BCE-504 (Quantity Survey & Valuation-I)

Teacher: Dr. Mohd. Mohsin

UNIT-I
Introduction: Definition, Importance, Duties of a quantity surveyor. Types of estimates,
Preliminary estimates: Plinth area estimate, Cubic rate estimate, Estimate per unit base.
Detailed estimates: Definition, Stages of preparation. Measurement: Units of measurement for
various items of work as per BIS: 1200, Rules for measurements.
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1. Introduction
The probable cost of construction for all engineering projects is required to be known
beforehand. This subject deals with the principles and methods used for the calculation of
the probable cost which is known as the ‘Estimated Cost’.
1.1 Definition
The mathematical process used in estimating the cost of construction of a new building,
improvement/renovation of an old building or the present cost of an existing old building
(i.e. Valuation) is known as ‘’Quantity Survey”.
1.2 Importance
The cost significant activities in civil engineering projects are very important. Project delay
is not an uncommon phenomenon in civil engineering construction projects and large
delays in mega projects in particular. Surveys show that, due to project delay, the cost
overrun takes place. To encounter all these problems, the quantity survey plays a very
important role.
1.3 Duties of a Quantity Surveyor
The duties of a quantity surveyor typically include:
1. Figuring out the probable cost of construction of a project.
2. Conducting feasibility studies to estimate materials, time and labour costs.
3. Preparing, negotiating and analysing costs for tenders and contracts.
4. Coordinating the work effort.
5. Advising on a range of legal and contractual issues.
6. Valuing completed work and arranging for payments.

2. Purpose of Estimating
Estimate for a work or project is necessary mainly for the following purposes:
1. To ascertain the necessary amount required by the owner to complete the proposed
work or project and arrange the required fund accordingly. For public works,
estimates are required to obtain the administrative approval, allotment of funds and
obtaining the technical sanctions.
 2. To ascertain the quantity of materials required for programming the timely
procurement of the materials.
3. To know the different categories of labours which are to be employed in order to
complete the work within the stipulated time.
4. To assess the requirement of tools, plants and equipments necessary to complete the
work according to the schedule.
5. To fix up the completion period from the volume of work involved in the estimate.
6. To draw up the construction schedule.
7. To justify the investment from ‘Benefit Cost Ratio’. For beneficial investment, this
ratio should be more than one.
8. To invite tender and preparation of bills of payments.
9. It is done for an existing building for valuation which itself is required for a number of
purposes.

