There is hardly a family who would not dream of living in their own house somewhere near the city. The cost of such housing can sometimes be quite comparable to the prices of city apartments, and the advantages of owning your own plot of land are obvious. Therefore, more and more families are thinking about leaving the city and building a home in its surroundings.

However, in our unstable times, building a private house is perceived by many as a very risky undertaking. What if prices for everything increase dramatically, or additional costs arise during the construction process? Is it even possible to stick to a pre-set budget? If you approach the construction budget wisely, then everything may not be so scary.

Drawing up estimates will become a much simpler process if you entrust this matter to professionals.

Estimate for building a house. What is it?

The construction estimate is a preliminary calculation of all costs. Usually the estimate is a simple table that takes into account the main cost items:

• Cost of materials
• Cost of work
• Delivery cost
• Overheads

Here is an example of what a standard cost estimate table looks like:

As you can see, the basis of the estimate is simple mathematics: the cost of one unit of material must be multiplied by the required quantity, and we will get the total cost. The difficulty lies not in the calculations themselves, but in including in this table everything that is needed to obtain an accurate picture.

The meaning of the estimate is to calculate in detail how much money will have to be spent at different stages of construction. The ultimate success largely depends on this. If you neglect calculations and estimate costs “by eye,” money will most likely slip through your fingers, the process will drag on, and the budget will grow uncontrollably.

If you are working with a contractor company that controls the construction process itself, then it should draw up an estimate and show it to you personally. It is expensive, and you can easily be deceived by slightly inflating the prices for materials or work. Many people decide to deal with all issues themselves and hire only teams to perform specific work.

In this case, you will have to draw up an estimate yourself. There are many companies that do this professionally, but it is quite possible to save money on this if you take a serious and thoughtful approach to drawing up estimates.

Drawing up an estimate. Algorithm of actions.

If you don't know where to start when creating an estimate, it is useful to have a rough sequence of actions to follow. Drawing up an estimate for construction can be divided into several stages.

1. Drawing up a work plan.

At this stage, your task is to determine the sequence of all the work that will be performed during construction from start to finish. This will help you navigate the construction process. In this case, it is necessary to indicate the timing and duration of the work, and also include technological breaks in the plan, for example, for hardening of concrete floors or screeds.

Such planning is very important, it will help not delay construction. The plan can also indicate in advance what work you will do on your own, where relatives will help you, and where you will hire a team or special equipment. These construction stages can then be reflected in the estimate, or estimates can be drawn up separately for each stage.

The main points of such a plan usually look like this:

• Laying the foundation
• Construction of a box: walls and ceilings
• Roof and chimney
• Installation of stairs, windows, doors
• Summing up communications
• External and internal finishing

2. Calculation of volumes of materials and structures

Which materials and structures to use and how much depends mainly on your project. Thus, you should start drawing up an estimate only if you already have a ready-made house project that you are completely satisfied with.

Then, having the exact parameters of your future home, taking into account technology and building codes, you can calculate the approximate volume of material used at each stage of construction for each type of work. This will take quite a lot of time, but this is the basis of the estimate, so the calculation must be done as thoroughly as possible.

For this purpose, there are so-called construction calculators - online services or programs that automatically calculate the amount of materials based on the parameters of the house. You can also find statistical data on this topic on various construction forums on the Internet.

If your project is typical, then such a calculation will not be difficult at all, since, most likely, there is already data on materials and structures for it.

3. Price analysis.

Once you have decided on the volumes, the next logical step is to find out the current prices for materials and work. This will not cause you much difficulty. All you need is to make a small list that will include the main companies on the market of building materials and services in your city, and monitor their price offers. You can call them and ask them to send you the current price list or find it on the official website.

You can enter average or maximum prices into the estimate. You will probably change suppliers as you work, so having an idea of ​​the average prices in the market will be extremely useful for you. It is better to conduct such an analysis approximately once a month and adjust the indicators as construction progresses to take into account price fluctuations. Don't forget about shipping costs.

4. Table and calculation.

When all the initial data is ready, you can enter it into the table and count it. It is important to note: the figures obtained will only be intermediate results. Anyone who has been involved in construction knows that the estimate will change in any case and, as a rule, upward. There are always factors that affect costs: defective materials, errors in work, force majeure, and so on.

