ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Chapter-2 Method of Estimating

Method of measurement for building and other civil engineering works.

Measurement of work occupied a very important place in estimation and execution of any
work or project. From the time of estimate are made until the completion and settlement of
payment the uniform method of measurement to be followed which is applicable to the
preparation of estimate and bill of quantities and to the site measurement of completed
work has been describe below.

General rule:

1. Measurement shall be item wise for the finished item of work and the description of
each item shall be held to include materials, transport, fabrication, hoisting and
tools & plants etc. for finishing the work to the required shape, size, design and
specification. i.e. the nomenclature of each item shall be fully described so that the
work involved in item is self-explanatory.
2. In booking dimension the order shall be in sequence of length, breadth and height or
depth or thickness.
3. All item of work shall be measure net subject to following tolerance unless
otherwise stated:
a. Dimension shall be measured to the nearest 0.01 m or 1cm or ½ “.
Except for:
Thickness of slab or RCC slab which shall be measured nearest to 0.005m
Steel work shall be measured nearest to 0.001m
Reinforcement shall be measured nearest to 0.005m
Woodwork shall be measured nearest to 0.001m
b. Area shall be measured to the nearest 0.01 sq.m or 0.1 sq.ft
Except for:
For steel work area excluding x-sectional measurement shall be worked out
nearest to 0.001 m2
c. Cubic content shall be measured to the nearest 0.01 cu.m or 0.1 cu.ft.
Except for:
Wood work shall be worked out nearest to 0.001 m3
4. Some type of work under different condition and nature shall be measured
separately under separate item of works.
5. The bill of quantities shall fully describe the material proportion and workmanship
and accurately represent the work to be executed work which by its nature cannot
be accurately taken of or which require site measurement shall be describes as
provisional.

BY: Er. Sunil Shrestha Page 01

ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

Providing and laying chimney made brick work in 1:6 cement mortar in foundation
including the cost of scaffolding, curing, raking joint of one face and filling joint of
another face all complete as per drawing ,specification and instructions.
6. Systems of unit:
 Mass, voluminous and thick work shall be taken in cubic unit or volume.
 Shallow, thin and surface (thickness specified) works shall be taken in square unit
or area.
 Long and thin (two dimension (x-sectional area) specified) works shall be taken in
linear unit or running unit.
 Piece works, job works etc shall be taken in number.

Note for some item of work:

Earthwork:

Measurement: The excavation is in trenches or from borrows pits in fairly uniform ground,
the measurement of cutting in trenches or borrows pits shall be made. Dead man or tell-
tales should be left at suitable intervals to determine the average depth of excavation. No
deduction shall be made for dead man or tell- tales, which shall be removed after
measurement have been taken and checking have been completed. Whenever it is not
possible or convenient to take measurement from cutting or borrow pits or it is so
specified by the engineer in charge the filling shall be measured and deductions for
shrinkage or void made. The following procedure may preferably be adopted in case of
construction of irrigation channels:

 In entirely cutting reaches where all earth work for embankment is available from
the initial digging of the channel or drain and no borrow pits are made at all the final
measurements will be based on the actual cross section of channel or drain dug
below ground level.
 In reaches where 20 % or less than of the earthwork in bank is taken from borrow
pits and remaining from the digging of the channel or drain section itself in uch
cases also the final measurements may be based on cross section of channel or drain
dug below ground level plus the borrow pits measurement.
 In cases where more than 20% of the earth in the banks is taken from borrow pits
then all measurement will be based on the completed bank measurement.

Deductions and extra allowance in the case of fills shall be made as follow:

 10% deductions shall be made from actual measured cubic contents in all cases of
uncompacted fills to arrive at net cubic measurement.

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ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

 In case of fills which have been compacted by watering and rolling in 25 cm layers,

Net measurement =

Actual measurement x

 No deduction shall be made in case of consolidated fills in confined situations like

floors.
 Where the embankment has passed through a monsoon season before final
measurements are taken and is in use for normal traffic, no shrinkage deduction
shall be made.

Brickwork:

Measurement: The measurements of work shall be the product of the length height and
thickness. Deductions for doors, windows and other openings including lintels shall be
made to arrive at the net quantity of work. Nothing shall be paid extra for forming such
openings. However, no deductions shall be made for areas less than 0.1 Sq. m. overall,
bearing of lintels, beams, girders and holdfast blocks but nothing extra like formwork shall
be paid for embedding these. Unless otherwise specified nothing extra shall be admissible
for cutting in brickwork or brick to suit RCC structures, walls in any shape other than
straight or any cutting necessary for shaping the walls to the structural design. Rate shall
be inclusive of all necessary scaffolding, watering, and cutting of bricks, curing, materials
and labour.