3. Different Types of Estimates

1. Detailed estimate
2. Preliminary or approximate or rough estimate
3. Quantity estimate
4. Revised estimate
5. Supplementary estimate
6. Revised estimate and supplementary estimate due to reduction of cost of items
7. Complete estimate
8. Annual maintenance or annual repair estimate. (AM or AR Estimate)
3.1 Detailed Estimate
A detailed estimate includes the detailed particulars of the quantities, rates and costs of
all items involved in the satisfactory completion of the work or project.
For this, the quantities of all items of works are calculated from their respective
dimensions from the drawings on a measurement sheet known as ‘Measurement Book (MB)’.
Thereafter, all the quantities of items of work are multiplied by their respective rates (from
schedule of rates) on a separate sheet known as ‘Abstract of Cost’. The total of cost of all items
gives the ‘Estimated Cost’ of the work or project. All other expenses required for the satisfactory
completion of the project are also added with the abstract of cost to find the final ‘Abstract of
Cost’. This is the best and most accurate estimate.
A detailed estimate is generally accompanied by: (or Stages of preparation of detailed
estimate)
1. Report
2. Detailed Specifications (for departmental works, departmental specifications are
followed)
 3. Drawings consisting of
(i) Plans, sections and elevations
(ii) Site plan or layout plan or Key plan or index plan
4. Table showing the calculation of quantities of items of work
5. Particulars of rates of items of work. In case of schedule of rates of a department, this is
to be mentioned, otherwise, analysis of rates are required to be carried out.
6. Abstract of estimated cost in tabular form.
Such a detailed estimate is used for technical sanction, administrative approval and
execution of contract with the contractor.
3.2 Preliminary Estimate (Approximate or Rough Estimate)
This is an approximate estimate made to find out an approximate cost of a project in a
short time to enable the owner to consider going ahead about the project or not. Such an
estimate is prepared on the basis of knowing the cost of a similar project and from practical
knowledge in various ways for various types of works such as
1. Plinth area or square metre method
2. Cubic rate or cubic metre method
3. Service unit or unit rate method
4. Bay method
5. Approximate quantity with bill method
6. Cost comparison method
3.2.1 Plinth Area (or Square Metre) Method
Plinth area is the built up covered area measured at the floor level of the basement or of
any storey of a building.
Plinth area may be worked out from floor area or carpet area or covered area of a
building. The circulation area of the building should also be known to calculate the plinth
area.
Floor Area: It is the plinth area less the area of walls.
Carpet Area: Carpet area is the floor area less the area of
1. Verandah
2. Corridor and passage
3. Entrance hall and porch
4. Stair case and stair cover (mumty)
5. Bathroom and lavatory and unusable area of living
6. Kitchen and pantry
7. Store
8. Canteen
9. Shaft and machine room for lift
10. Air conditioning duct and plant room and
11. Shaft for sanitary fittings
Covered Area: It is the ground area covered by the building immediately above the plinth
level.
 The covered area does not include:
1. Watchmen’s booth, pump house garbage shaft, electric cabin etc.
2. Uncovered stair case, ramps, area covered by Chhajja and likewise, boundary
wall, gate, unstoreyed porch and portico etc.
3. Garden, rockery, well and well structures, plant nursery, water pool, swimming
pool (uncovered), platform around a tree, tank, fountain, bench etc.
4. Drainage culvert, conduits, catch‐pit, chamber, gutter etc.
Rentable Area: The rentable area of a residential building is the carpet area including:
1. The carpet area of kitchen, pantry, store, lavatory, bath room and
2. Fifty percent of carpet area of unglazed and 100 percent of glazed verandah.
The area of storage space on top landings of staircase, under first landing and waist slab
on floor one should also be deducted from the carpet area.
Circulation Area: (Free Space area): A certain amount of free space area is required for
movement and access to different rooms, kitchen, bath etc. is known as ‘Circulation
Area’. This includes verandahs, balconies, passages, corridors, porches, entrance halls,
staircases, mumties shafts for lifts etc.

Approximate estimated cost of a proposed building by Plinth Area Method

Approx. Estimated Cost = Plinth area of the proposed building x plinth area rate of a similar building in
the locality constructed recently

3.2.2 Cubic Rate (or Cubic Metre) Method

This method of building estimate is more accurate than the plinth area rate method
because the cost of buildings depend not only on the plinth area but also on the height that
means the volume of the buildings.

Approximate estimated cost of a proposed building by Cubic Rate Method

Approx. Estimated Cost = Volume or cubic content of the proposed building x cubic rate of a similar
building in the locality constructed recently

The total volume of a building is calculated by multiplying the plinth area by the height of
the building. Whereas, the ‘Plinth Area’ is calculated by multiplying the length and breadth from
the external dimensions of the building above plinth level. The areas which are to be included or
excluded from the plinth area is according to BS: 3861. The rule to determine the height of a
building is from half the depth of foundation, which is normally adopted in India, to the top of
the flat roof (for no parapet) or upto the half of the parapet.
3.2.3 Unit Rate (or Service Unit) Method
In this method, the costs of a unit quantity, known as ‘Unit Rate’ such as per km for a
highway, per m span for a bridge, per class room for a school building, per bed for a hospital, per
litre for a water tank etc. are determined for a recent constructed structure in the locality and
then the estimate is prepared by multiplying the unit rate by the number of units in the
proposed structure.