An example of calculating an estimate for the construction of a private house with a total area of ​​323 m2

Name of work	Unit of measurement	Quantity	Unit price, rubles	Total cost, rubles
Foundation work
Axle alignment, leveling, development and excavation
Construction of foundations made of sand and crushed stone
Construction of strip reinforced concrete foundations
Construction of retaining walls made of concrete blocks, bricks, plinth
Waterproofing horizontal and lateral
Loading and transporting soil by dump trucks
Other works	Complex
Materials used
Concrete is heavy
Crushed granite, sand
Concrete block, ordinary clay brick
Gidroizol, bitumen mastic
Reinforcement, formwork panels and other materials	complex
Walls, partitions, ceilings, roofing
Preparatory work, installation and dismantling of scaffolding	complex
Laying external walls from blocks
Wall cladding with facing bricks
Installation of reinforced concrete belts and lintels in the formwork
Installation of brick partitions
Installation of reinforced concrete slabs
Assembling roof elements with sheathing device
Insulation of walls and ceilings with insulation
Hydro- and vapor barrier device
Roofing and drainage system installation
Installation of door and window blocks
Other works	complex
Materials used
Cellular concrete block
Concrete is heavy
Ceramic building brick
Ceramic facing brick
Heavy masonry mortar
Rolled steel, large-grade steel, fittings	complex
Edged lumber
Steam, wind and waterproof films
Rockwool insulation
Ceramic tiles, additional elements
Drainage system	complex
Window units with double glazed windows	complex
Other materials	complex
Engineering systems
Fireplace design	complex
Electrical and plumbing work	complex
Materials used
Gas boiler (Germany)	complex
Plumbing and electrical installation equipment	complex
Finishing work
Cladding of walls and ceilings with gypsum plasterboard	complex
Installation of inlaid parquet flooring	complex
Installation of ceramic tile coverings, wall cladding	complex
Installation, carpentry, plastering and painting works	complex
Materials used
Ceramic tiles, parquet, stairs, door blocks, decorative elements. wallpaper, varnishes, paints, dry mixtures and other materials	complex
Total construction cost
Cost per square meter

In order to make calculations more accurately, it is advisable to select a multiplying factor that will take into account unforeseen expenses. You can choose the value of this coefficient at your discretion, taking into account your finances. This way you can, if not completely avoid an increase in the estimate, then at least minimize it.

If you have thought through everything and drawn up a detailed estimate, most likely you will stay within budget, and if there are deviations, they will not be critical. It is important to calculate a full estimate before starting work in order to decide whether it is worth starting at all.

Remember that if you lack funds, you can postpone some work until the future, when money becomes available. For example, if the box is ready and the heating circuit is closed, some people are already moving into the house and gradually finishing everything else.

The construction of a house or building begins with calculations and drawing up an estimate, taking into account the materials used, the work performed and the cost of renting special equipment. That is why in construction it is customary to use estimates that clearly reflect the financial costs of constructing a specific object. The estimate applies to all types of buildings. In this article we will tell you what a house estimate is and how it can be calculated, as well as how much it costs to calculate an estimate.

Composition of the construction estimate

An estimate for the construction of a house is the main document for specialists; without it, no developer will carry out the construction of a building. The main financial costs fall on the purchase of building materials and additional elements for them. When calculating estimates, you should take into account such parameters as:

• volume of planned work;
• technology used;
• construction time;
• number of specialists on the project;
• volume and terms of financing of the facility.

These criteria will allow the customer to monitor the timing of the construction process and check certain types of work. The main task that the estimate for building a house solves is:

• adherence to a clear work schedule;
• amount of financing during the period of work.

To perform calculations, the customer can submit applications to several companies at once; to do this, it is necessary to conclude an agreement for the preparation of the document. As a result, a house estimate compiled by different specialists will differ in the final cost, this is due to the fact that each company contributes its suppliers of materials and specialists performing the work. After reviewing several documents, you can compare and choose for yourself the most optimal option in terms of money and without compromising the future design.

Be sure to include 15% of the total cost of the property for minor or unexpected expenses. This may include transportation costs, payment for obtaining various certificates related to construction.

Acquisition of land and performing calculations

Construction costs, as a rule, begin with the inclusion of the cost of the land plot in the expenditure part of the document. Land is acquired in several ways that do not contradict the law:

• purchase of a plot from the previous owner;
• redemption from state property;
• obtain a plot of land free of charge, subject to the availability of free land.

When purchasing a plot of land, be sure to draw up an agreement; this document will help you avoid fraudulent transactions and protect you legally. The contract must contain:

• subject of the agreement: purpose of the site, its category and total area;
• the price of the plot agreed upon by the sellers and the buyer.
• When the transaction has already been completed, state registration of the transfer of ownership rights is carried out. For this, the following documents are submitted to the justice system:
• application-registration;
• receipt of payment for registration of the site;
• purchase and sale agreement;
• passport and additional identity documents;
• cadastral plan.

The entire package of documents is accepted by the relevant authority and the decision is made within the period established by law, which is one month.

For information! When several construction processes are carried out by different contractors, it is necessary to prepare estimates for construction work for each type of work.

The price of such a document can vary from 9 to 40 dollars, because... The calculation depends on the number of positions in the document. The period for drawing up documentation is from 1 day, depending on the urgency.