Plastering works

Measurement: It shall be done in square metre (feet) of the surface over which the plaster
has been done. Plastering bands 30cm(12”) or below shall be measured in running
meter.(r.ft).No deduction shall be made for ends of joints, beams, posts etc. and opening not
exceeding 0.5 sq.m (5 sq.ft) each and no additional shall be made for reveals, jambs, soffits,
sill etc. of these openings nor finishing plaster around ends of joints, beams, posts etc.
For opening 0.5 sq.m- 3.0 sq.m(5 sqft.-10 sqft.)Each deduction shall be made for one face
only and the other face shall be allowed for jambs, soffits and sills which shall not be
measured. In case of opening of area above 3 sqm.(30 sqft.) each deduction shall be made
for both faces of openings, and jambs and sill shall be measured and added. In taking
measurement of jambs, soffits and sills, frame if any shall be neglected and the whole shall
be measured. When the two faces are plastered with different mortars or if one side is
plastered the other pointed, deduction shall be made on the side of frame of door and
windows on which the width of jambs or reveals is less than on the side.(usually,
deduction shall be made for the outer face only).

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ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

Painting works

Measurement: The work shall be measured in Sq. m. of the finished area. The rate shall
include the cost of all labour and materials involved in all the operations. And deduction
shall be dealt in the same way as for plastering. Finishing coat on corrugated surface shall
be measured flat as fixed in sq.m (sq.ft.) and not girthed and quantities so measured shall
be increased by the following % and added with the measured area:
Corrugated sheet: 14%
Asbestos cement sheets corrugated 20%
Asbestos cement sheets semi-corrugated 10%

The multiplying factors for different surfaces to get equivalent plain area are as follow:
Description of Works Measurement Multiplying Coefficient

Flush door Flat including frame 1.0 each side

Fully paneled Flat including frame 1.125 each side

Louvered Flat including frame 1.50 each side

Fully glazed Flat including frame 0.5 each side

Part panel/Part glazed Flat including frame 1.0 each side

Railing with balusters, flat overall 1.0 for painting all over

Guard bars flat overall 1.0 for painting all over

Steel rolling shutter flat overall 1.25 each side

Concrete work:

Measurement: Concrete shall be taken in cu.m(cu.ft.)and measurements of length , breadth,

height and thickness shall be taken to the nearest 1cm (½ “),except that the thickness of
slabs, partition, post, beams and the like shall be measured to the nearest 0.5 cm (1/4 “).No
deduction shall be made for opening up to 0.1 sq.m(1 sq.ft). No deduction shall be made for
volume occupied by reinforcement. Formwork, centering and shuttering work shall be
taken under separate item in sq.m (sq.ft).Reinforcement; bending and binding of
reinforcement shall be measured under separate item in kg or quintal.

BY: Er. Sunil Shrestha Page 04

ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

Sheets use in Estimating

Quantities measurement sheet.

SN Description of work No L B H Qty Unit remark

Abstract of cost (AOC)

Description of ESTIMATE AMOUNT

SN Quantity Unit Remarks
Works Rate (Rs) Amount (Rs.)

Bill of quantities (BOQ)

Description of Rate (Rs)

SN Unit Quantity Amounts(NRs) Remarks
Works In figures In words

Subheads of Various Items of Work

1.0 Earthwork:

1.1 Earth Work in excavation in foundation, etc. including dressing of sides lift up to 2.00
mtr. Stacking of excavated materials beyond 2.00mtr. clear from the edge of excavation
within a lead of 50.00 mtr. and filling the trench (back filling) in layers sidewall
protection and dewatering work all complete.

1.2 Earth Filling including watering, ramming all complete

2.0 Concrete work:

2.1 P.C.C. Work

Providing and laying P.C.C. with 20mm down aggregate including the cost of
formwork.P.C.C. Nominal Mix (1:3:6)

2.2 R.C.C. Work

2.2.1 Providing and laying P.C.C. for R.C.C. work excluding the cost of Form Work and
Reinforcement.M20-Nominal Mix (1:1 ½:3)

2.2.2 Supplying and fixing TMT Fe500 Steel Reinforcement in R.C.C. work in column
footing, footing beam, tie beam, column, beam, slab including bending, binding with
GI wire, placing in position including the cost of binding wire all complete.

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ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

2.2.3 Shuttering of plywood formwork in slabs, walls, beams etc including centering of
steel propping strutting etc. and removal of forms including the cost of plastic sheet
& oil to shuttering.

3.0 Masonry work:

3.1 Brick Work:

Providing and laying brick work including the cost of scaffolding, curing, raking,
joint of one face and filling joint of another face.

3.1.1 Providing and laying chimney made brick work in 1:6 cement mortar in foundation.

3.1.2 Providing and laying chimney made brick work in 1:6 c/s mortar in superstructure.

3.1.3 Providing and laying chimney made dry flat brick soling.

3.2 Stone work:

3.2.1 Stone masonry in 1:6 cement mortars in retaining wall

4.0 wood work:

4.10 Providing and fixing salwood timber frames in doors made of specified size and
section as per drawing including the cost of protective paint (i.e. black Japan or
equivalent) and holdfast all complete.

