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QSV B Arch Module 3

Introduction to approximate estimate methods-plinth area method, cubic rate method,
unit rate method and bay method. Preparation of specifications for materials of
construction and items of work.
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3.1 WHAT IS THE APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE METHOD?
It gives the approximate cost of the work and is prepared based on the cost of
similar works carried out in the past. The approximate estimate is a preliminary or rough
estimate.
It is used to find out an approximate cost in a short time and thus enable the
responsible authority concerned to consider the financial aspect of the scheme for
sanction to the same.
Such approximate estimates are prepared using different methods for different types of
works.
Purpose of Approximate Estimate Method:

 To investigate the feasibility, save time and money

 To investigate the benefits of utility
 Adjustment of planning
 To obtain administrative approval
 For insurance and tax schedule
Methods of Approximate Estimate:
1. Plinth area method
2. Cubic rate method
3. Service unit method
4. Typical bay method
1. Plinth area method:
In this method the built-up area measured at each floor including basement is
worked out and added up. Approximate cost of the proposed building is then worked
out by multiplying the total of plinth area of all floors by construction cost per unit area
of a similar building built in the recent past.
The cost per unit area adopted in the calculation should be suitably modified to
cater for the following variations between the building from which the rate is adopted

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and the building for which the approximate estimate is required: difference in ceiling
height and plinth height; the difference in type of construction or specifications;
appreciable difference in location; difference in date of construction; change if any, in
the price level of important items or work; and the like.
To prepare an estimate by this method the plinth area of the building shall be
determined first. Plinth area may also have to be worked out from the floor area or
carpet area of the building.
Area of each floor in the proposed building is worked out in square metres.
Approximate cost of the building =Total area of the all the floors x Cost per m2
2. Cubic rate method:
The cubic rate for estimating a building is more general than the plinth area
method because cost of building depends not only on plinth area but also on volume of
building.
This method is based on the volume of a building in cubic meters, inclusive of
hollow spaces inside the rooms etc. The volume of a building inferred in this method
should not be confused with the volume of solid content of the building like brickwork,
concrete etc. Approximate cost of the proposed building will be volume in cubic meters
of the proposed building multiplied by the cost per cubic meter of volume of a similar
existing structure built in the recent past.
For working out volume of a building in cubic meters, built-up area of the
building at each floor level is multiplied by height of the respective story, except that
the height of ground floor is measured from half the depth of foundations, and height
of top floor in case of pitched roof is measured up to half the height of slanting portion
of the roof. There is however no uniformity of rules for calculating height of the
building, inclusion or exclusion of open narrow ventilating shafts, roofed over
galleries/verandas etc., for the purpose of calculation volume of the buildings. This
diversity of rules will however not make any difference as long as calculation of volume
of the building from which the rate per cubic meter is derived is done in the same
manner as calculation of volume of the building for which the approximate estimate is
to be worked out. Modifications required in the rate per cubic meter to allow for
variation between the two buildings being compared will be same as the factors
mentioned in the plinth area or square meter method.
3. Service unit method:
The term 'service unit' relates to the purpose of a building or civil engineering
work. Approximate estimates for the following types of buildings/works can be made
using the service unit method.

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 In this method all costs of unit quantity such as per km of for highway per meter
of span for bridge per classroom for school buildings per bed for hospital per litre of
water tank etc.
Building/Work Service Building/work Service Building/work Service
unit unit unit
College/school Classroom Stable Animal Highway Kilometre
Hospital Bed Hotel Room Canal Kilometre
Cinema/stadium Seat Hostel Student Water/sewage Meter
main
Prison Cell Large Tenement Water Tank Litre
apartments
The approximate estimate in this method is based on the cost per service unit,
incurred for a building or work constructed in the recent past. Necessary modification
to the unit rate will have to be made to cater for the variations described in the plinth
area or square meter method given above.
Example: Cost of constructing a hostel building to accomodate 100 students (two per
room) including all furniture, toilet blocks, verandah etc. was Rs. 30,20,000. This yeilds
a unit rate of Rs. 30,200 per student for similar hostels.
4. Typical bay method
Typical bay method for working out approximate estimates is useful for
buildings like row of garages, factory, buildings, railway platforms etc., which have
several identical bays. A bay is a typical compartment of a building.
For example, a typical bay of a row of garages will be portion of the building
from center to center of two successive columns (or cross walls) in one direction, and
from outer face of front wall upto rear face of rear wall of the bay in the other direction.
The end bay will need to be considered separately and appropriate adjustment made to
cater for gable wall etc.
The approximate estimate will be number of intermediate bays multiplied by
cost of one intermediate bay plus the cost of the two end bays.

Problems
Problem 1. Prepare an approximate estimate of building project with total plinth area
of all building is 800 sqm. and from following data.

i) Plinth area rate Rs. 4500 per sqm

ii) Cost of water supply @7.5 %of cost of building.