How to make an estimate

Calculating future construction costs is a matter for specialists, but if you are confident in your abilities, you can draw up an estimate for construction yourself. The photo shows an example of an estimate for the construction of a frame house. Procedure for drawing up the document:

• decide on the amount of materials;
• find the necessary equipment;
• negotiate with construction specialists.

When you already have an idea of ​​what the house will be built from, what it will look like, in which part of the site it will be located, what materials will be used, it will not be difficult to calculate the final amount. It is worth noting that there are now a large number of construction forums on the Internet where you can download a blank estimate document form or compose it yourself in an office program.

So, how to make an estimate for the construction of a wooden house? To prepare a cost estimate you must:

• Decide on the sequence of actions, understand what work should be entrusted to construction organizations, and what you can do yourself.
• The following is the calculation of the estimate, depending on the use of construction technologies. It consists of determining the volume of building materials and structures and their application.
• When all this data is already available, you can find a company providing construction services, look at the prices, and find out the cost of materials and work.
• Next, the component takes all the obtained values ​​and transfers them to its table, where the totals will be summed up for each type of work or product.
• When all the data is filled in in the columns: name, cost of work, unit of measurement, you can perform a general summation of the project. For convenience, you can put the final figure on the right side of the table; for this you need to configure the formula. This calculation can be performed for a structure made of any material and design.

In a similar way, they calculate the amount of materials and the amount of work for all types of houses, regardless of what they are built from.

Cost calculation for foundation, roofing and finishing materials

The estimate for construction work must necessarily contain information about the foundation, roofing and finishing materials; these items are the most expensive. In order to understand how to calculate the volume of material for the foundation of a house, you should multiply the perimeter, height and thickness of the foundation. As a result, we will get the volume and find out the cost of 1 cubic meter. m of concrete and multiply it by the resulting value. It is very easy to calculate the roofing material; for this you need to take the total roof area and the cost per 1 sq.m. from the project for the house. material, and then multiply them together. Calculating the cost of finishing is the most troublesome task; for this you will need to multiply the wall area by the cost of 1 sq.m. each type of product.

We invite you to watch a video that shows how to calculate estimates

The most important stage of the project is the preparation and subsequent completion of the estimate. This is done at the final stage of preparation for its implementation. Based on the prepared financial document, a calendar plan for the implementation of the undertaking and delivery schedules for the necessary materials and equipment are drawn up. Let's look further at examples of estimates and how to draw them up correctly.

Download examples

The estimate is a financial document that includes the prices of all work performed and the necessary tools and materials. In addition, it always includes overhead costs (about 15% of the total amount), unforeseen costs (2%) and the profit of the contractor (10-15%).

Basic principles of budgeting

Usually the organization that will carry out the work handles the calculations. She must coordinate all her actions with the customer. The more detailed all processes and materials are described (down to the number and brand of screws), the better. However, often in practice a simplified version is used, where only the main types of work, units of measurement, quantities, prices and costs of processes are indicated.

An example of an estimate for renovation work on a room in an apartment in a simplified version:

No.	Title of works	Units of measurement	Quantity	Price for 1 unit	Cost of work
1	Dismantling partitions	sq.m.	50	350	17500
2	Removing the balcony door	pcs.	1	1100	1100
3	Installation of partitions (foam blocks)	sq.m.	50	600	30000
4	Plastering walls and partitions	sq.m.	200	200	40000
5	Double putty, priming and painting of prepared surfaces	sq.m.	200	3000	34000
6	Installation of a balcony door	pcs.	1	270	3000
7	Plastering slopes (windows and doors)	sq.m.	16	250	4320
8	Improvement of slopes (putty, primer, painting)	sq.m.	16		4000
Total according to estimate					133920

This sample estimate is applicable for making calculations for small-scale projects, and the entered data, if necessary, can easily be adjusted by agreement with the customer. It does not describe exactly how many bags of putty or cans of paint are required to complete the necessary work. The parties agree on the price per unit of measurement and the total cost, and the details (purchase of materials, transportation costs, removal of construction waste) are borne by the contractor.

Let's look at an example of an estimate compiled using a different method. In this case, all the necessary resources to complete the work at each stage are outlined.

At the request of the customer, an estimator or contractor can prepare several versions of estimates, taking into account various components (brand, price and quantity of materials, scope of work, quantity and technical indicators of equipment used, number of workers).

In what form are estimate documents drawn up?

For different types of work, different forms of drawing up financial documents are used. Let us pay attention to an example of an estimate for design and survey work (design and survey work), which is drawn up in accordance with form 3p. It is an annex to the contract between the parties, the cost here is determined by labor costs. Form 3p estimate is used to calculate the cost of research, design, environmental engineering, engineering and survey work.

Often such estimates consist of two tables. In the first, the level of labor costs is determined, and in the second, the cost of the work performed is calculated. The cost of work is proportional to the time spent on all processes and the remuneration of designers. The second table may also include other costs, such as depreciation, freight and travel costs, and material costs.