4.10 Providing and fixing in position 40mm thick solid core flush door shutter with both
side Teak veneer ply and Wooden beading all complete as per design. (Hardware
Mortice lock, Heavy Brass Hinges, Door Stopper, Brass Tower bold etc

5.0 Flooring work:

5.1 screeding: supplying, laying 20 mm thick c/s (1:4) thick screeding with supply, mixing,
laying on floor including materials, labour, curing etc. All complete as per drawing,
specification and direction of the architect.

5.2 Flag stone flooring - Providing and laying 1"-1.5" thick machine cut flag stone in 1:4
cement mortar with screed of required thickness in 1:6 cement mortar and groove
pointing on joint all complete

5.3 cement punning: supplying, laying 1:1 cement punning on floor including materials,
labour, curing etc. All complete as per drawing, specification and direction of the
architect.

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ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

5.4 providing and laying 6 mm thick approved quality, pattern and color glazed ceramic tile
in wall with 18 mm thick c/s (1:4) mortar backing and including filling joints with
white cement etc. All complete as per drawing, specifications, and instructions.

6.0 Finishing work:

6.1 Cement plaster work

Providing and applying cement plaster on walls and ceiling of minimum 12.5mm thick
and in perfect line level and plumb and as per the drawings and specifications

6.1.1 Cement plastering on walls in 1:5 cement mortar (inside wall)

6.1.2 Cement plastering on ceiling in 1:3 cement mortar (ceiling inside)
6.1.3 Cement plastering on walls in 1:4 cement mortar (outside wall)

6.2 Painting work

Providing and Applying Primer coat and minimum two coats of the approved quality paint
including the cost of scaffolding as per the specifications & architects' instructions all
complete.

6.2.1 Applying Water Based plastic Emulsion paint on wall and ceiling (Asian paint/ Jenson
& Nicolson or equivalent)

6.2.2 Applying Three Coat of Clear seal Paint as Exterior Coating.

6.2.3 Applying Chapra Polish on door frames, shutter, and other wooden surface with
melamine spraying as final coat.

7.0 Roofing work

7.1 Providing, fabricating and fixing steel truss, purlin and rafter including the cost of bold,
welding, metal primer with two coats of enamel paint all complete.

7.2 Providing and laying Metro Bond roofing tile on sloping steel batterns, glass wool
insulation 50mm, chicken wire mesh, plastic foil all complete.

7.3 0.5 mm Thick CGI sheet roofing with proper shape & size, all necessary nails, screws,
bolts, nuts washers, j or l hooks etc as per instruction all complete.

Various method of calculating quantities:

i. Centerline method

BY: Er. Sunil Shrestha Page 07

ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

According to this method total length of center line of wall is calculated and this
length is multiply by corresponding breadth and height of item of work to find the
quantity of that item of work.

ii. Long wall –short wall method

According to this method the long wall is consider first and the wall perpendicular
to this wall is consider as short wall .The long wall is measured from out to out and
the short wall is measured from in to in after finding the length of the wall, this
length is multiplied by corresponding breadth and height of item of work to find the
quantity of that item.

According to centerline method:

Center length of one wall = l

Center length of another wall = b
Total length = 2(l+b)
Quantity = 2(l+b) x w x h cu.unit
Where W= width of the wall and H = height of item of work.

According to long wall –short wall method:

Length of long wall = c/c distance +( + )

=l+w
Length of short wall = c/c distance –( + )
=b–w
Total length = 2(l+w) +2(b-w)

Quantity = [2(l+w) +2(b-w)] x w x h

= 2(l+b) x w x h cu.unit

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ESTIMATION AND VALUATION Method of Estimating

Contingency:

Contingency is define as incidental expenses of miscellaneous character (item) which

cannot be classified approximately under any distinct sub-head while estimating but is
added in the cost of construction necessity. Generally 3- 5% of the estimate cost added as
contingency for uncertainty works.

Overhead cost:

During the execution of works some miscellaneous expenses such as general office
expenses, rents, supervision, stationary expenses, travelling expense etc. have to be
incurred the same if not counted in the rate analysis of item of work there can be lost on
the completion of job. So cost of such expenses is provided as overhead cost. The
miscellaneous overhead can be classified as:

General overhead:

-Establishment (office, staff etc.)

-Stationary, printing etc.

-Travelling expenses

-Communication, Rent etc.

Job overhead:

-Supervision (salary of site engineer, supervisor etc.)

-Handling of materials

-Repairing of tools and plants

-Interest on investment

-Insurance and work compensation etc.

Work charged establishment:

During construction of project, a certain number of works such as supervisors, guards etc.
are employed for the execution of specific works. For such work an amount 2-2.5% of the
estimated cost of works is provide in the estimate as work charged establishment.

BY: Er. Sunil Shrestha Page 09