Unit: 2
Estimation
1. Define Estimate.
Ans: The probable cost of the work before the construction of the project is known as Estimate.
2. Define actual cost.
Ans: The account of all the expenditure is maintained day-to-day during the execution of work in
the account section and at the end of the completion of work when the account is completed the
total cost is known as the actual cost.
Actual cost is never the estimate because estimate is the probable value before the work were as
the actual cost is the exact cost after the completion of the project.
3. What is the difference between detail estimate and abstract estimate?
Ans: Detail estimate: The whole work is divided into different items of work as earthwork,
concrete, brickwork, etc. and the items are classified and grouped under different sub-heads, and
details of measurement of each items of work are taken out and quantities under each item are
computed in prescribed form this is known as detailed estimate.
Item Description or No. Length Breadth Height or Content or
No. Particulars Depth Quantity
Abstract estimate: The cost under items of work is calculated from the quantities already
computed at the workable rate and the total cost is worked out in a prescribed form is known as
abstract estimate.
Item No. Description or Quantity Unit Rate Amount
Particulars
4. What are the different types of estimate?
Ans:
1) Detail estimate.
2) Preliminary or Rough estimate.
3) Revised estimate.
4) Supplementary estimate.
5) Annul maintenance or Repair estimate and
6) Complete estimate.
5. What are the different types of approximate method?
Ans:
1) Plinth area or Square meter method.
2) Cubic rate or Cubic meter method.
3) Approximate quantities with Bill method.
4) Service unit or Unit rate method.
5) Bay method.
6) Cost comparison method.
6. Define Bay method.
Ans: This method is particularly suitable for buildings which consist of repetitive bays, such as a
garage, a workshop building. Detailed quantities are taken out of all the different items of work
involved in a typical bay and finding out the cost of such items using suitable rates is known as
Bay method.
7. Define plinth area method.
Ans: This is prepared on the basis of plinth area of the building, the rate is deducted from the
cost of the similar building having similar specifications I the locality. The plinth area estimate is
calculated by finding out plinth area of building and multiplying by the plinth area rate.
8. What do you understand by the term ‘contingencies’?
Ans: The term contingencies indicates incidental expenses of miscellaneous characters which
cannot be classified under any distinct item sub-head. This can be taken as 3% to 5% of
estimated cost.
9. What do you mean by centage charges?
Ans: When the engineering department takes up the work of other department a percentage of
10% to 15% of estimated cost is added in order to establish, design, planning, supervising, etc.,
and this % charge is known as centage charges.
10. Define provisional sum.
Ans: The amount provided in the estimate and bill of quantities for some specialized work to be
done by a specialist firm, whose details are not known at the time of preparing estimate this
amount is known as Provisional sum.
11. Define prime cost.
Ans: Prime cost is the actual cost of article at the shop and refers to supply of articles only but
not to the carrying out of work.
12. List the duties of the quantity surveyor.
Ans: 1) To list out or schedule of all the possible items of work required for the construction of
any building.
2) These quantities are worked for the plan and drawing of the structure.
13. Define plinth area.
Ans: The external dimensions of the building at the floor level excluding plinth offsets if any is
known as plinth area. Court-yard, open areas, balconies and cantilever projections are not
included in the plinth area.
14. Define floor area.
Ans: Floor area of the building is the total area of floor in between walls and consists of floor of
all rooms verandahs passages corridors staircase room, kitchen, bath and latrine etc. Sills of door
and openings are not included in floor area.
In short, Floor area is equal to Plinth area minus area occupied by walls.
15. Define circulation area.
Ans: Circulation area is the floor area of verandahs, passages, corridors, balconies, entrance hall,
staircases, etc. There are two types of circulation area:
1) Horizontal circulation area: It is the area of verandahs, passages, corridors, porches, etc. which
are required for the horizontal moment of the users of building. This may be 10% to 15% of the
plinth area.
2) Vertical circulation area: It is the area occupied by staircases, lifts and the entrance halls
adjacent to them which are required for vertical movement of the users of the building. This
maybe 4% to 5% of the plinth area.
16. Define carpet area.
Ans: The useful area or livable area of the building is known as Carpet area.
This is the total floor area minus circulation area and minus other non-useable area as sanitary
accommodations.
17. What do you mean by analysis of rates?
Ans: the determination of rates per unit of particular item of work, the cost of quantities of
materials, the cost of labourers and other miscellaneous expenses required for its completion is
known as analysis of rate. A reasonable profit of 10% for the contractor is also added in the
analysis of rate.
18. Define the term overhead cost.
Ans: Overhead cost includes general office expenses, rent, taxes, supervision and other costs
which are indirect expenses.
19. Define out-turn works.
Ans: The capacity of doing work by a skilled labour in the form of work per day is known as
task-work or out-turn work.
20. What is meant by lump sum provision?
Ans: Some extra rate is provided to the certain small quantities that cannot be detail estimated
this extra charge is known as lump sum provision.
21. Explain center line method.
Ans: The total length of the center line along the short wall and long wall is found out that
having the same type of foundation and footing and the quantity is found out by multiplying this
length by the respective height and breadth.
22. Calculate the material requirements of i) 1:1.5:3 concrete ii) Brick work in C.M 1:5 iii)
100m2 of plastering of C.M 1:3 15mm thick.
Ans: Refer assignment notes.