For construction work, other forms of estimates are provided:

• Local is prepared for a specific type of work performed; it takes into account the costs of individual sections of construction or repair work.
• The object one is formed within the framework of one object, combining all local estimates and their calculations related to this object. Its adjustment is made based on the data from the working documentation.
• The summary estimate is based on site estimates and characterizes the total final cost of constructing a structure or building.

If it is not possible to draw up an accurate estimate due to the fact that there is no complete clarity on the specification of the materials used or changes will still be made to the project, then local and site-specific estimates can be drawn up. Also often used are estimates drawn up in the form KS-2 (act of acceptance of work performed) and KS-3 (certificate of costs and value of work performed).

Non-profit organizations, including budget ones, are required by law to prepare an annual budget for income and expenses.

Computer programs for financial calculations

Nowadays, many software products have been developed that can be used to prepare various financial documents. With a certain degree of convention, they can be divided into two groups:

• Free. They can be freely found on the Internet, on thematic sites. Such programs have minimal functionality, allow you to perform the simplest calculations and do not have the function of updating regulatory frameworks.
• Professional. They are used by specialists and require the purchase of a software and service product. The most popular and functional are “Smeta.ru”, “GRAND Smeta”, “1C: Contractor”, “Turbosmeta”, etc.

However, in the familiar Microsoft Excel program, you can also easily create an estimate template for the implementation of the required project.

To fill out the estimate, just insert the necessary indicators into the created form, all calculations will be carried out automatically.

If the project requires a large amount of various work and significant investments, then you should not undertake such serious calculations yourself without special knowledge. It is better to turn to specialists who are proficient in modern production technologies and the current situation in the building materials market. They will be able to give an objective picture of the expected costs and offer options for its possible optimization. By saving on the services of an estimator, you can lose more and not realize your plan at all.

In life, we are all a little estimators. When visiting a store, we estimate your shopping budget.

When we go on vacation, we sit down with a calculator so that by the time we return we won’t be left without money. If we are talking about large expenses associated with the construction or renovation of a house, the approach to calculations should be especially responsible.

Looking at the estimate drawn up by a construction organization, a beginner can understand, at best, half of what is written there. Planned savings, overhead costs, depreciation charges - this gobbledygook confuses the inexperienced customer.

Anyone who has become proficient in the intricacies of budget puzzles can easily bring the contractor to the “clean water”, saving a lot of money. Therefore, we will consider the question of how to draw up an estimate for construction or repairs correctly and in detail.

How is the estimate prepared?

There is actually nothing complicated in drawing up an estimate. This document simply systematizes and “sorts out” all the costs of the upcoming construction or repair. It is for this reason that the calculation must be very careful. If done superficially, the actual figure may be several times higher than the planned costs.

Therefore, arm yourself with a calculator and a pen, be patient and sit for an hour or two so that the estimate for construction work takes into account not only the main volumes, but also all the little things that accompany them.

Three main items of any estimate– materials, labor and transport. On a large construction site, they are added to the cost of electricity, operation of machinery and equipment (rented or the contractor’s own).

If you build a house yourself, hiring a team of workers and personally paying for the work of machines and mechanisms, then accounting for costs becomes easier. All markups typical of contracting organizations are eliminated, and the number of settlement points is reduced to a minimum.

In this case, you just need to “estimate” the volume of work to be done, from which you can then easily extract materials and costs for payment for work and transport delivery.

Sample estimate

Let’s not delve too deeply into the theory, but will immediately move on to the example of calculating the costs of constructing a building from foam blocks.

A well-prepared estimate for the construction of a house is divided into stages, for each of which its own cost calculation is drawn up. Obviously, such technological stages will be excavation work, foundation, walls, floors and roof.

There are no materials in earthworks, only work and machinery. Therefore, we will immediately determine the volume of soil that needs to be removed under the foundation. To do this, multiply the depth of the trench by its total length.

Let's say that we received 100 m3 of soil. Now let's move on to estimating the cost of the work. If an excavator will dig a trench, you need to take the cost of one machine-hour of this machine and multiply it by the duration of digging the trench. This is how the first line appears in our estimate:

1. Excavation work:

1200 rubles/hour x 4 hours = 4800 rubles.

However, there are some nuances here. You will also have to pay for the delivery of the excavator to the construction site. This amount must be found out in advance from the contractor and included in the estimate.

Different machines have different performance. Therefore, determine in advance what kind of excavator you need (bucket width, volume of soil removed per 1 hour of work).

The excavated soil will have to be leveled over the site, and part of it will have to be poured back into the “sinuses” of the trench and compacted. Who will do it? If you don’t want to personally move tons of earth, just pay money to the builders.

