Building Economics and Quantity Surveying

ARCHITECTS · BUILDERS · SURVEYORS

Building Economics and Quantity Surveying

Prepare an early-stage construction cost plan, organise work by trade, and separate material, labour and other costs. Save a working draft in this browser or export the schedule as CSV.

Construction Take-off & Labour Planning

Quick preliminary calculators to support early planning. Confirm structural specifications, mix design, local material sizes and actual productivity with the project team.

Concrete volume calculator

Length (m) Width (m) Depth / thickness (m) Concrete class / nominal mix Wastage allowance (%)

Net concrete volume: —
Volume incl. wastage: —
Illustrative cement (50 kg bags): —
Illustrative sand: —
Illustrative coarse aggregate: —

Material quantities use the selected nominal cement:sand:coarse-aggregate ratio and an approximate 1.54 dry-volume factor. Nominal mixes are not guaranteed strength classes; structural concrete must follow the engineer-approved specification and mix design, including exposure, water/cement ratio, testing and curing.

Blockwork quantity estimator

Opening schedule — deductions

Enter each door, window, or other opening. Area = width × height × quantity. The total is deducted from the blockwork wall area and from the gross plaster area below. If your entered plaster area is already net of openings, enter the net area or set the opening quantities to zero for that estimate.

Opening type	Width (m)	Height (m)	Quantity	Area (m²)	Action
				1.89
				1.44

Total deduction: 3.33 m²

Opening components take-off

Lintel bearing at each end (m) Frame / glazing allowance (%)

Indicative lintel length (all scheduled openings): —
Frame perimeter (doors + windows): —
Estimated net window glazing area: —
Door shutter count: —

Lintel length includes the entered bearing at both ends and is an indicative measurement only. Confirm lintel type, bearing, reinforcement and structural design with the project engineer. Window glazing is estimated by applying the selected frame allowance to window opening area.

Detailed doors & windows schedule

Record each opening by reference and room/location. Unit rate is per item; area and line cost are calculated automatically. Enter dimensions in metres.

Ref.	Room / location	Type	Material / finish	Width (m)	Height (m)	Qty	Hardware / glazing / notes	Rate / item	Area (m²)	Line cost	Action
									1.89	0.00

Total opening area: 1.89 m²Schedule total: 0.00

Rates and costs use the project’s chosen currency and are not converted automatically. Confirm measurements, specifications, hardware and rates before procurement.

Wall length (m) Wall height (m) Total openings to deduct (m²) Wastage allowance (%) Block length (mm) Block height (mm) Block depth / wall thickness (mm) Mortar joint thickness (mm) Blockwork mortar mix

Net wall area: —
Estimated blocks incl. wastage: —
Estimated mortar (wet volume): —
Mortar cement (50 kg bags, indicative): —
Mortar sand (indicative): —

Uses the opening schedule to deduct doors, windows, ventilators, service openings and other openings. Mortar, reinforcement, lintels and structural detailing require separate checks.

Roof covering estimator

Plan length (m) Plan width (m) Roof pitch (degrees) Wastage / laps (%)

Estimated roof surface incl. allowance: —

Uses a simple pitched-roof area approximation from plan dimensions and pitch. Complex hips, valleys, overhangs and roof geometry require a detailed measurement.

Excavation, backfill & hardcore

Excavation length (m) Excavation width (m) Excavation depth (m) Excavation allowance (%) Foundation / other displacement (m³) Hardcore floor area (m²) Compacted hardcore thickness (mm) Hardcore allowance (%)

Excavation volume incl. allowance: —
Indicative backfill volume: —
Hardcore volume incl. allowance: —

Preliminary geometric quantities only. Backfill assumes the entered displacement volume is contained within the excavation. Confirm excavation support, ground conditions, compaction and disposal requirements with the project team.

Painting / surface finish estimator

Surface area (m²) Number of coats Coverage per litre (m²) Wastage allowance (%)

Estimated paint required: —

Coverage varies by product, substrate, surface preparation and application method. Use the manufacturer’s data sheet for purchasing.

Reinforcement steel estimator

Bar diameter (mm) Length per bar (m) Number of bars Cutting / wastage allowance (%)

Total bar length incl. allowance: —
Indicative steel mass: —

Indicative mass uses the common approximation d²/162 kg per metre. This is not a bar bending schedule; confirm bar shapes, laps, hooks, anchorage, cover and structural drawings with the engineer.

Finishes quantity estimator

Gross plaster area before opening deductions (m²) Plaster thickness (mm) Plaster mix ratio Tile floor area (m²) Tile wastage (%) Screed area (m²) Screed thickness (mm) Screed mix ratio Volume allowance (%)

Plaster volume (wet, incl. allowance): —
Plaster cement (50 kg bags, indicative): —
Plaster sand (indicative): —
Tiles to cover area (incl. wastage): —
Screed volume (incl. allowance): —
Screed cement (50 kg bags, indicative): —
Screed sand (indicative): —

These are geometric take-offs only. They do not calculate mortar/cement mix quantities, tile pack rounding, substrate preparation or complex finishes. Validate specifications and manufacturer guidance.

Labour cost planner

Number of workers Working days Daily cost per worker Productivity note

Total worker-days: —
Estimated labour cost: —

Enter your current local daily labour rate and realistic duration. This planner does not infer trade output or statutory employment costs.

Consolidated Preliminary Materials Schedule

Combines the current take-off calculators into one purchasing-planning summary. Values update when inputs or mix selections change.

Concrete cement: —
Blockwork mortar cement: —
Plaster cement: —
Screed cement: —
Total indicative cement: —
Concrete sand: —
Blockwork mortar sand: —
Plaster sand: —
Screed sand: —
Total indicative sand: —
Coarse aggregate: —
Blocks: —
Reinforcement steel: —
Paint: —
Tile coverage: —
Excavation: —
Backfill: —
Hardcore: —

This schedule is a preliminary consolidation, not a purchase order. It assumes indicative dry-volume factors and standard 50 kg cement bags; it does not account for supplier packaging, moisture, bulking, mix design adjustments or overlapping quantities. Review quantities before procurement.

Project name Project location Currency Floor area (m²) Preliminaries / site overhead (%) Contingency (%) Professional fees (%) Tax / VAT allowance (%)

Bill of Quantities (BoQ)

Trade sections and cost types help organise the estimate. Replace sample lines with measured quantities and current local supplier / labour rates.

Work item	Trade	Cost type	Unit	Quantity	Rate	Amount	Remove row
						—
						—
						—
						—
						—
						—
						—
						—
						—

Preliminary Cost Plan

Measured work subtotal: —
Materials: —
Labour: —
Plant / subcontract / other: —
Preliminaries / site overhead: —
Contingency allowance: —
Professional fees: —
Tax / VAT allowance: —
Estimated total: —
Estimated cost per m²: —

Trade cost summary

Trade totals will appear here.

Planning estimate only. Sample rates are illustrative placeholders, not current market quotations. Drafts are stored in this browser only and are not uploaded to WordPress or shared with other users. Exported CSV files contain the current BoQ rows. This tool does not certify quantities, structural design, statutory tax treatment, or a tender-ready BoQ. Have a qualified local quantity surveyor or relevant professional validate the estimate before budgeting, procurement or construction.