimates are used when
 Exact precision is not necessary
 Time is short
 At the stage of preliminary planning of the work
 To accompany a proposed for technical sanction/administrative approval.
 Taxation, Insurance, mortgaging, registration of property etc.

The following are the methods of approximate estimate

 Plinth area method
 Cubical content method
 Service Unit rate method.

PLINTH AREA METHOD

 In this method, the structural cost of the building is obtained by multiplying the plinth area of the
building with plinth area rate.
 Total cost is obtained by adding the structural cost to the cost for building services and other
overheads as a percentage of structural cost
 Total cost = (plinth area) x (plinth area rate) + cost of building services and overhead charges.
 Provision for different building services etc. is as a percentage of structural cost may be as
follows
 Water supply and sanitary arrangement -12 ½ %
 Electrification -7½ %
Architectural features ------------------- 1/2 to 1 %
Fluctuation of rates ----------------- 3 to 5 %
Work charged establishment ---------------- 2 to 3 %
Contractors margin -------------------- 14%
Petty supervision & contingencies -------- 2 to 3 %
The plinth area method is suitable for ordinary buildings with one or two storey.

Problem 1
Prepare an approximate estimate for residential building with the following data
• Plinth area --- 110m2
• Plinth area rate for structural cost ---Rs. 3,200/m2

Provide the following as a percentage on the structure cost

• Water supply and sanitation------ 12 ½ %
• Electrification - -------7 ½ %
• Architectural ------ 1 %
• Work charged establishment ---3 %

Solution
• Structure cost = Plinth area x plinth area rate
= 110 x 3,200 = Rs. 3, 52,000/-
Other provisions:
• Water supply and sanitation
= 3,52,000 x 12.5/100 = Rs 44,000
• Electrification = 3,52,000 x 7.5/100 = Rs 26,400
• Architectural = 3,52,000 x 1/100 = Rs 3,520
• Work charged establishment
= 3,52,000 x 3.0/100 = Rs 10,560
 Total cost = Rs. 3, 52,000 + Rs 44,000 + Rs 26,400+ Rs 3,520+ Rs 10,560
= Rs 436480.00
• Total cost of residential building
= 3,52,000+ 84,480
= Rs 4,36,480
Or say Rs 4.4 lakhs.

CUBICAL CONTENT METHOD

• This method is similar to plinth area method and is suitable for multistoried structures & buildings
with thatched roofs.
• The cubical content of a building is the volume obtained by product of its plinth area and height.
The height is taken as follows
Multi stored structures:
• Height per storey = Difference in elevation between the adjacent floors (Ceiling height + slab
thickness includes floor finishes)
• The building cost = cubical content of building x
cubical content rate
• The total cost = cost of building (structure)
+ cost of building services
+ over head charges as a percentage of structural cost.
• The cost per unit volume is determined from the cost of a building already constructed with similar
specifications in the same locality
• Cost of a building = Total cubical content x cost/m³ of a building with similar specifications in that
locality

Problem 1
Prepare an approximate estimate for a proposed commercial complex for the following data.
• Plinth area = 1000 sqm/floor
• Height of each floor = 3.5 m
• No. Of floors = ground floor +3
• Cubic content rate= Rs 1000/m3
• Provided for the following as a percentage of structural cost
• Water supply and sanitary arrangement ----- 8 %
• (b) Electrification ------ 6 %
• (c) Fluctuation of rates ------ 5 %

Solution
Cubical content = No of floors x (plinth area x
height each floor)
=4 x (1000 x 3.5)
=14,000 cum
Structural cost =cubical content x cubical content rate

= 14,000 x1000 = Rs 1.4 crores

Other provisions:
Water supply and sanitation
= 1.4 x 8/100 = Rs 0.112 crores.
Electrification = 1.4 x 6/100 = Rs 0.084 crores
Fluctuation of rates = 1.4 x 5/100 = Rs 0.07 crores.
Total cost =1.67 crores
SERVICE UNIT METHOD

The approximate cost of a building

= No. of service units X Cost of one service unit.
Type of structure Service unit

School building No. of students

Hostel building No. of students

Hospital building No. of beds

Auditorium / Theaters No. of seats

Water tanks No. of litres

Roads Per Km

Pipe line work Per Metre

Problem :
Prepare an approximate estimate of a hospital building in a PHC for 20 beds. The cost of
construction for each bed is arrived at Rs. 70,000/- by considering the hospital building constructed
recently in near locality. Determine the total cost of hospital building.
Solution:
No. of beds = 20
Cost of construction per bed = Rs. 70000/-
Total cost of Hospital Building = Rs 20 X 70000 = 14,00.000/-

MEASURMENT AND ABSTRACT SHEET:

WHAT IS SCHEDULE OF RATES

 The rates for various materials and labour are maintained in the Engineering Departments of
government in a printed book are called as standard schedule of rates.
 It gives the rates of material and labour for preparation of estimates
 S.S.R. is prepared by state government and central government separately
 State government Revises it’s S.S.R yearly
 Central government Revises once in 5years/10 years
 These rates are only for guide lines