The total materials required to complete the architect's design for a construction project are listed in a Bill of Quantities.The BoQ will allow you to get quotes that are accurate.BoQs are usually prepared by a quantity surveyor or civil engineer who has expertise in estimating the materials required for a project.Even if you don't prepare the BoQ yourself, you still need to know what a Bo Q should look like so you can evaluate the finished product.
Step 1: A spreadsheet is a good way to organize your bill of quantities.
Columns for item numbers, description, unit of measurement, quantity, rate, labor, and total cost should be included.The item numbers will start from 1.You can restart the item numbers for each section.Contractors bidding on the project will fill in the columns for the rate and total costs.You won't have any values in those columns while drafting your BoQ.
Step 2: You will need a list of materials to complete the project.
Write a list of all the building materials and amounts needed in the architect's plans.This includes everything from wiring to hardware.If you're building a house, you might need framing materials, sheetrock, bricks, concrete, flooring material, wiring, lighting fixture, and kitchen and bathroom fixture.Each of your materials has a unit of measurement.This may be a standard unit.If you include paint on your list, the unit of measurement may be gallons or liters.You need to fill in the materials on your spreadsheet once you have determined them.You might list "green paint" next to item #1 if you need paint for a project.You would write "gallons" in the unit of measurement column.You would include the number of gallons in the quantity column.15-20% can be added to your calculations to account for waste.
Step 3: The project can be broken into sections or categories.
Since different parts of your project will likely be handled by different contractors, split your list of materials into sections.Each contractor will know what their costs will be for the project.If you're building a house, there are different parts.Material may fall under more than one part.If you have "framing" and "flooring," you may need to use the same nails.You need to divide the total number of nails between the two.
Step 4: Estimate the labor required to complete the part.
The number of hours it will take to finish depends on the amount of work being done.Some workers are more efficient than others.It is possible to get an idea of how long it will take to finish a part by talking to contractors.Based on their experience with similar projects, a quantity surveyor would usually be able to estimate this off the top of their head.
Step 5: An initial cost estimate can be made based on an architect's design.
The average prices for materials and labor are in your area.You can find materials prices at hardware stores.You can learn labor prices by talking to contractors in your area.You will have a general idea of how much money your project will cost when you combine material prices and labor costs.For your initial cost estimate, print off a separate copy of the BoQ.The official BoQ doesn't usually include this information.You can use it to find the best bid for your project.
Step 6: The estimates in the BoQ can be used to draft a schedule.
It is possible to determine how long it will take to complete your project once you have labor estimates.The schedule should be loose to account for weather that could cause delays.If the contractors work 40 hours a week and there are no delays, it would take them 25 weeks to build your house.You should plan for it to take 30 to 40 weeks.
Step 7: You should start looking for a quantity surveyor early on in the project.
Before you start work, it's a good idea to have a quantity surveyor help you.They help you understand what you're getting into.Ensuring that you're getting the best value out of contractors will be helped by a skilled quantity surveyor.BoQ from a quantity keeps your contractors honest and ensures everyone's working from the same page.An initial cost estimate can be made based on a rough sketch to give you a better idea of what you can achieve.
Step 8: Talk to your architect about surveying.
If you worked with an architect on the project, they may recommend a quantity surveyor.A specific firm is used by many architectural firms.If your architect recommends a specific quantity surveyor, you may want to find out if you can get a discount from them.
Step 9: Ask people who have completed similar projects for their recommendations.
If you use a quantity surveyor who has experience working on projects similar to yours, you'll get a better estimate.Specific types of builds are what quantity surveyors specialize in.If you're building a house, you want someone with experience with house builds, not someone who only does quantity surveys for warehouses.If you try to go it alone, the cost of some building materials can be more expensive than if you go with a Quantity Surveyor.
Step 10: You should check with licensing agencies.
Quantity surveyors have to be licensed by a regulatory agency.You may be able to find background information about the quantity surveyor, such as how long they've been licensed and whether any complaints have been filed against them.If you want to learn the name of the chartering or licensing agency, you can use the internet to find it.The architect should be able to tell you.
Step 11: Interviews with at least 2 or 3 quantity surveyors.
Interviewing 2 or 3 candidates for any role in your project is always a good idea.You can find the best one for the job.Find out how much experience they have doing projects like yours.You can ask quantity surveyors for references from previous projects.Find out if the quantity surveyor will give a cost estimate for both labor and materials.You'll have to rely on the estimates made by the contractors if you can't get a cost estimate from the quantity surveyor.You should look at the firm's size.Smaller firms provide more personal service.
Step 12: Decide if you want to hire a main contractor or build it on your own.
The main contractor does not do the actual building themselves.Subcontractors will do all the work if you hire a main contractor.If you have experience managing a building project, you may decide that you just want to oversee the build yourself and save some money.You don't have to pay a main contractor if you hire the contractors directly.If you don't have experience managing construction projects, be careful overseeing the project yourself.If you start out this way, you could end up costing yourself a lot of time, money, and effort.
Step 13: Ask for contractor recommendations from an architect.
If your architect or quantity surveyor has worked on similar projects before, they may have contractors they could recommend.They can tell you if you should stay away from someone.If you're looking for a main contractor, you want someone with experience working on projects that are similar to yours in size and scope.Subcontractors should be used to working within the same parameters as you would for your project.
Step 14: The estimates are based on your BoQ.
You should try to get at least 3 estimates.For a bigger project, you may want to get 4 or 5.To find out if contractors have the time to commit to a project, call them and give them a rundown of the project.Send them your BoQ if they are interested.The contractors will enter their estimates in the columns of your BoQ.You can choose the one you want if you get the BoQ from the quantity surveyors and the estimates from them.
Step 15: The lowest bid is what you should choose the contractor for.
The lowest bid wins the day for the contractor.You should look at how they arrived at the number and make sure they don't cut corners.The initial cost estimate you came up with for your BoQ should be compared with the cost estimates from the contractors.Look at any estimate that is lower than the initial cost estimate.If you want to hire a contractor who is the most efficient and the least expensive, you need a consistent basis for competitive bids.