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 iii) Cost of Sanitary and Electrical installations each @ 15 % 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.
vii) Super vision charges @ 8% of total cost
Determine the total cost of building project.
Ans:
Data given:
Plinth area = 800 M2
Rs
Plinth area rate = per
4500 M2
Plinth area x plinth
Cost of building =
area rate
= 3600000 Rs
cost of
Cost of water supply @7.5 %of cost of building. = building x
7.5/100
= 270000 Rs
Cost of Sanitary and Electrical installations each @15 % of cost
of building. =
540000 Rs
Cost of architectural features @1% of building cost. =
36000 Rs
Cost of roads and lawns @5% of building cost. = 180000 Rs
Cost of P.S. and contingencies @4% of building cost= 144000 Rs
Total cost=
4770000 Rs
total cost x
Super vision charges @ 8% of total cost=
8/100
= 381600 Rs
Grand total cost= 5151600 Rs

Problem 2. Prepare an approximate estimate of building project with total plinth area
of all building is 1500 sqm. and from following data.

i) Plinth area rate Rs. 5000 per sqm

ii) Cost of water supply @7.5 %of cost of building.
iii) Cost of Sanitary and Electrical installations @ 15 % of cost of building.

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 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.
vii) Super vision charges @ 8% of total cost
Determine the total cost of building project.
Ans:
Data given:
Plinth area =
Plinth area rate =
Cost of building =
=
Cost of water supply @7.5 %of cost of building=
=
Cost of Sanitary and Electrical installations @15 % of cost of
building=
Cost of architectural features @1% of building cost=
Cost of roads and lawns @5% of building cost=
Cost of P.S. and contingencies @4% of building cost=
Total cost=
Super vision charges @ 8% of total cost=
=
Grand total cost=

Ans: Grand total cost= 10732500 Rs

Problem 3. Prepare the rough estimate for a proposed commercial complex for
a municipal corporation for the following data.

Plinth Area = 500m2/floor,

Height of each storey = 3.5m
No. of storey's = G+2
Cubical content rate = Rs. 1000/m3
Provided for a following as a percentage of structured cost
a) water supply & Sanitary arrangement -8%
b) Electrification -6%

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 c) Fluctuation of rates - 5%
d)Contractors profit - 10%
e) Petty supervision & contingencies - 3%
Ans:

Plinth Area = 500 m2/floor,

Height of each storey = 3.5 M
No. of storey's = 3 G+2
Cubical content rate = 1000 Rs. Per m3

No. of storey's (Plinth Area x

Cubical content =
height of each storey)
= 5250 M3
Cubical content x cubical content
Structural cost =
rate
= 5250000 Rs Row 1
water supply & Sanitary arrangement -8%= 420000 Rs Row 2
Electrification -6%= 315000 Rs Row 3
Fluctuation of rates - 5%= 262500 Rs Row 4
Total= 6247500 Rs(1+2+3+4) Row 5
Contractors profit - 10%= 624750 Rs Row 6
Petty supervision & contingencies - 3%= 187425 Rs Row 7
Grand total= 7059675 Rs (5+6+7)

Problem 4. Prepare the rough estimate for a proposed commercial complex for
a municipal corporation for the following data.

Plinth Area = 600 m2/floor,

Height of each storey = 3.2 m
No. of storey's = G+3
Cubical content rate = Rs. 1200/m3
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%

Ans:

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 Plinth Area =
Height of each storey =
No. of storey's =
Cubical content rate =
Cubical content =
Structural cost =

water supply & Sanitary arrangement -8%=

Electrification -6%=
Fluctuation of rates - 5%=
Total=
Contractors profit - 10%=

Petty supervision & contingencies - 3%=

Grand total=

Problem 5. 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 = 50x 60,000= Rs. 30,00,000/-

Problem 6. To prepare the rough cost estimate of a hostel building which

accommodate 150 students. The cost of construction including all provisions is Rs.
15,000/- per student. Determine total cost of building.

Solution:

No. of students= 150

Cost of construction including all L.S. provisions = Rs. 15,000/-

Total Cost of hostel building =150 x 15000
= Rs. 22,50,000/- (Rupees twenty two lakhs,
fifty thousand only)
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Problem 7. A person purchases a plot of land and constructs a building of plinth area
100 sq m on this plot of land. The construction cost is Rs. 500000/-. The height of the
building upto top of floor is 3.40 m. A parapet wall of height equals to 80 cm is
constructed on the terrace. Work out the cost per sq. m and cu m of the building.
If a similar building of plinth area equal to 140 sq. m is to be constructed in nearby
locality, what would be its approximate cost of construction? (a and b)

If the foundation cost for the above building up to plinth level is Rs. 125000/-, work out
the approximate cost of first floor of the building with built up area as 65 m2. (c)

Construction cost of
500000 Rs
constructed building=
Plinth area of constructed
100 M2
building=
Plinth area of proposed
140 M2
building=
a) Plinth Area method
Construction cost/Plinth
Cost per m2= area
= 5000 Per m2
Cost of construction = 700000 Rs.
b) Cubic area method
For constructed building
Height of building= .2+3.4+(1/2) *.8
= 4 m
Cubical content= 4*100
= 400 M3
Cost per cu m= 1250 Per m3
For proposed building
Cubical content= 560 M3(4*140)
Cost of construction = 700000 Rs.(1250*560)
c) Plinth Area method
Foundation cost= 125000 Rs
Foundation cost per sq m= 1250 Rs(125000/100)
Cost per sqm of first floor= 3750 Rs(5000-1250)
Built up area= 65 Sq m
Approximate cost of first floor= 243750 Rs

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