UNIT 1: ESTIMATION

Specification & Estimation of Interiors

(19IDH305T)

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WHAT IS ESTIMATION?

• Estimate is a document which furnishes the quantities of the different works

involved, the different types of materials, and the required labour, their rates
and their expenditure anticipated for the execution of project.
• Estimation or Estimating is the process of calculating the quantities and cost
of various items of works involved in the project.
• Generally done with reference to the already prepared plan and sectional
elevation and view of the structure.
• Totally different from calculation of the exact cost after the completion of
the project.
• Requires a thorough knowledge of the construction procedures and cost of
materials & labour in addition to the skill, materials and labour in addition to
the skill, experience foresight and good judgment.
• In case the funds available are less than the estimated cost, the work is done
in part or by reducing its specification.

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PURPOSE & IMPORTANCE OF ESTIMATION

• To ascertain the necessary amount required by the owner to complete the

proposed work for his decision and arranging the funds for the same
• For public construction works, estimates are required to obtain the
administrative approval, allotment of funds and technical sanction.
• To ascertain the quantity of materials required for programming timely
procurement
• To procure controlled materials if any like cement, steel, plywood, gypsum,
glass, electrical & plumbing equipment.
• Quantities of such materials are worked out from the estimate of work and
attached with application and verification.
• To know the number of different categories of workers that are to be
employed to complete the work within the schedule of time for completion
• To assess the requirement of tools, plants and equipment required to
complete the work according to the programme.

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PURPOSE & IMPORTANCE OF ESTIMATION

• To fix up the completion period from the volume of works involved in the
estimate.
• To draw up the construction schedule and program and also to arrange
funds requirement according to the programming.
• To justify the investment from benefit cost ratio (for ideal investment, this
ratio should be more than one).
• Estimate is required to invite tender and preparation of bills for payments.
• Estimate of the existing property is required for valuation which itself is for a
number of purpose

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ROLE OF AN ESTIMATOR

• The estimator (also known as cost planner) is responsible for preparing

comprehensive and accurate cost estimates for materials, labour and
equipment required for projects based on client specifications and in support
of Contracts and Bidding
• Quality is also considered alongside the price, so the winning bid isn't always
the cheapest one. Estimators not only need to submit budgetary costs and
analysis, but they often submit a quality report too, which they may have
helped to write
• Responsibilities may include:
– overseeing projects to ensure costs remain in line with forecasts
– compiling bids for work
– calculating the cost of materials, transport, labour and equipment hire
– obtaining quotes for all predicted requirements from sub-contractors and
suppliers
– collating detailed price lists of everything needed on each construction project

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ROLE OF AN ESTIMATOR

– clarifying the client's needs and expectations

– reading blueprints and taking measurements
– assessing and adhering to all risk assessments and health and safety requirements
– keeping up to date with inflation, exchange rates and projected timescale costs
– making visits to proposed construction sites
– liaising with others including construction managers, planners and design teams
– presenting bids to clients and answering their questions
– completing work quality submissions
– preparing and submitting quotations for work

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DATA REQUIRED TO PREPARE AN ESTIMATE

• The following documents are required for preparing an estimate:

– Detailed drawing like plan, elevation, section of important points.
– Detailed specifications about workmanship and properties of materials.
– Standard schedule of rates of the current year
• 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

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TYPES OF ESTIMATES

• PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE OR APPROXIMATE OR ROUGH ESTIMATE

– May be prepared approximately without going into details of work
– To know the approximate cost or rough cost of the work or Project.

– Prepared using any rough method to get the approximate cost of construction.
• DETAILED ESTIMATE OR ITEM-WISE RATE ESTIMATE
– Provides the item-wise quantities of works, item-wise unit rates and item-wise
expenditure anticipated in the project/construction.
• QUANTITY ESTIMATE OR QUANTITY SURVEY
– Complete estimate or list of quantities for all items of work required to complete
the concerned Project.
– Quantities for each individual items of work are worked out from respective
dimensions of the drawing of the building.
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TYPES OF ESTIMATES

• REVISED ESTIMATE
– When any major change or alteration is made in the plan/structural arrangement,
with or without affecting the estimated cost.
– When estimate cost is likely to exceed by >5% during execution due to increase in
cost of materials and labour or due to alterations in items of works.
• SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATE
– Sometimes, it is necessary to do extra items of work not included in original
estimate.
– Might not change quantities/rates/amounts of the items in original estimate.
• COMPLETE ESTIMATE
– Cost of construction + cost of land + expenses towards surveying, preparation of
plans and estimates, getting the plan approvals, legal assistance, registration of
documents, payments of taxes and service charges to the concerned department.

