Quantification & Costing

Question 1

What is a cost plan?

Answer 1

A high level estimate of cost headings which form the budget. This is based on the design at the time and is made more robust as the design develops.

Question 2

What is the difference between an order of cost estimate and a cost plan?

Answer 2

A cost estimate is based on the employers requirements on a M2 or functional units, whereas the cost plan is more detailed showing how the costs are distributed across the project.

Question 3

How is a cost plan structured?

Answer 3

1) Building works (Substructure, superstructure, externals etc)
2) Prelims
3) Overheads & profit
4) Fees + other costs
5) Risk allowances
6) Inflation
7) VAT

Question 4

What is BCIS?

Answer 4

Building Cost Information Service, which is the leading provider of cost information to the construction industry.

Question 5

What other alternative sources of cost information is available?

Answer 5

1) Published pricing books e.g Spons
2) Previous projects
3) Speaking with suppliers directly

Question 6

What are the 8 RIBA stages of work?

Answer 6

0 - Strategic Definition
1 - Preparation and briefing
2 - Concept Design
3 - Spatial Coordination
4 - Technical Design
5 - Manufacture & Construction
6 - Handover
7 - In use

Question 7

Name 3 requirements for take offs in accordance with NRM?

Answer 7

Use decorating as an example:

1) Surface to be measured e.g walls, ceilings, fence etc
2) Unit of measurement - in this case would be m2
3) Girth/thickness should be stated

Question 8

Please provide units of measurement for the following works packages:

Partitions & ceilings
Decorating
Structural Steelwork
Blockwork
Metalwork

Answer 8

Partitions & ceilings - Squared meterage
Decorating - Meterage/squared meterage
Structural Steelwork - Tonnage
Blockwork - squared meters
Metalwork - meterage/squared meterage

Question 9

What are the different types of NRM?

Answer 9

NRM 1,2 & 3

NRM 1 - Quantification for preparing cost estimates and cost plans
NRM 2 - Preparation of bill of quantities & schedules of work
NRM 3 - Cost estimates for maintenance works

Question 10

In relation to the NLE project, you advised the PM about costs for Luminant stair nosing’s, what options did you consider when giving this advise?

Answer 10

Knowing the specification matched the paint applied to platform copings, I knew we had an agreed rate with the terrazzo flooring subcontractor. I therefore advised we used this rate applied against a take off to form the budget. I then sought to get a price from the painting specialist. The rate from the painting subcontractor came in lower and therefore advised that the scope gap was instructed to them.

Question 11

How did you ensure the cost you were advising was accurate?

Answer 11

I checked that the rates were consistent with BCIS. I also carried out a sanity check based on the expected labour and material costs and divided by the meterage required.

Question 12

How did you deal with this 86k cost increase in relation to the overall project budget?

Answer 12

In included this as a forecast variation the painting subcontractors scope, and advised the project leader who revised the budget to build on a quarterly basis.

Question 13

What is an internal wall?

Answer 13

A wall which provides separation between the internal spaces of a building. They can be load bearing or non load bearing.

Question 14

What is an external wall?

Answer 14

The wall which forms the external perimeter of a building.

Question 15

What is the GIFA of a building?

Answer 15

Gross internal floor area, measures the floor space inside the internal side of external walls and therefore excludes any external floor areas such as balconies and canopies.

Question 16

What is an NEC option B contract and how does it vary from other options from a quantification perspective?

Answer 16

An option B contract utilises a bill of quantities where the rates are agreed but the quantities are not. This means the meterage is remeasurable and will require taking off, whereas an option A is based on an activity schedule where the works are paid the agreed sum on completion of the activity.

Question 17

Why were you unable to measure the staircase painting using drawings? Did you consider any other alternative methods of measurement?

Answer 17

The staircases were at awkward angles, meaning the heights varied and there was no elevation drawing for each height. It was therefore more accurate to measure on site using a laser pen.

I did consider using the 3d models, there was no guarantee that they were 100% accurate.

Question 18

What would you have done if your take off was largely different to your counterparts?

