Elemental Cost Estimates
Elemental cost estimates split a project's cost by building element, such as the foundations, roof and finishes. AMS Quantity Surveying prepares them from the drawings you send, for builders and subcontractors across New Zealand.
Overview
When you need an elemental cost estimate
An elemental cost estimate shows the cost of a project by building element, not as one total. AMS Quantity Surveying prepares one from the drawings and documents you send, as part of our measurement and estimating work. Builders and subcontractors use it when they need a price broken into parts.
What we handle
What a split by element helps you do
See where a price sits
One total figure doesn't show how the price is made up. Split by element, the estimate shows how much of the cost sits in the foundations, the roof, the finishes and so on.
Answer a client's cost plan
A cost plan sets out a budget by building element. When a client sends one, an estimate broken down the same way gives you a figure to set against it.
Test a change to one part of the design
If the cladding or the floor structure changes, the breakdown shows which element is affected and what that does to the total.
Check nothing's been left out
A breakdown by element makes gaps easy to see. If an element has no figure against it, it may not have been priced.
In New Zealand
The same job, laid out by trade or by element
Government construction procurement guidance says a schedule of quantities can be set out in sections by trade, element or physical location.
NZIQS, the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors, publishes a standard for recording cost information for use in elemental cost planning.
What you get
A figure against each building element
You get an estimate of the project's cost, broken down by building element, with a figure for each one.
An estimate, not a set price
It's an assessment of what the work might cost, based on the documents it was prepared from. It isn't a set price, and the final cost may be higher or lower.
Who this is for
This suits builders and subcontractors who need a job set out by building element as well as by trade.
Owners, developers and architects who want an elemental estimate or cost plan for their own project should see our cost estimation service instead.
How it works
How an elemental cost estimate works
- 01
Send the drawings
Along with the drawings, send any other documents for the job and tell us what you need the estimate for.
- 02
We confirm the job
We look at what you've sent and tell you whether we can help.
- 03
We prepare the estimate
We work out the cost from your documents and set it out by building element.
- 04
You get the breakdown
We send you the finished estimate.
Why AMS
Why get your elemental cost estimate from us
Specific to this design
We price the estimate from your own drawings rather than a typical building's rate, so the breakdown matches your design.
One estimate, four uses
The same breakdown works for all four uses listed above, so you don't need a separate estimate for each one.
Part of one service
We also handle take-offs, estimating and tender preparation, so you can keep all of that work with one practice.
Frequently asked questions
What is an elemental cost estimate?
It's an estimate that gives each building element its own figure. Elements are the parts of a building, such as the foundations, the roof and the finishes. Elemental cost planning uses the same split to set a budget during design.
Is an elemental estimate the same as a trade breakdown?
No, the two group the work in different ways. A trade breakdown sorts it by who does it, such as the concreter or the painter. An elemental estimate sorts it by the part of the building.
Do I need a full set of drawings?
We'll let you know once we've seen what you have. Send the drawings you've got and tell us what stage the design is at. The estimate has to make assumptions about anything the drawings don't show.
Can I use an elemental estimate as a tender price?
No, it doesn't replace your own pricing, but it can sit alongside it. An estimate is a guide to what the job might cost. Your tender price is your own decision, because it's the figure you're committing to.
When would an m2 costing do instead?
Our m2 costings suit a design that isn't far enough along to split by element. A square metre figure is an early check on whether a project is worth taking further. Once there are drawings to measure, an elemental estimate shows where the cost sits.
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.