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TYPES OF ESTIMATES

• ANNUAL MAINTENANCE
• Maintenance works like whitewashing, painting, cleaning, etc. to be carried out
periodically for effective functioning and durability.
• Prepared by concerned department for getting allocation of fund made in the
annual budgets
• REPAIR ESTIMATE
• Replacement of roof covering (AC sheets, tiles, etc.), decayed wooden items,
corroded steel items, pipes, old wire, switches etc.
• Repairs of cracked roofs, walls, sunshades, shelves, etc.
• Estimate for renewal of broken glass/ window shutters, wash basin, water closets,
flooring etc. often found necessary to keep structure in good condition

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PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE

• An indication of the cost of the project at completion.

• Prepared from the practical knowledge and cost of similar works.
• To provide information to an owner or client so that a decision can be made
to proceed with the project.
• For studies of various aspects of work of project and for its administrative
approval.
• To decide, in case of commercial projects, whether the net income earned
justifies the amount invested or not.
• Low expectation of accuracy — within 20–30% of the project.
• Project comparison is a method of preparing preliminary estimates when
cost data for comparable completed projects is available.
• Often made in less than two hours.

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PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE

• Accompanied by a report explaining necessity and utility of the project and

with a site or layout plan.
• 5–10% allowed for contingencies.
• Method for preparing preliminary estimates:
– Plinth area method
– Cubical contents method
– Unit base method

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PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE – PLINTH AREA METHOD

• Cost of construction = plinth area x plinth area rate

• Plinth area = length x breadth (outer dimensions of building)
• To fix plinth area rate, careful observation and necessary enquiries are made
regarding quality and quantity of materials and labour, type of foundation, height
of building, roof, wood work, fixtures, number of storeys etc.
• As per IS 3861-1966, the following areas are to be included while calculating the
plinth area of building:
• Area of walls at floor level etc.,
• Internal shafts of sanitary installations • Barsati at terrace level
(< 2 sq m), lifts, air conditioning ducts • Porches of non-cantilever type
• Areas not to be included are:
• Area of lofts • Domes, towers projecting above
• Unenclosed balconies up to 1.8 m terrace level
• Architectural bands, cornices, etc. • Box louvers and vertical sun breakers

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PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE – PLINTH AREA METHOD

• Prepare an approximate estimate of building project with total plinth area of all
building is 800 sq m and from the following data.:
i) Plinth area rate Rs. 4500 per sq m
ii) Cost of water supply @ 7% of cost of building.
iii) Cost of Sanitary and Electrical installations each @ 7% of cost of building
iv) Cost of architectural features @ 1% of building cost.
v) Cost of roads and lawns @ 5% of building cost.
vi) Cost of P.S. And contingencies @ 4% of building cost.
• Determine the total cost of building project.
• Plinth area = 800 sq m
• Plinth area rate = Rs. 4500 per sq m
• Cost of building = 800 x 4500 = Rs. 36 lakhs

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PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE – PLINTH AREA METHOD

• Add cost of water supply charges @ 7% = 36,00,000 x 7% = Rs. 2.52 lakhs

• Add cost of sanitary and electrical installation @ 7% = 36,00,000 x 7% = Rs.
2.52 lakhs
• Add cost of architectural features @ 1% = 36,00,000 x 1% = Rs. 3.6 lakhs
• Add cost of roads and lawns @ 5% = 36,00,000 x 5% = Rs. 18 lakhs
• Add cost of PS and contingencies @ 4% = 36,00,000 x 4% = Rs. 1.44 lakhs
• Total = Rs. 64.08 lakhs
• Assume supervision charges of 8% on overall charge = 5,12,640
• Grand Total = Rs. 69.2064 lakhs

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 PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE – CUBIC AL CONTENTS
METHOD

• Generally used for multi-storeyed buildings.

• More accurate than plinth area and unit-based method.
• Cost of structure = volume of buildings (total cubical contents) x local cubic
rate (rate/ unit volume)
• Volume of building = Length x breadth x height of building
• Length and breadth are measured out to outer edge of walls excluding the plinth offset
• The cost of string course, cornice, corbelling etc., is neglected.