Answer 18

I would have worked through our take offs to understand where the difference was, once established i would visit site with the QS and conduct a joint measure of said area.

Question 19

What is RIBA stage 4 and what happens at this stage?

Answer 19

RIBA Stage 4 - Technical Design

This is the stage where all design needs to be complete to allow manufacture and construction to start. It is the last chance to firm up the design in line with the ER’s, regulations and standards without incurring costs to remediate.

Question 20

How would you establish a rate per M2?

Answer 20

In this scenario, i knew the costs for a sample of the works. I therefore divided the total cost by the M2 of the area which gave me a rate per M2.

Question 21

What is a stair nosing and how would you quantify it?

Answer 21

A stair nosing is the extended strip of a step to improve the safety when climbing the stairs, reducing the risk of missing the stairs. The staircase on the NLE were emergency escape stairs and were specified to be painting in a luminant colour to further improve their safety.

As the stair nosing is a single strip per step, it would be quantified using linear metres as per NRM.

Question 22

Who did you chose to conduct these works and why?

Answer 22

I advised the works would be best suited with the painting subcontractor as they were specialists in this field and their rate was less than the platform copings in the terrazzo flooring package.

Question 23

Had there have been no rate within the terrazzo package, how would you have determined whether the rate was fair a reasonable.

Answer 23

1) Firstly i would check either BCIS or Spons using the correct inflation adjustments.
2) If it could not be located, i would market test of establish the costs based on first principles and compare on a like for like basis.

Question 24

You said you managed the drylining package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 24

Proprietary walls, linings and partitions

Question 25

You said you managed the metalwork package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 25

Metalwork

Question 26

You said you tendered the firestopping package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 26

Insulation, firestopping and fire protection

Question 27

You said you managed the flooring/tiling package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 27

Floor, wall, ceiling and roof finishings

Question 28

You said you tendered the metal door package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 28

Doors, shutters and hatches

Question 29

You said you managed the curtain walling package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 29

Cladding and covering

Question 30

You said you managed the external coping package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 30

Masonry?

Question 31

You said you tendered the builders clean package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 31

?

Question 32

You said you managed the polished plaster package, can you tell me what section of NRM 2 covers the quantification of these works?

Answer 32

Floor, wall, ceiling and roof finishing’s

Question 33

Can you please name me three types of standard methods of measurement in construction?

Answer 33

SMM7 (Standard Methods of Measurement) - Based on elemental sections
NRM (1,2 & 3) (New rules of measurement) - Detailed measure of each component

Question 34

What is the RICS code of measurement practice?

Answer 34

A document which outlines the the different approaches to measurement, including GEFA GIFA and NIFA and when they should be used.

Question 35

When would NIFA be used?

Answer 35

Measurement of industrial and warehouse buildings

Question 36

What does GEFA include and exclude?

Answer 36

Include - Internal areas, balconies, garages
Exclude - Open area parking & canopies

Question 37

When would GEFA be used? Name 2?

Answer 37

1) Town planning
2) Rating & council tax
3) Building cost estimation

Question 38

What does GIFA include and exclude?

Answer 38

Include - Anything within the internal side of the external walls
Excludes - Balconies, canopies

Question 39

When would GIFA be used? Name 2?

Answer 39

1) Estate Agency and valuation - marketing for the sale of houses
2) Property management - calculation of service charges etc
3) New homes valuation

Question 40

What does NIFA include and exclude?

Answer 40

Include - Kitchens, Notional lift lobbies/fire corridors, Pavement vaults
Exclude - Toilets/bathrooms, lift/plant rooms

Question 41

When would NIFA be used? Name 2?

Answer 41

1) Estate Agency and valuation - marketing for the sale of houses
2) Property management - calculation of service charges etc

Question 42

Outside of your write ups, please can you provide another example of when you have demonstrated good quantification skills?

Answer 42

1) S5 measurable firestopping package
2) Gave not cost assurance
3) Used the elevation and RCP drawings to pro-rata and estimated final cost
4) This was used to inform our EFC