Drawing up and subsequent filling out an estimate is rightfully considered the most important stage of any construction or repair work. In most cases, the design of a building or structure is completed by drawing up estimate documentation. In the case of performing small amounts of work, for example, repair or finishing, when the project is not being developed, an estimate is also necessary. This is explained by the fact that it serves as initial information for the development of many related documents necessary and important for the effective organization of work, in particular, a work schedule and a delivery schedule for the necessary materials and mechanisms.

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

Form and sample estimate for work

Essentially, the document in question consists of two parts:

• calculation of direct costs, which are determined based on 2001 prices and are converted into current prices by multiplying by the corresponding price increase index, established quarterly. Direct costs consist of the following elements:
  • Cost of materials;
  • basic salary of workers;
  • costs for EMM (operation of machines and mechanisms necessary to perform work), including salary for machinists;
  • calculation of overhead costs and estimated profit, made taking into account the standards in force at the time of drawing up the estimate.

The disadvantage of this method is that the 2001 prices used when using it often do not take into account the realities of today, since at the time of compilation many technologies and materials simply did not exist. However, for the construction of budget facilities and most private large construction projects, there is no alternative to the base-index method today.

How to make an estimate for work

As an example of a simplified form of an estimate for the renovation of a room, you can give the following table.

	Name of works			Price per unit	Cost of work
	Dismantling partitions
	Removing the balcony door
	Construction of partitions from foam blocks
	Plastering partitions and walls
	Putty, primer and painting of plastered surfaces
	Balcony door installation
	Plastering door and window slopes
	Putty, primer and painting of window and door slopes
	TOTAL according to estimate				139 080=

The importance of competent preparation and execution of estimates

As already noted, filling out an estimate allows you not only to get an approximate amount that construction or a certain amount of work will cost. This value is necessary to determine the contract price of an object or stage of work, both for the customer or investor, and for the contractor, that is, the direct manufacturer.

But in addition to this direct functional purpose, a competent and modeled estimate will allow you to plan the work in such a way that it is completed as quickly as possible and at a lower cost. In addition, the estimate also helps to determine the need for the necessary materials, which, in combination with the work schedule, will allow us to develop a schedule for their delivery.

Main objectives of the estimate

Developing and filling out an estimate allows you to solve three most important tasks at once, always facing any contractor and customer:

• determining the cost of construction or carrying out any work. In modern conditions, the estimated price is the most important parameter, vital for all participants in the construction process. The customer is interested in not overpaying, and the contractor is interested in receiving a decent reward for the work. A well-prepared estimate allows you to take into account the wishes of both parties and get an amount that suits everyone;
• development of a calendar plan. The timing of the construction of a building or the completion of any work is often no less important to the customer than its cost. The timely delivery of the object and, naturally, receipt of compensation, possibly with a bonus, depend on this. An estimate for work, made according to the sample, provides builders with all the necessary information to develop a schedule;
• development of a materials supply schedule. When the estimate is filled out correctly, the need for materials and mechanisms becomes clear, which, in combination with the calendar plan, makes it possible to draw up another document that is important for the smooth work of builders - a materials supply schedule. Effectively operating construction organizations do not purchase materials for the entire project at once - this simply freezes money that could be much more efficiently spent on something more important at the moment, and also requires significant costs for warehousing, etc. Also, any downtime of equipment and workers is extremely unprofitable, which is fraught with equally serious additional costs.

As a result, we can say the following: drawing up an estimate allows you not only to understand the cost of construction or a separate stage of work, but also to effectively plan their implementation.

Base-index method of drawing up and filling out estimates

There are several different methods for generating estimated costs. When constructing large objects, when filling out estimates takes place as part of project development, the base-index method is almost always used. In this case, the estimate standards of 2001 and conversion indices to current prices are used for calculations.