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PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE – CUBIC AL CONTENTS
METHOD

• Prepare the rough estimate for a proposed commercial complex for a municipal
corporation for the following data.
• Plinth Area = 500 sq m / floor
Height of each storey = 3.5m
No. of storeys = G+2
Cubical content rate = Rs. 1000 / cu m
Provided for a following as a percentage of structured cost
a) Water supply & Sanitary arrangement – 8%
b) Electrification – 6%
c) Fluctuation of rates – 5%
d) Contractors profit – 10%
e) Petty supervision & contingencies – 3%

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 PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE – CUBIC AL CONTENTS
METHOD
• Cubical content = No. of storeys x plinth area x height of each storey
= 3 x 500 x 3.5 = 5250 cu m
• Structural cost = Cubical content x cubical content rate
= 5250 x 1000 = Rs. 52.5 lakhs
• Other provisions:
a) Water supply & Sanitary arrangement = 52.5 x 8% = Rs. 4.2 lakhs
b) Electrification = 52.5 x 6% = Rs. 3.15 lakhs
c) Fluctuation of rates = 52.5 x 5 x 5% = Rs. 2.625 lakhs

Total = Rs. 9.975 lakhs

Structural cost + cost of other provisions = 52.5 + 9.975 = Rs. 62.475 lakhs

a) Contractors profit = 62.475 x10% = Rs. 6.2475 lakhs

b) Petty supervision & contingencies 62.475 x 3% = Rs. 1.874 lakhs

• Grand Total = Rs. 70.596 lakhs

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PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE – UNIT BASE METHOD

• Cost of structure = total number of units x unit rate of each item

• In case of schools and colleges, the unit considered to be as 'one student'
and in case of hospital, the unit is 'one bed’.
• Unit rate = actual expenditure incurred or cost of similar building in the
locality ÷ number of units.

• Prepare an approximate estimate or rough cost estimate of a hospital building for

50 beds.The cost of construction altogether for each bed is Rs. 60,000. Determine
the total cost of hospital building.

No. of beds = 50
Cost of construction = Rs. 60,000/-
Total cost of hospital building = 50 x 60,000= Rs. 30,00,000/-

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DETAILED ESTIMATE

• A detail estimate of a project is prepared by determining the quantities and cost

of each work.
• The detailed estimated should be accompanied by:
• Report
• Specifications: The specifications give the nature, quality and class of materials, their
proportion, method of execution and workmanship and the class of labour required.
The cost of the work varies with its specifications.
• Drawings: The detailed drawings of plan, elevation and section, drawn to a scale are
necessary to take the details of measurements of various items of work.
• Design charts and calculations
• Schedule of rates: The rates for various items of work, the rates of various materials to
be used in construction, the wages of different categories of labour should be available
for preparing an estimate. The location of the work and its distance of source of
materials and cost of transport should be known.

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DETAILED ESTIMATE

A detail estimate may be prepared in the following two ways:

• Unit quantity method:
• In unit quantity method, the work is divided in to many operations or items as per
requirement.
• Total quantity of work under each item is analysed and worked out.
• Total cost for each item = cost per unit quantity x number of units.
• Total quantity method:
• In the total quantity method, an item of work divided in to the following five
subdivisions: materials, labour, plant, overheads, profit
• The total quantity of each material are found and multiplied by their individual
cost.
• Parts of a detailed estimate: abstract of estimated cost, rate analysis, quantity
estimates

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ABSTRACT OF ESTIMATED COST

• The cost of each item of work is worked out from the quantities that
already computed in the details measurement form at workable rate.
• But the total cost is worked out in the prescribed form is known as abstract
of estimated form.
• 4% of estimated cost is allowed for petty supervision, contingencies and
unforeseen items

Item No. Details of work Quantity Unit Rate Amount Remarks

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FIXING THE RATE PER UNIT OF AN ITEM

The rate per unit of an item includes the following:

• Quantity of materials & cost:
– The requirement of materials is taken strictly in accordance with standard data
book (SDB). The cost of these includes first cost, freight, insurance and
transportation charges.
• Cost of labour:
– The exact number of labourers required for unit of work and the multiplied by the
wages/ day to get of labour for unit item work.
• Cost of equipment (T&P):
– Some works need special type of equipment, tools and plant. In such case, an
amount of 1–2% of estimated cost is provided.
• Overhead or establishment charges:
– To meet expenses of office rent, depreciation of equipment salaries of staff,
postage, lighting, etc. an amount of 4% of estimate cost is allocated.