The final part of the estimate for earthworks includes the cost of backfilling and soil leveling:

• Excavation 1200 rub./hour x 6 hours = 7200 rub. + delivery of an excavator 1200 rubles = 8400 rubles.
• Manual backfilling and soil leveling 30 m3 x 200 RUR/m3 = 6000 RUR.

If the site is uneven and a full-scale vertical leveling is planned on it (filling holes and cutting off hills), then it is better to move the soil from the foundation to the last item in the estimate. It's called "vertical planning and landscaping."

Having finished with the ground, let's move on to the rubble foundation, as the most economical foundation option.

Here we again need to determine the scope of work. We calculated the underground part when we were working on the ground. Now you need to add to it the volume of the foundation, which will be above the ground level. Let's say that in the end we got 140 m3.

We decompose this figure into the volume of rubble, sand and cement that makes up the foundation. For reinforcement we also need reinforcement. We do not count formwork, since the builders will do the masonry above “zero” without it.

2. Foundation

Materials

1. Sand for filling 5 m3 x 900 rub/m3 (with delivery!) = 4500 rub.
2. Crushed stone for filling (fraction 20-40 mm) 5 m5 x 2500 rub/m3 (with delivery!) = 12,500 rub.
3. Bottle – 80 m3 x 2300 rub./m3 (with delivery!) = 184,000 rub.
4. Sand for the foundation – 40 m3 x 900 rub./m3 (with delivery!) = 36,000 rub.
5. Cement – ​​20 tons x 3600 rubles/ton + delivery 5000 rubles. = 77,000 rub.
6. Fittings – 2 tons x 22,000 rub./ton + delivery 3,000 rub. = 47,000 rub.

Transport

1. Delivery of cement 5000 rub.
2. Delivery of fittings 3000 rub.

Sand and crushed stone are sold taking into account the cost of delivery, so we will not allocate transport in a separate line, but will simply note this in the estimate. Cement and reinforcement are brought by hired transport. Therefore, the cost of their transportation must be included in the “Transport” column.

What can you save on here? Of course, on combining the delivery of cement and reinforcement. To do this, you need to hire one car and bring these materials on it. It is better to transport sand and crushed stone with a dump truck of maximum capacity to reduce the number of trips.

Job

Includes pouring a sand-crushed stone cushion, preparing a solution for pouring a rubble foundation and the process of layer-by-layer concreting of the masonry. After studying market prices, it is best to settle on a comprehensive one. It takes into account all related operations and takes up two lines in our estimate:

The general estimate for the foundation installation will look like this:

				Price, rub.
	Materials
	Sand
	Crushed stone
	Booth
	Cement
	Armature
	Transport
	Delivery of reinforcement and cement
	Job
	Backfilling of sand and crushed stone cushion
	Concreting the foundation (with laying the reinforcing belt)

Below is an example of a simple estimate for a columnar foundation compiled by the developer. All amounts of work, expenses and prices are posted here on separate lines. The document is easy to read and analyze.

The compiler’s mistake is that he did not highlight the cost of the work in a separate article, but attributed it to the price of additional materials! “By some miracle”, this included a technical inspection, a certain “registration chamber” and other expenses not related to construction.

Don't make these mistakes if you want to clearly see all your expenses.

It should be noted that calculating estimates requires knowledge of construction technology. Without this, it is impossible to describe upcoming costs in detail and correctly. For example, the facade of a building can be faced with stone, decorative brick, plaster or blockhouse. Each of the listed works includes a number of specific operations.

Hip roofing is also performed in different ways, each of which involves the use of special technologies and materials. Therefore, before drawing up an estimate, take the time to carefully study the production cycle that you will have to estimate.

Drawing up an estimate for repairs

Fundamentally, the estimate for repairs does not differ from the calculation of costs for capital construction. Only materials and technologies change. The counting principle remains the same.

First you need to thoroughly study the upcoming work (main and auxiliary) in order to understand the set of operations and the need for materials.

For an example, consider drawing up an estimate for redecorating a living room. “Cosmetics” does not involve replacing floors, moving partitions or installing suspended ceilings. Therefore, the calculation will not be as complicated as during a major reconstruction.

We took the cost of work and materials as conditional so as not to be tied to market prices, which vary significantly depending on the region.

There will be no such article as the operation of mechanisms during cosmetic repairs if you do not rent a plastering station or spray gun. Builders bring their own power tools to the site and include their depreciation in the prices.

In addition to finishing materials, you will have to buy “consumables” (rollers, brushes, sandpaper, respirators, gloves), which can be classified under the “Materials” article.