4. Rules for Deductions (Volumetric) for Openings, Bearings etc. in

Masonry
No deduction is made for the following cases:

1. Opening upto 0.1 m2 area.

2. End of beams posts, rafters, purlins etc. upto 0.05 m2 area in section.
3. Bed plate, wall plate, bearing of chhajjas upto 10 cm depth.
4. Bearings of floor and roof slabs.

5. Rules for Deductions of area for Openings in Plastering, Pointing, White

washing, distempering etc
1. No deductions are made for ends of beams, posts rafters etc.
2. For small openings upto 0.5 m2 area, no deduction is made and at the same time, no
additions are made for jambs, sills and soffits of these openings.
3. For openings exceeding 0.5 m2 and below 3 m2, deduction is made for one face only
and the area of other face is allowed to cover the jambs, sills and soffits. In this case
also, no additions are made for jambs, sills and soffits of these openings.
4. For opening above 3 m2 area, deductions are made for both the face of the opening
and additions are made for jambs, sills and soffits of the opening.

6. Unit of Measurement and Payment for Various Items of Work &

Materials

S. No. Particulars of items/materials Unit of Unit of

measurement payment
1. Earthwork
E/w in excavation in foundation m3 per % m3
2. Sand filling in plinth m3 per m3
3. Earth filling in plinth m3 per % m3
4. E/W in banking, cutting in roads and irrigation m3 per % m3
channels
5. Surface dressing, levelling, cleaning etc. m2 per m2
6. Cutting of trees (girth specified) no. per no.
7. Concrete
PCC in foundation m3 per m3
8. PCC in floors (thickness specified) m2 per m2
9. Cement concrete (CC) m3 per m3
10. Reinforced cement concrete (RCC) m3 per m3
11. RCC sun shade or chhujja m3 per m3
12. Pre‐cast CC or RCC m3 per m3
13. CC or RCC jail work (thickness specified) m2 per m2
14. CC bed m3 per m3
15. Damp Proof Course (DPC)
 Damp Proof Course (DPC) (thickness specified) m2 per m2
16. Brick work
B/W in foundation & plinth, in superstructure, in m3 per m3
arches etc. with CM or mud mortar
17. Sun dried (kachcha) B/W with mud mortar m3 per m3
18. Honey‐comb B/W (thickness specified) m2 per m2
19. Half B/W with CM m2 per m2
20. Thin partition wall m2 per m2
21. Reinforced B/W m3 per m3
22. String course, drip course, coping etc. (projection m per m
specified)
23. Cornice (projection & type specified) m per m
24. Brick edging by road side (width specified) m per m
25. Stone Work
Stone work in wall facing or lining (thickness m2 per m2
specified)
26. Stone masonry, random rubble masonry, course m3 per m3
rubble masonry, ashlar masonry in walls, arches etc.
27. Wood Work
Wood work in door and window frames or m3 per m3
chaukhats, rafter beams roof trusses etc.
28. Door and window shutters (thickness specified) ‐ m2 per m2
paneled, battened, glazed, partially paneled and
partially glazed etc.
29. Sawing of timber m2 per m2
30. Wood work in partition, plywood etc. m2 per m2
31. Ballies (diameter specified) m per m
32. Steel Work
Rolled steel sections quintal (q) per q
33. Steel reinforcement bars in RCC or RB work q per q
34. Bending, binding of steel reinforcement q per q
35. Fabrication of steel work q per q
36. Iron work in truss q per q
37. Gusset plate (minimum rectangular size from which q per q
cut)
38. Cutting of iron joist, steel sections cm per cm
39. welding/soldering of iron sheets/plates cm per cm
40. Boring holes in iron no. per no.
41. Cast iron (CI) or PVC pipes (dia. specified) m per m
42. Rivets, bolts and nuts, anchor bolts, hold fast etc. q per q
43. Barbed wire fencing m per m
44. Iron gate q per q