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DETAILS OF MEASUREMENTS AND QUANTITY
ESTIMATES

• The complete work is divided into various items of work such as earth work,
concreting, brick work, RCC plastering etc.
• The details of measurements are taken from drawings and entered in respective
columns of prescribed preformed.
• The quantities are calculated by multiplying the values that are in numbers column to
depth column as shown below:

S. No. Description of Item Length Breadth Height/Depth Quantity Notes

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FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHILE PREPARING
DETAILED ESTIMATE

• Quantity and transportation of materials

• For bigger projects, the requirement of materials is more. A bulk volume of
materials can be purchased and transported at cheaper rates.
• Location of site
• The site of work is selected, such that it should reduce damage or in transit during
loading, unloading, stocking of materials.
• Local labour charges
• The skill, suitability and wages of local labour are considered while preparing the
detailed estimate.

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UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS

• The units of measurements are mainly categorised for their nature, shape
and size and for making payments to the contractor and also.
• The principle of units of measurements normally consists of the following:
– Single units work like doors, windows, trusses etc., are expressed in numbers.
– Linear measurements involve length like cornice, fencing, hand rail, bands of
specified width etc., are expressed in running metres.
– Areal surface measurements involve area like plastering, white washing, partitions
of specified thickness etc., are expressed in square metres.
– Cubical contents which involve volume like earth work, cement concrete, Masonry
etc are expressed in cubic metres.
– Steel for RCC works is expressed in kilogram, kilonewton or tonne.

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UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS

S. No. Particulars of Item Unit of measurement Unit of payment

Earth work
Earth work in excavation cu m per % cu m
1
Earth work filling in foundation trenches cu m per % cu m

Earth work filling in plinth cu m per % cu m

Concrete
Lime concrete in foundation cu m per cu m
Cement concrete in lintels cu m per cu m
RCC in slab cu m per cu m
2
CC or RCC chajja, sunshade cu m per cu m
LC in roof terracing (thickness specified) sq m per sq m
Cement concrete bed cu m per cu m
RC sunshade (width & height specified) cu m 1m

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UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS

S. No. Particulars of Item Unit of measurement Unit of payment

3 Damp Proof Course (DPC)
Thickness should be mentioned sq m per sq m
Brickwork
Brickwork in foundation cu m per cu m
Brickwork in plinth cu m per cu m
4 Brickwork in super structure cu m per cu m
Thin partition walls sq m per sq m
Brickwork in arches cu m per cu m
Reinforced brickwork (RB work) cu m per cu m
5 Stone Masonry cu m per cu m

Roofing
6
RCC and RB slab roof (excluding steel) cu m per cu m

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UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS

S. No. Particulars of Item Unit of measurement Unit of payment

Roofing
LC roof over and inclusive of tiles, brick,
sq m per sq m
6 or stone slab, etc. (thickness specified)
Centering and shuttering formwork sq m per sq m
AC sheet roofing sq m per sq m
Plastering, points and finishing
Plastering: Cement or lime mortar
sq m per sq m
thickness and proportion specified)
7 Pointing sq m per sq m
Whitewashing, colour washing, cement
sq m per sq m
wash (no. of coats specified)
Distempering (no. of coats specified) sq m per sq m

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RULES FOR TAKING MEASUREMENTS OF VARIOUS
MATERIALS

The rules for measurement of each item are invariably described in IS-1200.
However some of the general rules are listed below.
• Measurement shall be made for finished item of work and description of
each item shall include materials, transport, labour, fabrication tools and plant
and all types of overheads for finishing the work in required shape, size and
specification.
• In booking, the order shall be in sequence of length, breadth and height or
depth or thickness
• All works shall be measured subject to the following tolerances:
– Linear measurement shall be measured to the nearest 0.01 m
– Areas shall be measured to the nearest 0.01 sq m
– Cubic contents shall be worked out to the nearest 0.01 cu m
– Wood for door and window frames to the accuracy of 0.0001 m

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RULES FOR TAKING MEASUREMENTS OF VARIOUS
MATERIALS

– Kilogram to the accuracy of 0.01

• Same type of work under different conditions and nature shall be measured
separately under separate items.
• The bill of quantities shall fully describe the materials, proportions,
workmanships and accurately represent the work to be executed.
• In case of masonry (stone or brick) or structural concrete, the categories
shall be measured separately and the heights shall be described:
– From foundation to plinth level
– From plinth level to first floor level
– From first floor to second floor level and so on.