	Name of work, materials			Price, rub.
	Materials
	Starting putty
	Serpyanka	package
	Drywall wall
	Self-tapping screws	package
	Non-woven wallpaper
	Wallpaper glue	package
	Acrylic paint
	Brush
	Roller
	Respirator
	Gloves
	Sandpaper
				Total:
	Transport
	Delivery of materials
	Job
	Installation of drywall (with gluing and puttying of seams)
	Gluing non-woven wallpaper
	Wallpaper painting

You can save on repairs, but not at the expense of the quality of materials, but by organizing competent “logistics” of delivery. Therefore, you should not go to the store every day for various little things. Together with the builders, you need to make a detailed list of everything you need in advance and purchase everything at once.

Practice shows that often an investor, especially a beginner, when conceiving a project, has little idea of ​​what expenses it may entail. Any business requires a preliminary calculation of all costs, otherwise the customer may be faced with the fact that he does not have enough money to complete the work. And this is the answer to a frequently asked question: why do you need an estimate?

First, let's define the concept. An estimate, what it is, when and why it is drawn up. An estimate is a financial document that makes it possible to determine with a significant degree of accuracy and in detail the cost of performing certain works. Calculations are made at the planning stage, after which they are all drawn up in an official document and transferred to the customer.

Estimates are drawn up in various types of human activity where there is a need for a preliminary calculation of costs. However, the concept of estimate documentation plays the most important role in construction, where large amounts of money are involved, and the implementation of processes takes a long time (months and years). This could be a standardized set of documents or a calculation of resources or costs per unit of materials (piece, linear meter, kilogram). In combination with design documentation and the contract, it is the most important element in starting construction.

One of the participants in the investment project can prepare estimates:

• A designer who is in a contractual relationship with the customer. Usually in such cases the resource method of calculation is used;
• The customer, who determines the preliminary cost at the stage of preparing a feasibility study (feasibility study);
• The general contractor who determines the cost of construction through contract bidding.

It is important that this responsible financial document is drawn up by a professional organization that has experience in such activities and a good reputation. An unprofessional approach to the matter can lead to underestimation or overestimation of the estimated cost of construction, which is equally unprofitable for the investor, since it entails additional costs. The work of preparing financial documentation is usually estimated at a certain percentage of the total cost of the project.

Most often, estimates are prepared by construction organizations that will carry out the work and purchase building materials for them. It is important for the customer to take part in all stages of documentation preparation, control the data entered into it on types of work, their costs, prices for materials, and seek its correction. The use of modern specialized computer programs speeds up the execution of calculations, so organizations can offer the customer a choice on the “price - quality” principle of several cost estimate options, taking into account different construction technologies and materials used. After choosing the best option, the customer approves it, after which changes to the document can be made only with his consent.

Calculations when drawing up a financial plan are made on the basis of estimated norms, prices and rates, which are combined into thematic collections, which are the official justification for the preparation. All of them can be classified depending on the subjects who developed them:

• Federal (state). These are reference books GSN (State Estimate Norms), GESN (State Elemental Estimate Norms), FER (Federal Unit Prices). They are approved by the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation, can be used in any industry, and are required for repairs or construction carried out at the expense of the state budget.
• Industrial-industrial (POSN). They are used in construction in certain industries, for example, energy or railway.
• Territorial (TER). Approved by local authorities and used for construction on the relevant territory, incl. at the expense of local budgets.
• Individual and branded. They are developed for individual companies or organizations, taking into account the specifics of their construction and installation work, usually based on federal, industry or territorial prices and standards.

All of the above collections of prices and standards together form a unified system of estimated standardization and pricing in construction, applied throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation. The information contained in the directories is periodically updated taking into account inflation processes and the development of construction technology.

Classification of estimates

Often, a preliminary determination of the cost of a large construction project seems very difficult and even impossible due to constantly changing prices for labor resources, energy, building materials, equipment and tools. In such cases, estimators follow the “from least to most” principle, using various types of estimates:

• Local prepared for one or another type of work, based on the volume of work, quantity and range of equipment, current estimate standards, market tariffs and prices. For example, internal plumbing work, landscaping or installation of an alarm system. The cost set includes direct costs, estimated profit and overhead costs.
• Object. They are formed at the current or basic price level for a specific object by summing up several local estimates and grouping data into the sections “Equipment”, “Installation work”, “Construction work”, “Other costs”. This also includes funds provided to cover the so-called limited costs (temporary structures, increased costs of processes in winter).
• Summary calculation estimate. Shows the limit of funds required for the complete completion of the project envisaged by the project; financing of construction work is opened for it. The summary calculation includes all calculations for individual types of expenses. It is formed for construction as a whole, regardless of the number of contractors, based on the current price level. The funds are distributed into separate chapters depending on the specific object. When drawing up a summary estimate, the instructions provide for the presence of an explanatory note with a text description of the main construction parameters.

