ESTIMATION

Estimate is a calculation of various items of an

engineering works so as to know its approximate cost
and quantities of various kinds of materials required
with labour involved for its satisfactory completion.
Estimate is the anticipated or probable cost of work
an is usually prepared before the construction is
taken.
Enable owner / client knowledge of the cost involved
in proposed work or projects.
Enables him to arrange funds in addition to taking a
basic managerial decision as to whether the work is
to be undertaken at all or the proposed work needs to
be modified.
This is done from plans other drawings, specifications
etc. on based this internal approvals mainly
administration and financial are obtained.
Purpose of Estimating
1) To ascertain the necessary amount of money
required by the owner to complete the proposed
work.
2) For public construction works, estimates are
required in order to obtain administrative approval,
allotment of funds and technical sanction.
3 To ascertain quantities of materials required in
order to program their timely procurement.
4 To calculate the number of different categories of
workers that are to be employed to complete the
work within the scheduled time of completion.
4) To assess the requirements of Tools, Plants and
equipment required to complete the work according
to the program.
5) To fix up the completion period from the volume of
works involve in the estimate.
6) To draw up a construction schedule and program
and also to arrange the funds required according to
the programming.
7) To justify the investment from benefit cost ratio.
(For ideal investment, this ratio should be more than
one ).
8) To invite tenders and prepare bills for payment.
9) An estimate for an existing property is required
 DATA FOR ESTIMATE
DRAWINGS

SPECIFICATION

RATES
 DRAWING
 Fully dimensioned and to the scale drawings are
required for finding dimensions while doing
measurements

 Following drawings are required

 PLAN
AT A SCALE OF 1 CM = 1 METRE

 ELEVATION AND SECTIONAL ELEVATION

AT A SCALE OF 1 CM = 1 METRE

 DETAILED DRAWINGS
AT A SCALE OF 1 CM = 20 CM
 SPECIFICATION

 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

 DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS
 RATES

 Rates per unit of various items of work include

a. The rate of various materials which are used in

construction
b. Labour wages and categories
c. Location of work its distance from source
of material and cost of transport

 Rates can be obtained from P.W.D. schedule of rate book

or can be calculated by “ Analysis of Rates” method.
 ESTIMATE

IN PUTS PROCESS OUT PUTS

DRAWING CALCULATION REPORTS

OF
PRELIMINARY
SPECIFICATION LABOUR ESTIMATE
(SKILLED,
UNSKILLED) OR
RATES DETAIL
MATERIAL ESTIMATE
(Course FINE)

CARRAIGES
TYPES OF ESTIMATE
 Types of Estimates

A preliminary or approximate or rough Estimate

Detailed Estimate
Revised Estimate
Supplementary Estimate
Combination of Revised and Supplementary
Estimate
Annual Maintenance or Repair Estimate (A.R. or
A.M. Estimate)
Detailed Estimate
This includes the detailed particulars for the
quantities, rates and costs of all the items
involved for satisfactory completion of a project.
Quantities of all items of work are calculated
from their respective dimensions on the drawings
on a measurement sheet.
Multiplying these quantities by their respective
rates in a separate sheet, the cost of all items of
work are worked out individually and then
summarised, i.e., abstracted (which is the detailed
actual estimated cost of work)
Detailed Estimate
(a) Report
(b) Specifications
( c ) Detailed drawings
(d) Design data and calculations
(e) Basis of rates adopted in the estimate
Such a detailed estimate is prepared for
Technical sanction.
Administrative approval
Execution of a contract with the contractor.
How to prepare a detailed Estimate:
The unit-quantity method is followed to prepare a
detailed estimate.
In this method the rates per unit work of one item
(viz., one cu. m. concrete, one cu. m. brickwork etc.)
including profit are considered first and the total
cost for the item is found by multiplying the cost per
unit of the rate by the number of units.
 The procedure for the preparation of a detailed estimate is
divided into two parts.
(a) Detail of measurement and calculation of quantities is the
first part. Respective measurements for dimensions of all
individual items involved in the whole work arc taken off from
the drawing of the work and entered in the respective
columns of a standard Measurement Form as shown below.