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MEASUREMENT OF BASIC MATERIALS

Measurement of Brick
• Brickwork is measured in the unit of cu m.
• The overall volume of a brick is worked out. Then, the quantity of bricks per cu m of
brickwork is worked out roughly.
• Volume of 1 brick = 0.19 x 0.09 x 0.09 = 0.02 cu m
• No. of bricks required per cu m of brickwork =1 / 0.02 = 500 nos.
Measurement of wood
• The wood for woodwork like doors and windows are measured in cu ft.
• Length of the door = 4 ft; Height of the door = 7 ft; Width of the door = 1/10 ft
• So required wood for door is = length x height x thickness
= 7 x 4 x 1 / 10
= 2.8 cu ft of wood is required.

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MEASUREMENT OF BASIC MATERIALS

Measurement of Concrete
• To find the volume of concrete required, multiply the width, length and thickness of
the concreting area.
• So, the concrete volume is derived cu m.
• The design mix, based on the quality of ingredients, may vary for each concrete.
• The formula for calculation of material for required volume of concrete is
Vc = W / 1000 + C / (1000 x Sc) + Fa / (1000 x Sfa) + Ca / (1000 x Sca)
Where,
Vc = Absolute volume of the fully compacted concrete
W = Mass of water
C = Mass of cement
Fa = Mass of fine aggregate
Ca = Mass of course aggregate
Sc, Sfa, Sca are the specific gravity of cement, fine aggregate and course aggregate respectively
Entrapped air = 2%
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 MEASUREMENT OF BASIC MATERIALS

Calculation of material for 1:1.5:3 concrete (M20)

• Assume the bulk density of material.
– Cement = 1500 kg / cu m
– Sand = 1700 kg / cu m
– Coarse aggregate = 1650 kg / cu m
• Specific gravity of
– Cement = 3.15
– Sand = 2.6
– Coarse aggregate = 2.6
• The percentage of entrapped air = Mix proportion 1:1.5:3
– Mass of Cement = 1 x 1500= 1500
– Mass of Sand = 1.5 x 1700 = 2550
– Mass of Coarse aggregate = 3 x 1650 = 4950

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 MEASUREMENT OF BASIC MATERIALS

– The ratio of mass

1/1500: 2550/1500: 4950/1500 = 1: 1.7: 3.3
• The water-cement ratio = 0.45
Absolute volume of concrete for 1 kg of cement
• Vc = (0.45 / 1000) + [(1 / (1000 x 3.15)] + [1.7 / (1000 x 2.6)] + [3.3 / (1000 x 2.6)]
= 0.0026 cu m
• Thus, per kg of cement, 0.1345 cu m concrete can be produced. Per 50 kg bag of
cement, therefore, 0.0026 x 50 = 0.1345 cu m of concrete can be produced
• 1 cu m of concrete has 2% of entrapped air.
• Therefore, exact volume of concrete = 0.98 cu m
– Quantity of cement required = 0.98 / 0.1345 = 7.29 bags of cement
– Weight of cement = 7.29 x 50 = 364.5 kg
– Weight of fine aggregate = 1.5 x 364.5 = 546.7 kg
– Weight of Course aggregate = 3 x 364.5 =1093.5 kg

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PROCEDURE FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF
WORK TO IMPLEMENT AN INTERIOR DESIGN

• To perform professional construction estimating services as they relate to interior

building finishes from schematic drawings.
• Schematic drawings are the first set of measured drawings in the design process.
Typically, schematic drawings have very limited, if any, documentation of interior
finishes.
• Schematic drawings primarily focus on having the right type and size of spaces. They
do not include a room finish schedule or specifications.
• The detailed information on interior finishes is usually included with the next phase
of the design process in the design development documents.
• Sometimes the designer may provide a design narrative with the schematic drawings
with some general information on the types of interior finishes.
• A construction estimator must understand the client’s standard level of finishes and
the standard level of finishes of comparable spaces.