When determining the cost of work, much depends on the information provided by the parties to the agreement for the preparation of documents. Here are several types of estimates:

• Conceptual. Prepared at the stage of developing a feasibility study of an investment proposal. Based on the capacity of the object or the cost per unit of consumer properties. Accuracy from 17 to 20%.
• Investor. It is developed at the pre-project stage as the basis for the starting price during bidding. In this case, a master plan, a sketch, a layout diagram of the structure, and an enlarged calculation of equipment specifications and scope of work are used. Accuracy from 10 to 13%.
• Contractor's estimate. Compiled on the basis of tender documentation in preparation for concluding an agreement. When preparing it, the contractor uses FER and TER and previous experience in constructing similar facilities. There are already inflationary losses, the organization’s profit and the costs of subcontractors. Accuracy from 5 to 7%.
• Designer's estimate. More complete documentation is used (project, working diagrams and drawings, unit prices, elemental standards, average industry price values), which increases the accuracy of calculations to 2-5%.
• Executive. It is calculated based on the actual expenses of the contractor at the final stage of construction, therefore, all additional expenses incurred by the customer and contractor are taken into account. Using this financial document, the final book value of the constructed facility is calculated.

The estimate can be in the form of a table, the columns of which indicate the types of work, their volume, quantity, price and cost of building materials, as well as additional processes and resources. In another option, it is possible to use such sections as direct costs (operation of equipment, wages, purchase of building materials), overhead costs (deductions to funds, business trips, labor protection) and estimated profit

To confirm the correctness of the financial calculations made, identify inaccuracies and make necessary changes, the customer has the right to contact independent experts. Their services typically cost between 0.3 and 0.5% of the total construction cost.

How to make an estimate correctly

When constructing any facility, design and estimate documentation is initially drawn up. The main purpose of the estimate is to clearly determine the total cost of construction, taking into account possible changes in the market for building materials, equipment, etc. Estimate calculations are carried out on the basis of different approaches - from the point of view of time s x costs, basic price indices, resource costs. A description of these approaches, as well as a ready-made example of preparing an estimate, can be found in the article.

Determine the goals of creation

An estimate is a financial document containing a detailed cost plan for the construction of a real estate property. For convenience, these costs are divided into several sections, and below is the total cost at current or projected prices.

Budgeting involves achieving several goals at once:

1. Determining the estimated cost – i.e. total amount of construction.
2. Determination of costs for individual types of construction work at all stages.
3. Report on the expenditure of funds to the customer, representatives of government agencies, investors and other interested parties.
4. The ability to adjust values ​​in accordance with the changing situation in different construction markets.

A professionally drawn up estimate is a guarantee of efficient spending of funds, continuous construction process, and competent distribution of financial resources. Therefore, to draw up estimate documentation, it is necessary to select a certain approach (methodology), then carry out calculations and check their correctness.

Budgeting methods

There are various methods of preparing estimates, which differ in their approach to determining construction costs.

Analog

This method is used in practice only in cases where the estimator initially has information with the prices of objects that have already been built or designed previously. The method is called analog because both objects being assessed must be similar - for example, 2 residential buildings made of similar materials. At the same time, it is not necessary that they be identical: the main condition is the same cost in units of measurement (linear meter, square meter of area, etc.).

Time-based

This approach involves determining cost based on the measurement of a unit of labor time. The technique has limited application, since it is usually used only when assessing small volumes of construction work. This could be repairs, household work, etc. When it comes to the construction of large construction projects, other approaches are most often used.

Base-index

It is based on the use of databases with current and forecast indexes. In this case, the cost is often determined at a basic level, which is where the name of the method comes from. It is also determined at the current level in the values ​​of the previous period.

To determine current prices into basic costs for each element, multiply by the index, choosing a value for:

• specific industry;
• by region;
• in view of work, etc.

Resource

The total cost of the object is determined on the basis of current (or predicted, taking into account inflation and other possible risks) prices for resources and tariffs. The calculation is based on resource costs, so this approach in practice is the most optimal for both the customer and the developer himself. Natural measurement of costs allows you to adequately assess costs for different budget items. Therefore, this method can be used for any stage of development of estimate documentation.

However, the disadvantage of this approach is that it takes a lot of labor and time to make calculations. In addition, the calculation is carried out using rather complex formulas, which causes additional difficulties and increases the risk of errors or inaccuracies. Another drawback is that it is difficult for the customer to track price dynamics at the regional level. Therefore, he cannot fully control the use of funds by the contractor.

Resource index

This approach combines a resource approach, as well as the use of an index system for costing. The advantage of the method is that it provides fairly adequate calculations thanks to the use of databases that are updated monthly. Information is taken from unified pricing centers. Some experts recommend using this method not for all resources at all, but only for representative materials, as well as for leading machines. As for other calculations, they can be carried out using regional indices.

Enlarged estimate standards

In this case, this determination of cost uses enlarged estimate standards. They are expressed in different units of measurement:

• interest;
• linear meters;
• square meters of area, etc.