Simplified estimate form

Quite often, especially when construction or repairs are carried out on a self-employed basis or on small projects, a simpler estimate form is used, which consists only of calculating direct costs. It contains a list of the scope of work and prices for them, which can be divided into the same components as in the version described above: salary of workers, cost of materials and, if necessary, costs of machinery and mechanisms. In this case, the estimate form, after it has been completed and filled out, will look as shown in the following photo:

When drawing up and filling out such a simplified version of the estimate, the contractor’s profit is established on the basis of his negotiations with the customer or construction investor.

Form of object estimate for work performance

Quite often, especially when constructing large objects, several so-called local estimates are drawn up at once, that is, separate calculations for each type of work performed. In this case, to obtain the total cost of construction, they are combined into a general object estimate, a sample form of which is shown in the following photo.

Object estimate

Drawing up and filling out a project estimate allows you to bring together all the information about the facility under construction, even when individual stages of its construction are carried out by different contractors. Often local estimates are also calculated by them. Therefore, summarizing all the disparate data is extremely important for any customer or investor.

Programs for drawing up and filling out estimates

Currently, there are many programs that are used in preparing estimates. With some degree of convention, they can be divided into two groups:

Free. They are posted online on thematic resources. Are freely available.

Professional. Used for work by specialists. To use, you must purchase a distribution kit of the service product.

In the first case, there is no particular need to describe programs, since they appear almost constantly, having similar parameters:

• the ability to perform the simplest calculations;
• lack of updating of regulatory frameworks (if they exist at all);
• minimal functionality.

Professional estimate programs are used much more actively, since without them it is almost impossible to compile high-quality documentation for any large object. The most popular products at the moment are the following:

GRAND Estimate

According to experts, the most widely used estimate program. Its advantages are the ability to automate the entire complex of estimate work, the speed of making changes to the regulatory framework and effective technical support of the product.

Smeta.ru

The only program that really competes with the GRAND Estimate described above. The main advantage of the product is its ease of use, which allows you to work with it without having the professional knowledge of an estimator.

1C: Contractor (or 1C: Construction Organization Management)

These programs are not purely budgetary. However, they are quite popular due to the fact that 1C is used for accounting at the vast majority of Russian enterprises, including construction ones. The software products in question help to draw up the necessary estimate documentation; as a bonus, they are integrated into the company’s unified work management system.

Turbo surveyor

The program is easy to learn and use, yet has quite serious functionality. It is not used as often as compared to GRAND Smeta and Smeta.ru.

WinSmeta, Rick and Bagheera

Software products whose peak popularity is in the past. However, a certain number of professional estimators still continue to use them, which is explained by a number of undoubted advantages: wide functionality, editing capabilities, adjustments, etc.

Basic mistakes when drawing up estimates

There are several main types of errors that occur when drawing up and processing estimates in practice. The most typical are the following:

Error 1. Insufficient detail or excessive enlargement of the estimate. Any well-written estimate must contain a complete list and volume of work performed and, accordingly, prices for them. In practice, often the customer and the contractor, having found out that the price level suits both parties, agree on the cost of a stage of work, for example, the renovation of one room. As a result, in fact, we get a situation where the actual amount of work performed does not coincide with what was initially expected. The result is a conflict situation, since it is not clear how to evaluate the increase or decrease in cost of work;

Error 2. Inaccurate accounting of volumes. The basis for the construction estimate must be a correctly and accurately compiled bill of quantities; in the case of repairs, a defective bill of quantities. In both situations, the result of drawing up the estimate depends on the correctness of their preparation. An error at first can lead to a fairly serious distortion of the final cost of the calculation, since in most cases multiplication occurs by various indices and prices, so the magnitude of the error increases all the time;

Error 3. Incorrect application of prices contained in GESNs and TERs. One of the main problems of the basis-index method, the most common in real life, which was mentioned above, is the discrepancy between the available types of work and those encountered in practice. Therefore, quite often it is necessary to use the existing prices “as applicable”. This is a special term coined by estimators for such a situation. The more “as applicable” prices are used when filling out estimates, the more likely it is that the final figure will be incorrect. Naturally, it is worth taking into account the fact that customers try to use low “applicable” prices, and contractors, on the contrary, are the most profitable.

