Rate build-ups
Each rate split into material, labour and plant, with waste and productivity assumptions shown so you can check them or apply your own.
Cost Estimating
Construction CostEstimating
Cost estimates for contractors and subcontractors, built up from measured quantities with material, labour and plant allowances — giving you a clear view of where project costs sit.
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See a Cost Estimate Come Together in 3D
Measured quantities are priced at agreed rates, trade by trade, then preliminaries, overheads & profit and contingency are added — so you can see exactly where the project cost sits.
- Quantities come first: the concrete and the steel frame are measured from the drawings, package by package.
- Roofing, cladding and glazing are measured off the plans and elevations, and services are allowed for against the floor area.
- Each quantity is priced at its agreed rate, built up from material, labour and plant, so every package becomes a cost.
- Ranked largest first, the packages show what drives the price — here services and cladding carry 72% of trade cost.
- Trade costs are totalled, then preliminaries, overheads & profit and contingency are priced as separate items.
- Everything builds up to the estimate total, checked as a cost per m² of gross floor area, with the assumptions stated.
| Item | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete 100 m³ × $880 | 88,000 | $ |
| Structural steel 14.1 t × $5,600 | 78,960 | $ |
| Roofing 243 m² × $160 | 38,880 | $ |
| Cladding & glazing 538 m² × $460 | 247,480 | $ |
| Services (M&E) 512 m² GFA × $540 | 276,480 | $ |
| Preliminaries 12% of trade costs | 87,576 | $ |
| Overheads & profit 8% on trades + prelims | 65,390 | $ |
| Contingency 5% on all above | 44,138 | $ |
| Estimate total excl. tax | 926,904 | $ |
| Cost per m² ÷ 512 m² GFA | 1,810 | $/m² |
| Delivered in Excel, with detail sheets formula-linked to the summary, rate build-ups and stated assumptions | ||
Illustrative two-storey office estimate — sample figures, not a quotation.
Scope
What’s Included
The scope is confirmed with you before work starts, so you know exactly what will be measured and priced.
Any design stage
Estimates at concept, design development or tender stage.
Clear summaries
Costs summarised by trade, element or stage, or grouped by the work sections of your market’s method — ASMM, NRM2, CSI MasterFormat, CIQS or NZS 4202.
Preliminaries
Site establishment, supervision, temporary works and other preliminaries or general conditions priced as separate items.
Agreed pricing basis
Your rates, supplier quotes or market-based rates agreed before pricing, in the currency agreed at the start.
Option comparisons
Side-by-side costs for design or specification options.
Deliverables
What You Receive
- 01
Cost estimate in Excel, with detail sheets formula-linked to the summary
- 02
Material, labour and plant breakdown
- 03
Assumptions, exclusions and risk notes
- 04
Supporting quantities and marked-up PDF drawings showing what was measured
Ideal for
Who It’s For
- Builders and contractors pricing tenders
- Subcontractors building up trade prices
- Developers assessing feasibility
- Owners planning construction budgets
Dedicated estimator available
Need cost estimating every week? Get your own dedicated estimator.
Estimating costs for a steady pipeline of projects? Add a dedicated estimator to your team who builds estimates with your rates, pricing basis and templates, project after project.
- The same estimator on every project
- Works in your templates and formats
- Learns your rates, trades and standards
- Support arranged around your pipeline
How it works
Simple From Start to Finish
Send drawings
Share drawings, scope and deadline.
Scope review
We confirm deliverables and timeframe.
Takeoff & estimate
Quantities measured and organised.
Review & delivery
Checked, then delivered in your format.
Rates are agreed with you before pricing. We can use your own rates, supplier quotes you provide, or market-based rates appropriate to the project location. The rate source is stated in the assumptions, and currency and units are agreed at the start.
Yes. Early estimates are prepared from the information available, with assumptions clearly stated so they can be refined as the design develops.
No estimate can guarantee final cost. We provide a transparent, well-documented estimate so you can understand the basis of every figure.
Related
Related Services
Get support with cost estimating
Send your drawings and scope. Standard estimates are typically delivered within 48 hours; for larger or complex projects we confirm the delivery date after reviewing the scope, before any work begins.