Measurement & Estimating
Measurement and estimating for people who price work
Builders and subcontractors can lose money in two ways. They can win a job at the wrong price, or fail to finish a tender because there wasn't time to measure it properly. Both come down to the same problem: measuring a job accurately takes time that a working builder often doesn't have.
We do the take-off and produce the quantities. You get either a document to price from or a fully priced estimate. AMS Quantity Surveying works with builders and subcontractors right across New Zealand.
Elemental Cost Estimates
We split the estimate into building elements. You can see where the money sits, and how a change to one part of the design affects the total.
Explore Elemental Cost Estimates→
Estimating & Take-offs
We prepare measured take-offs and estimates for builders and subcontractors. We can price the work or give you the quantities only, whichever suits how you work.
Explore Estimating & Take-offs→
m² Costings
A square metre costing can give you a figure before you commit to a full design. It suits a budget check, or an early decision on whether the project is worth taking further.
Explore m2 Costings→
Tender Preparation & Submission
We help put the submission together. A good submission is complete and clearly qualified. It answers what the tender documents asked for and is easy for the client to assess.
Explore Tender Preparation→
What you receive
Documents for pricing and tendering
What you receive depends on the job.
- A measured take-off from your drawings
- A schedule of quantities, priced or unpriced, depending on what you ask for
- A tender submission, put together for you to lodge
- Square metre costings
- An elemental cost estimate, broken down by building element
How it works
How a measurement and estimating job runs
- 01
Send the drawings and closing date
Include the plans, the specification and any tender documents, and tell us what you need back.
- 02
We check the documents
We compare them with what you need back, and tell you whether we can take the job on.
- 03
We do the work
We prepare the take-off, estimate or tender submission from the documents you sent.
- 04
You get it back
We send you the quantities, the estimate, or a submission ready for you to lodge.
Which service fits
Start with where the job is up to
If you don't have full drawings yet, an m2 costing gives you an early figure, benchmarked against comparable projects.
Once the drawings are ready to measure, a take-off gives you the quantities to price. If you need the cost set out by building element, ask for an elemental cost estimate.
When you have a tender to submit, tender preparation helps you put the submission together.
Why AMS
Why builders and subcontractors use us
Extra capacity at tender time
Several tenders can arrive in the same week. Using an outside QS lets you add measuring capacity for a busy period without taking on permanent staff.
A second set of eyes
On a big tender, you can check your own numbers against a measure done by someone outside the business.
Wherever the job is
We work from the drawings and documents you send, so the job can be anywhere in the country.
Where to next
Planning a project, or already building?
Developers and owners planning a project should start with pre-contract services. Once construction is underway, post-contract services cover payment claims, variations and final accounts.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need from me to price a job?
We need the drawings and the specification, plus the tender documents if you've been issued them. If there's a schedule of quantities, send that too. With complete information, fewer assumptions have to go into the price.
Do you price the work or just measure it?
We can do either. Some builders want quantities only, so they can apply their own labour and subcontractor rates. Others want a fully priced estimate.
Will you work directly for subcontractors?
Yes, we work directly for subcontractors. A trade subcontractor may not have a qualified quantity surveyor in the business. We can put together the quantities and a tender submission for you.
Is it worth measuring a job we might not win?
It depends on the job, and it's a decision each tendering business makes for itself. If you do win, a schedule of quantities can also be useful during construction, for progress claims and variations.
What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?
An estimate isn't a fixed price. It's the provider's assessment of what the job is likely to cost. A quote is an offer to do the work for a specified price, and an estimate shouldn't be treated as one.
Need a quantity surveyor for your next project?
Send through your plans or a short description of the project and we will come back to you.