ESTIMATION

By going through the chapter on various materials used in interiors you must have got the idea of
quality, available sizes, thickness and rates of materials. This will help you quite a lot while
estimating any item of work.

Estimate of any item of work is the sum of three basic points:

1. Material (including cartage).

2. Labour, and
3. Profit.

Variation in Estimates

The estimate varies due to use of inferior quality of material as against what is mentioned in the
contract; cost and efficiency of labour (charging less or more wages or doing slow or quicker job),
percentage of profit of contractor (high or low), miscomprehension (sometimes drawings are not
read properly therefore the calculation go wrong). Sometimes the contractor has many qualified
engineers and supervisors on staff, a large office, workshop, vehicles, so the percentage of profit
required by him is more.

Material and Labour Ratio

The general percentage ratio of material and labour is 60% material and 40% labour for quality of
work. If material is very costly, eg; pure white Makrana Marble of Rs. 2,500.00/ m2 then the
proportion of percentage shall be 90% material and 10% labour. It brass strip is to be laid along with
marble, or some different colour marble inlay work is to be done, or some grooving (12 × 12 cm) to
be made, then the percentage ratio shall be form 90 and 10 per cent to 80 and 20 per cent
respectively. The rates of labour of marble fixing on wall shall be more than that of floor; labour for
marble fixing work on ceiling shall be more than that of fixing on the wall.

Profit

The profit of contractor is on the cost of labour and material, which varies from 15 to 30 per cent.

Factors for Consideration

The following factors are to be considered while estimating any item of work:

1. Design
a. Complicated design requires:
i. Greater time for execution.
ii. Additional supervision.
iii. Skilled labour which is costly.
b. In general case, quantity if wastage shall be more in complicated design.
c. If the dimensions are not of the available sizes or thickness, the quantity of wastage will be
greater. If the wastage cannot be used in other items, then this cost of wastage cannot be used
in other items, then this cost of wastage is to be considered.
 2. Specification of Materials

Specification of various materials are either written on the estimate sheet or are mentioned in the
working and detail drawings. They are to be read thoroughly as quality, grains, textures, finish are
mentioned in those drawings which also affects an estimate, eg, matching rose veneer grains is 30%
costlier than unmatching rose veneer grains.

3. Duration for completion

If the period given for execution is less, the overtime is to be paid to labours which is generally 1.5
times more and sometimes double than the regular wages. One important point to be considered is
that the overtime for two or three days are OK. But if it is for longer period, you will not get the
quantity of work done from those people as you were getting during regular day work. Afterall,
labours are human, they get tired and hence the work will be little slow. Apart from extra wages for
overtime, food is also to be provided to labour on site.

4. Quantity of Work

Large quantity of work at one site decreases the pressure on contractor. If he has five small jobs at
various places, he has to run all the sites, to meet all the designers and clients and labours. Large
quantity of work at one site saves plenty of his time in travelling, time for meetings and approval,
time for explaining to labours, etc. Also less percentage of his profit becomes a large amount itself.

5. Location of Site

Some time the site is out of town limits, or in another town. So before giving an estimate, contractor
must survey the market near the site and find out the rates of various materials, whether they are cheap
or costly. If those materials are not available there, he should find the cartage required to supply
material from another town. If the contractor wants to use the labourers of other city, he should see
their two or three jobs, and also must find out the nature and behavior of those labourers As far as
possible, contractor should use his own labourers But in this case he has to provide them food which
adds to the cost factor. To and for lodging and boarding cost to contractor also increase the cost.

Miscellaneous Items

Working on the estimates designer, generally omits the miscellaneous items, eg, screws, adhesive,
antitermite material, small nails etc. required for fixing laminate or small headless nails for fixing veneer,
lipping strip, complicated joints in wood. Quantity and quality of these small materials also make
difference in the estimate.

Example of an Estimate

How to estimate the cost of a paneling whose design is given here:

Sr Description of Materials Dimension in Quantity Area in Rate per Amount

No M m2 m2 in Rs in Rs

1 1 cm thick marine ply 1.2 × 2.1 4 nos 10.8 232/- 2505.60

2 1 cm thick marine ply 1.2 × 2.4 1 no. 2.88 232/- 668.16

3 4mm rosewood matching 1.2 × 1.8 4 nos. 8.64 390/- 3369.60
veneer

4 5cm × 2.5 cm TW 2.7m 13 nos. 35.1 L 36/rm 1263.60

5 5cm × 2.5 cm TW 2.4m 20 nos. 48.0 L 36/rm 1728.00

7a 4mm thick 3.7cm wide 15 m - - 27/rm 405.00

rosewood lipping strip cut in
two pieces fixed in front of all
grooves

B 4mm thick 3.7cm wide 12 m - - 27/rm 324.00

rosewood lipping strip cut in
two pieces in length fixed on
sides, top and bottom of
rosewood veneer paneling

C 12mm thick 7.5 cm wide 4.5m - - 80/rm 360.00

rosewood lipping strip fixed in
front of base.

8 Fevicol - - 5kg 70/- 350.00

9 Screws & nails - - - 275/- 275.00

10 Termicide - - 2 litre 30 60.00

11 Melamine Polish - - 7 185/- 1295.00

12 Cartage - - - 250/- 250.00

13 Labour - - 11.7 700 8190.00

Total 21043.96

Contingencies 5% 1052.20

Contractor’s profit 25% on labour and material 5261.00

Hence, the rate of this paneling works out to Rs 2029.00/m2. Grand Total! 27357.16