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PROCEDURE FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF
WORK TO IMPLEMENT AN INTERIOR DESIGN

• Division
1. Finishes
• Sub divisions
1. Plaster and Gypsum Board
2. Tiling
3. Ceilings
4. Floorings
5. Wall Finishes
6. Acoustical Treatment
7. Painting and Coatings

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 METHODS OF MEASUREMENTS

• Quantity take-offs for interior finishes measure all the visible surfaces within a
building. This includes the ceiling, flooring and walls. Each space or room within a
building should be independently taken-off.
• A simple matrix similar to a Room Finish Schedule should be developed. This may
require more upfront work to create this tool, however it is often helpful in case an
assumption of a space is incorrect or changes are requested.
• The room matrix can be easily adjusted without having to perform more takeoffs.
Ceilings and Flooring are measured by the horizontal square footage (SQ FT).
• Wall Base is measured by the perimeter of the space, or lineal footage (LN FT). Wall
tile, wall treatment and painting are measured by the vertical square footage (SQ FT).
• There are some unique items that may be counted (EACH) or carried as an
allowance (ALLO) at this point in the estimating process. For spaces that are square
or rectangular, it is simple to calculate the area by multiplying the width by the length.

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 METHODS OF MEASUREMENTS

• Often there are irregular spaces that require more complex geometry calculations,
especially spaces that have angular or curved walls. When measuring irregular spaces,
an estimator should measure slightly beyond the room, especially at cut outs to
account for waste and slower production rates at these areas.
• There are several take-off software programs out in the market and within the
industry that can assist in calculating these types of spaces. If the ceiling and flooring
are measured on the same floor plan, use a hatch pattern for one of the two items
and a solid colour for the other to help distinguish them from each other.
• In addition to taking off the floor and ceiling area of a space, the perimeter of the
room should also be calculated. This will be used for not only the wall base, but also
to help estimate other wall surfaces.
• The height of the space also needs to be calculated. Often the height of a space is not
available on the Schematic Drawings. In this case a standard wall height of 10’ per
story can be assumed.

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 METHODS OF MEASUREMENTS

• For the wall area, it may be necessary to adjust if there is glazing, casework or other
furnishings on the wall. For items like doors, frames, exposed metal or other single
items, these should be individually counted for painting during the estimating process.
• An allowance is often used at this phase of the design process. This may be for special
drop soffits that may become part of the design, or possibly for an accent wall or
other wall graphics not yet designed.

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METHODS OF MEASUREMENTS

• There are some specific factors to consider when pricing interior finishes at any
phase of the design documents. The quantity, location and weather all have an impact
on the cost of interior finishes. Consideration of all three of these factors is
important during this phase of the estimating process.
SMALL QUANTITIES VS. LARGE QUANTITIES
• The general rule of thumb that there are cost savings for larger volume applies to
interior finishes.
• When there are large spaces or several similar spaces, the labour productivity for
installation increases and the amount of material waste decreases. Furthermore,
manufacturers often provide discounted pricing for high volume of materials.
• For smaller spaces, the finish work is generally more tedious. There are more cut
outs and this is much more labour intensive. Also, there are some fixed pricing items
on projects, such as equipment, that proportionally burdens smaller projects more
verse being spread out over a larger project.

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 METHODS OF MEASUREMENTS

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
• The location of the project within the INDIA generally has an effect on the cost of
interior finishes. The labour rates will vary from area to area. It is important to take
into consideration, demographics during the estimating process.
• A highly populated area such as Chennai or Bangalore, for example, will have higher
labour rates due to the higher cost of living versus a more rural area. There may also
be a transportation factor depending on the location of project.
• A project in a more rural area may require materials to be shipped a much longer
distance. Remote projects may also require workers to stay in temporary lodging.
SEASONAL EFFECT ON WORK
• Most interior finish work can only be installed once a project is reasonably weather
enclosed. High levels of moisture and low temperatures restrict the installation of
finishes. In some warmer areas of the country, the weather is not as much of a factor
for construction. However in the northern part of the country, the schedule for the
interior finishes is much more restricted during the winter season.

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 METHODS OF MEASUREMENTS

• In these parts of the country, there may be a higher cost to complete the work in the
spring/summer when there is a high demand to complete as much work as possible
during the peak construction season.
• The cost to install finishes may be lower during the winter season when contractors
are looking to keep their employees steadily working through down seasons,
however, this can easily be offset on the overall construction budget with the cost of
temporary enclosure.
• In summary, factors such as; quantity, location and schedule all affect the pricing of
interior finishes for a project. An estimator should always take into consideration
these aspects and be able to adjust or modify their unit pricing accordingly by these
factors.
• Also, an estimator should always include a list of assumptions, clarifications and
exclusions within their estimate as to how the estimate was derived.

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