Most often, enlarged standards are used at 2 stages to create documentation:

1. Early design stages.
2. Development of documentation using UR, PRZS, etc.

Basic compensation

The essence of the approach is that estimators sum up the price of costs and construction work, which are determined at the basic level. Then the data obtained is clarified during the preparation of the project and the implementation of construction work, 1 spring real changes in prices and tariffs. If a difference arises, the customer compensates the costs as they arise. The most common costs include:

• overexpenditure of materials;
• additional costs associated with low labor productivity;
• loss of time due to unforeseen circumstances;
• increase in the estimate due to payment for the services of intermediaries, etc.

Structure and example of an estimate report

The ultimate goal of the calculations is to compile a consolidated estimate report, which will include the final indicators for 12 sections:

1. Preparing the construction site.
2. Main construction objects.
3. Objects for auxiliary and service purposes.
4. Energy facilities.
5. Transport and communication facilities.
6. External networks and structures of water supply, sewerage, heat supply and gas supply.
7. Improvement and landscaping of the territory.
8. Temporary buildings and structures.
9. Other work and costs.
10. Contents of the directorate (technical supervision) of an enterprise (institution) under construction.
11. Training of operational personnel.
12. Design and survey work, designer's supervision.

The completed document looks like this. The main part is presented in the form of a table with estimate numbers for each of these sections. The table also shows the names of the works, their estimated cost by type and total cost. When specifying estimate numbers, references to the relevant regulatory documents (Letters from the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, contracts, etc.) are required.

A ready-made example of a consolidated estimate report that you can use as a guide when developing documentation looks like this.

An example of preparing an estimate report

The number and features of the preparation of estimate reports directly depend on the construction/installation/improvement project, etc. Let's look at the instructions for drawing up a report using a specific example. The administration of the municipal district plans to carry out landscaping and landscaping of the territory. To do this, she enters into a contract agreement with the selected company. All work must be carried out in strict accordance with the previously drawn up estimate documentation. The work is carried out in several stages.

Stage 1. Drawing up a list of types of work

First of all, the contractor must decide on the specific types of planned work and determine their indicators:

• unit of measurement (pieces, square or cubic meters, etc.);
• amount of work (for example, 1500 m2 of territory needs to be landscaped);
• the equipment necessary to perform these tasks (bulldozers, bitumen pumps, dump trucks, asphalt pavers and many others); when performing work without the use of technology, the appropriate mark “manual” is placed.

The result of this stage should be a finished statement of planned types of work. Based on it, estimators calculate all costs for materials/work, working hours, and employee salaries. The statement is signed for each type of work - for example, in our example it will be planting trees, landscaping the lawn and much more.

Stage 2. Drawing up a sheet for calculating material costs

For each planned type of activity, a statement is drawn up identifying material costs. The document is also drawn up in the form of a table in which the following columns are indicated:

1. Type of material grouped by task. For example, for a lawn, the materials would be fertile soil and grass seeds for sowing.
2. The unit of measurement for consumption - it can also be a square or cubic meter, the amount of material, as well as its cost per unit.
3. Next, indicate the total cost in rubles and give the total cost for each type of object (lawns, trees, driveways, etc.) indicating the total price for all work.

Stage 3. Drawing up a payroll sheet for employees

Estimators must also draw up a statement of salary calculations.
The calculations are presented in the form of a table with the following columns:

1. Name of the type of work (for example, installing a lawn or planting trees).
2. The total volume indicated in the previously given units of measurement (for example, 1500 m 2 of lawn).
3. The amount of time expected to be spent on this type of activity (hour).
4. The tariff rate is rubles per hour.
5. Additional payments subject to availability.
6. The total cost is the wage fund (in rubles).

Stage 4. Compilation of statements for calculating machine hours

Estimators must also calculate data on the costs associated with the operation of each type of equipment. For this purpose, 2 reports are usually prepared. The first indicates the input data that is used to justify the calculation of machine hours (for each piece of equipment). For example, for a bulldozer it would be:

• book value;
• tariff rate for wages;
• cost of 1 liter of fuel;
• fuel consumption rate;
• cost of 1 liter of lubricant, etc.

Based on this, each indicator associated with the costs of operating a bulldozer is calculated (depreciation, wages, fuel costs, materials, garage rental, etc.). As a result, a second report (statement) is drawn up, which describes:

• indicator;
• unit of measurement (ruble, month, hour, liter, etc.);
• total cost in rubles.

Stage 5. Local estimates

Finally, the estimator also draws up several local estimates. They are statements with lists of work and materials for each object (lawn, roads, trees, etc.). The table uses the following columns:

1. Name of the type of expense (salary payment, VAT, overhead costs, etc.).
2. Total amount.
3. Note if necessary.

Thus, drawing up a consolidated estimate report is always a multi-stage and rather labor-intensive process. The speed of drawing up documentation directly depends on the complexity of the object, so usually the preparation of estimates is planned in advance.