Item Description No. Length Breadth Height Qty

No or Particulars
Abstract of Estimated Cost is the second part in the
preparation of a detailed estimate. The cost of each and every
individual item of work is calculated by multiplying the quantity
computed in the Measurement Form with the specified rate in
a tabular form known as ‘Abstract form' as shown below

S. No Description Quantity Unit Rate Unit of rate Amount

or Particulars
This estimated cost is increased by 3% to 5% for all
unforeseen expenditure and is called contingency Fund.
To maintain additional supervising staff at the work site and
called the ‘Work charged' establishment a amount of 21/2% is
directly charged to the estimate prepared from the item of
work
For big projects an amount 1% to 1 1/2% of the estimated cost
is also provided to purchase special Tools and Plants for
specific purposes .
The detailed estimate is generally accompanied
(1) Report.
(2) Specifications (for departmental works,
departmental specifications followed)
(3) Drawings consisting of (a) Plans, sections and
elevations, (b) Site plan or layout plan or Index plan.
(4) Design charts and calculations.
(5) Particulars of rates. In schedule of departmental
rates this is mentioned otherwise the analysis of rate
is required.
Function of Abstract
( 1) The total estimated cost and the different items of works
required to complete a project can be known.
(2) This is the basis on which percentage rate tenders are
called after excluding the amounts for contingency and work-
charged establishment.
(3) This is a part of a tender document and a contractor can
arrive at his own rates from the schedule of work described in
the description column-
(4) This is the basis on which bills are prepared for payment.
(5) Comparative costs of different items of works can be
known
 Taking Out Quantities

The procedure by which quantities of the various items in a

particular structure are worked out is known as taking out
quantities.
The quantities are obtained by studying in detail the drawings
of the structure.

Methods of taking Out

English method
PWD method
English method of taking out quantities

(1) Taking off;

(2)Grouping
(3) Billing

Thus, the quantities of the various items are worked out an a

measurement or dimension form and then quantities of
identical items are grouped together and written on an
abstract form.
The measurement form or the taking – off sheet or the
dimension sheet is a full – sized paper, double ruled.
 (1) (2) (3) (4) (1) (2) (3) (4)

Column (1) is called the timesing column.

Column (2) is called dimension column.

Column (3) is called the squaring column.

Column (4) is called the description column, in which , the

brief description of the item is written. The right-hand side
of this column is used for rough work and is known as the
waste.
In the dimension column, the length, the breadth or width and
the height or depth are written in sequence in vertical
direction. The multiplication giving the final quantity is then
entered in the squaring column.

(1) (2) (3) (4)

4.0 24.0 This indicates 24 cubical content
3.0
2.0
4.0 12.0 This indicates 12 superficial contents
3.0
4.0 4.0 This indicates linear measurements
5.0
No.5 This indicates no.
5
The following column is used to indicate the number by which
the measurements are to be multiplied. It should be
remembered that an item timesed can be timesed again as
shown below.

3/ 4.0 This indicates the cubical

3.0 72.00 contents are to be multiplied by
2.0 3.

2/5/3 4.0
3.0 720.00 This indicates the cubical
contents are to be multiplied by
2.0 3x5x2= 30
When the measurement are to be added and not to be
multiplied, the process known as dotting on is adopted. A dot
below a figure in the timesing column indicates an addition.

2 4.0
. 3.0 120.00 This indicates that the cubical contents
3 2.0 are to be multiplied by 3+2 = 5

2 3 4.0
. 3.0 240.00 This indicates that the cubical
2 2.0 measurements are to be multiplied by
(3+2) x 2= 10

3 3 2 4.0
This indicates that the superficial
. . 3.0 540.00 measurements are to be multiplied by
2 1 (2+1)x(3+=2)x3 = 45

After working out the quantities of various items an

abstract is prepared in which the items are classified ,
grouped and arranged accordingly
The abstract form is commonly known as the bill of quantities
and the process of writing the bill of quantities is called the
billing.
Thus, a bill of quantities indicates a document which lists all
the items necessary for the complete construction of the
project.
Each item of the bill of quantities include a brief description
of every item together with its estimated quantity.
Thus the main function of bill of quantities is to provide a
basis on which tenders can be obtained from the prospective
contractors and the bill of the quantities can be used to
assess the value of work as executed and they help in
preparing the revised estimate, if found necessary.
Features of the English method

(1) The quantities are found out in the sequence of

measurements irrespective of items of work and
sequence of execution.
(2) The grouping is a separate process and it is followed
along with the process of billing on the abstract
form.
(3) The chances of omitting any measurements are
reduced.
(4) The method is lengthy and it requires more time.
P.W.D. method of taking out quantities

The three processes, namely , taking off, grouping and billing,

are also involved in this method.

1. But the first and second processes of taking off and

grouping are carried out on the quantity sheet.
2. The measurements are recorded item wise and the items
are arranged in the sequence of execution.
3. The third process of billing is done on the abstract form
as in case of the English method.
4. Thus in this method, the grouping will appear on
measurements form as well as on the abstract form.
Features of P.W.D. method are as follows

