Cost and Contracts
Quantity Take-off, Bills of Quantities and Cost Estimates
We price the quantities we measure from the drawings with unit prices and rate analyses. We prepare pre-tender cost estimate files for public authorities, and budgets and bid comparisons for the private sector.
Quantity take-off, cost estimate and pre-tender cost estimate
A quantity take-off means measuring the amount of every item of work in the design and writing it into a schedule by work item. Concrete comes out in cubic meters, reinforcement in tons, formwork in square meters and pipe in meters. In the cost estimate we multiply these quantities by unit prices to find the price of the job. The tender documents and the contract are prepared with these figures, and the progress payments run from the same schedules.
For public authorities we prepare pre-tender cost estimate files under Public Procurement Law No. 4734. Investors and property owners usually want to see the budget or compare the bids they have received, while a contractor prepares its own bid. In municipal infrastructure work and industrial buildings in Kocaeli, an item missed in the take-off comes back at tender or on site as additional work or a dispute. For a stream rehabilitation we designed, we delivered the cost estimate and quantity take-off, and for the second stage of a sludge storage site the quantity take-off, together with the construction drawings.
Every line of the schedule states which drawing and which measurement the quantity came from. Next to each unit price we show the unit-price item, analysis or market rate document it rests on. The authority or contractor receiving the file checks the lines with its own team, not just the total.
Scope of services
Quantity schedules
Taken off from the architectural, structural, infrastructure and building services designs by work item. The dimension and calculation lines stay visible in the schedule.
Estimate summary and recapitulation
The quantity, unit price and amount of each unit-price item go in the estimate summary, and the totals of the work groups in the recapitulation table.
Pre-tender cost estimate file
Prepared for the contracting authority before the tender. The calculation schedules and supporting documents are in the same file.
Unit price analysis
For work with no equivalent in the Ministry unit prices, we build an analysis from material, labor and plant inputs.
Market rate research
We document market prices with supplier quotations and set the current rate to be used in the analysis from these quotations.
Budget and bid comparison
For private sector work we draw up the budget of the investment. We put the bids from different contractors onto the same list of items and compare them.
Applicable regulations and sources
For public works we calculate the pre-tender cost estimate by the procedure set out in the procurement legislation. The prices we use are the current construction and building services unit prices published by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Each item is matched to a unit-price item number and its description. For work not covered by the descriptions, the analysis and the market rate document are added to the file. If the authority wants to use its own unit prices or those of another institution, we state this plainly in the file.
The year of the unit prices and the date of calculation are shown in the file. If time has passed between the calculation date and the tender date, we discuss with the authority whether the prices need updating; the decision is the authority's.
How we work
Document review
We read the construction drawings, the technical specification and the room finish schedule if there is one. We report missing or contradictory information in writing.
Defining work items
We split the job into work groups and match each item to a unit-price item. Items without one go onto the analysis list.
Quantity take-off
We measure the quantities from the drawings. Each line of the schedule states which drawing and which grid line it belongs to.
Pricing
Once the analyses and market rate research are done, we produce the estimate summary and the recapitulation.
Checking and delivery
We compare the quantities of the main items against a second calculation and look at ratios such as concrete per square meter and reinforcement per cubic meter of concrete. The file is delivered in editable form.
Deliverables
- Quantity schedules by work item (Excel and PDF)
- Estimate summary with unit-price item numbers, and recapitulation table
- Pre-tender cost estimate calculation schedule and supporting documents
- Unit price analyses and market rate research records
- Draft unit price bid schedule for inclusion in the tender documents
- Budget report and bid comparison table for private sector work
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cost estimate and a quantity take-off?
The take-off gives the quantity, the cost estimate gives the price. The cost estimate is found by multiplying the quantities in the take-off by unit prices; if the take-off is wrong, the cost estimate is wrong too.
Who approves the pre-tender cost estimate?
The contracting authority approves it, and the responsibility is the authority's. We file the calculation schedules, analyses and supporting documents in the order the authority will review them.
Can quantities be taken off before the design is complete?
A final take-off cannot, but a preliminary budget can. At the preliminary design stage we calculate an approximate budget with unit-area or ratio methods. The final take-off is made from the construction drawings. We deliver the two under separate headings.
In what format will I receive the files?
As an Excel file with the formulas left open and a PDF ready for signature. When a quantity or price changes, the table does not have to be rebuilt; correcting the line concerned is enough.
Is the cost estimate also used at the progress payment stage?
Yes. The contract quantities and unit prices are the starting point for the progress payments. For the construction stage, see our progress payments and final accounts page.
Examples from practice
Our projects in this field
Request a quote for your project
Write to us with the type of building, its location and the documents you have. We will agree the scope and timeline with you and send a written quote.