45. Iron railing (height & type specified) m per m
2
46. Iron grill, collapsible gate m or q per m2 or q
47. Rolling shutter m2 per m2
48. Roofing
Galvanized corrugated iron (GCI) sheet roof, m2 per m2
Asbestos cement (AC) sheet roof
49. Slate roofing, timber roofing m2 per m2
50. Eave board m2 per m2
51. RCC, RB roof slab m3 per m3
52. Mud‐phuska roofing (thickness specified) with tiles, m2 per m2
or bricks or stone slab etc.
53. Ridges, valleys, gutters (girth or size specified) m per m
54. Bituminous painting m2 per m2
55. Centering and shuttering, form work for RCC or RB m2 or m3 of per m2 or per
work. work m3 of work
56. Plastering, Pointing & Finishing m2 per m2
Plastering with CM (thickness specified)
57. Pointing with CM ‐ struck, flush, weather etc. m2 per m2
58. Dado (thickness & type specified) m2 per m2
59. Skirting (thickness, type and height specified) m per m
60. White washing, color washing, cement washing, m2 per m2
snow‐cem washing etc. (no. of coats specified)
61. Painting, varnishing, polishing etc. (no. of coats m2 per m2
specified)
62. Painting letters and figures (height specified) no. per no.
63. Removing of paint or varnish etc. m2 per m2
64. Flooring
2.5 cm thick CC floor over 7.5 cm PCC m2 per m2
65. 2.5 cm thick marble flooring over 7.5 cm PCC m2 per m2
66. Mosaic flooring over 7.5 cm PCC m2 per m2
67. Brick (Flat/edge) flooring over 7.5 cm PCC m2 per m2
68. Apron or plinth protection (may be of bricks or CC) m2 per m2
69. Door or window sills (CC or plastered with CM) m2 per m2
70. Miscellaneous Items
Small surface drain (size, material etc. specified) m per m
71. Laying of pipeline (dia., depth, bedding etc. m per m
specified)
72. Jungle clearance m2 per m2
73. Silt clearance from irrigation canals m3 per % m3
74. Fixing doors and windows no. per no.
75. Supply and fixing of hinges, tower bolts, handles, no. per no.
sliding bolts etc.
76. Glazing m2 per m2
77. Supply of glass panes m2 per m2
78. Stone, brick or kankar pitching m3 per m3
79. Lining of irrigation canals, tunnels etc. (material and m2 per m2
thickness specified)
80. Dag‐belling m or km per m or km
81. Turfing m2 per m2
82. Bituminous road surfacing m2 per m2
83. Dismantling of brick masonry m3 per m3
84. Water closet (WC), wash basin, manhole etc. (size no. per no.
specified)
85. Materials
 Supply of bricks nos. per 0/00 no.
86. Supply of cement bag (50 kg) per bag
87. Supply of quick lime (i.e. un‐slaked) kg or q per kg or q
88. Supply of B/B, S/B aggregate m3 per m3
89. Supply of timber m3 per m3
90. Supply of Steel q per q
91. Supply of varnish , oil litre per litre
92. Supply of paint (ready mix) litre per litre
93. supply of stiff paint, distemper litre per litre
94. Supply of AC sheets (measured flat) m2 per m2

Reference Books
1. Pasrija, H. D., Arora, C. L. and S. Inderjit Singh. “Estimating, Costing and Valuation (Civil)”.
New Asian Publishers, Delhi.
2. Rangwala, B. S. “Estimating and Costing”. Anand, Charotar Book Stall.
3. Kohli, D. and Kohli, R. C. “A Text Book on Estimating and Costing (Civil) with Drawings”.
Ramesh Publications, Ambala.
4. Chakraborti, M. “Estimating, Costing and Specification in Civil Engineering”. Pub. by the
Author, 21B, Bhabananda Road, Kolkata‐700026.
5. Dutta, B. N. “Estimating and Costing”. UBS Publishers, N. Delhi.
6. Amarjit Agarwal & A. K. Upadhyaya. “Civil Engg Estimating Costing & Valuation”.
7. Birdie, G. S. “Text Book on Estimating and Costing”. Dhanpat Rai & Sons, N. Delhi.
8. BS: 1200
9. Jagjit Singh. “Estimating & Costing in Civil Engineering”.
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