(1) The quantities are found out in the sequence of

execution, irrespective of the sequence of
measurements.
(2) The grouping process is eliminated in the sense that
the measurements are directly grouped on the
quantity sheet.
(3) There are chances of missing some measurements.
(4) The method is easy and it requires less time.
Quantities are worked out by any one of the
Methods
Short Wall long wall method
Center line method
A Quantity Estimate or Quantity Survey
This is a complete estimate or list of quantities for
all items of work required to complete the concerned
project. The quantity of each individual item of work
is worked out from respective dimensions on the
drawing of the structure. To find the cost, quantity is
multiplied by the rate per unit for that item. The
purpose of the Bill of quantities is to provide a
complete list of quantities necessary for the
completion of any engineering project and when
priced gives the estimated cost of the project.
(4) Revised Estimate
A revised estimate is a detailed estimate for the
revised quantities and rates of items of works
originally provided in the estimate without material
deviations of a structural nature from the design
originally approved for a project.
It is accompanied with a comparative statement
abstract form showing the probable variations for
quality , rate and amount for each item of work of
the project as compared with the original estimate
side by side stating the reasons of variations.
A revised estimate is prepared and submitted for
fresh technical sanction.
Required for the following reasons-
(i) When a sanctioned estimate is likely to exceed by
more than 5% either from the rates being found
insufficient or from any cause whatsoever except
important structural alterations
(ii) When the expenditure of work exceeds or is likely
to exceed be more than 10% of the administrative
approval (for work more than Rs. 5 lakhs)
(iii) When there are material deviations from the
original proposal but not due to material deviation of
a structural nature
(iv) When it is found that the sanctioned estimate is
more than the actual requirement
5) A Supplementary Estimate
While a work is in progress, some changes or
additional works due to material deviation of a
structural nature from the design originally approved
may be thought necessary for the development of a
project.
The method of preparation of a supplementary
estimate is the same as that of a detailed estimate
and it should be accompanied by a full report of the
circumstances which render its necessity .
The abstract must show the amount of the original
estimate and the total of the sanction required
including the supplementary amount.
6 ) Combination of Revised and
Supplementary Estimate
Necessary to revise the original estimate due to
increased volume of original proposed work
Sanction of supplementary works.
For such a case a revised estimate is prepared for
the increased volume of original work and a detailed
estimate for the supplementary works not included in
the original schedule.
The amount of supplementary estimate is added to
the revised estimate, showing the amount separately,
Thus the total amount of the revised estimate
includes tile amount for supplementary works also
Revised estimate
(i) This is required when the sanctioned So, a revised
is due to material deviation from nature from the
design originally approved the original proposal,
(ii) It is accompanied with a comparative
(iii) Revised estimate is required due to change
Supplementary estimate
(i) This is required due to supplemental)' works amount is
exceeded due to change of rates which are fairly
independent of the work at or addition of works fairly
dependent on first sanctioned, So, supplemental estimate
the work at first sanctioned.
ii) No comparative abstract form IS required, statement
abstract form showing the probable cost. This is an
estimate for additional works able variations for quantity,
rate and only. The abstract shows the original estimate
amount against each item ,of work in- mate and the total
amount of the sanction involved in the project. required
including supplemental)' amount
(iii) Supplementary estimate is required due to of rate or
quantity of materials, so no ad- some new works or due to
change of design, additions or revisions of drawings is
Revised Estimate and Supplementary Estimates due to
reduction of cost (following P. W .D. manual).
In cases, where a substantial section of a project costing not
less than 5% of the total sanctioned cost of the project is
abandoned or where material deviations front the original
proposals are expected to result in substantial savings, the
estimate is revised by the department and intimated the
Engineer-In-Charge for execution of the work.
But, in cases where the saving is due to a material deviation of
a structural nature from the design originally approval
supplementary estimate is prepared for a revised technical
sanction.
 
A complete Estimate
This is an estimated cost of all items which are
related to the work in addition to the main contract
or to the “detailed estimate".
One may think that an estimate of a structure
includes only the cost of land and the cost of the
main or abstracts or labour , materials and
supervision.
In addition, there are many other cost items to be
included.
Annual Maintenance or Repair Estimate
For proper function an estimate is prepared for the
item which require renewal, replacements , repairs
etc. in the form of a detailed estimate.
For buildings, such item of work like white washing,
colour washing and painting of doors and windows etc.,
Quantities are based on the previous measurements
recorded in the Measurement books as “Standard
Measurement books”.
The total estimated cost of maintenance of a
structure is generally kept within the prescribed
limits on percentage basis (variable according to the
age and importance of the structure)
Bar Bending Schedule
This gives the complete information regarding the bars to be cut, bent and
bundled and enables the location of the bars on site.
This helps in avoiding wastages that could occur as the entire cutting
schedule is planned catering to the standard length of bars and lengths as
desired.
It consists of giving dimension lengths of bottom bars used as
reinforcement.
Top bars and cranking of bars as required .
Stirrup lengths
Now a days it is seen instead of cranking of bars, cut lengths are provided
for hogging moments since this sometimes leads to congestion and in
proper compaction .
These cut lengths then have to be adequately monitored since this cutting
may result in increase of wastages, hence proper planning is necessary to
reduce wastages and cost management.