In any case, the preparation and execution of estimates should be considered an important and extremely necessary preparatory stage of any construction in modern conditions. It is better to entrust its implementation to professional and trained estimators, which will not only create the optimal cost of work for the customer and contractor, but also organize their effective implementation in the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost.

Construction is a very labor-intensive process, which includes various technical, repair and loading and unloading work. In addition, a large amount of construction equipment is used to build the facility, teams of workers are involved, etc. In a word, the number of construction stages may well confuse both the customer and the contractor, which will lead to the possible appearance of “non-targeted expenses”, therefore, at the beginning of construction or repair work, it is necessary to draw up an estimate in order to know exactly where and for what purposes the funds should be spent.

Types of estimates and methods of calculation

An estimate is a document that is agreed upon between the customer and the contractor and contains a complete list of the types of work planned to be performed at the construction site, building materials, technical equipment, etc. The document also states the volume of all units listed, the cost per unit and the total amount. In addition, the estimate contains information on the cost of the work specified in it, the standards and timing of the work, the cost of paying workers, renting and operating technical equipment at base prices, as well as a conversion factor to current prices. In order to understand how to draw up an estimate, you need to know what types of this document there are. There are three main types of estimates:

• local;
• object;
• summary.

Since construction is a fairly lengthy process, it is impossible to take into account all the nuances before laying the foundation. The contractor cannot know in advance what types of work will be required or whether any complications or force majeure will arise. Therefore, in the current construction process, local estimates are used, which take into account all expenses, costs and deadlines for a specific type of work. Local estimates are used to create an object-type estimate - this type of estimate describes the construction project completely. Summary estimates are compiled from object estimates and are needed to describe several construction objects. As mentioned above, it is impossible to accurately predict how the cost of labor, material resources and construction equipment will change over time, so estimates are drawn up based on base prices compiled in 2006, which are then converted to current ones. There are four methods for converting estimates into current prices:

• base-index;
• basic compensation;
• resourceful;
• resource-index.

The base-index method involves the use of forecast and current indices in relation to values ​​determined using base prices or prices of the previous period. The base-compensation method is applied using forecast prices based on base prices, taking into account expected growth/decrease, which are adjusted after the fact during the construction process. Resource method - costs in the estimate with this approach are indicated in natural values, which are then calculated on the basis of current prices, which are determined at the time of drawing up the estimate document. Resource-index method - the method is similar to the base-index method with the only difference being that the calculation is performed in natural quantities. There are no regulations on the use of the type of estimate calculation - for each specific object, an independently selected type of calculation is used, which is prescribed in the contract.

Algorithm for adjusting the estimate

Financial investments are not unlimited, so if the cost of the project is too high, the question arises of how to reduce the estimate in order to stay within the planned budget. There are several ways: 1. Before carrying out repair work on a large construction project, you can ask the construction company for a discount on the list of services provided. As a rule, construction companies take this step to strengthen cooperation, especially if the customer may become a regular customer in the future. A good opportunity to get a discount is the period of decline in orders, when it is unprofitable for the company to lose a client. 2. As a rule, building materials are purchased with a 10% reserve for unforeseen expenses, so you can discuss with specialists where it is advisable not to do this in order to save money. The same applies to hiring workers and allocating time for construction work. To create an estimate that will save your budget, consult with professionals: what types of work can be reduced in time or abandoned altogether, where the number of workers can be reduced, and where the amount of materials used can be reduced.

Stages of independent budget development

The services of an estimator are quite expensive, so in order to save money, you can use the following diagram to figure out how to learn how to make an estimate yourself: 1) First of all, you need to study estimate standards. There are three types of standards in total: Their main difference is the scope, so you need to know what type of construction will be used - this will determine which calculation units should be used. 2) Having decided on the base, you should select the type of calculation that will be used in this project. 3) Create types and quantities of estimates, combining them into a single structure. It is necessary to know how many local and site estimates will be used, which will then be combined into a single consolidated estimate. 4) The next stage is the direct calculation of the estimate. To know how to write an estimate correctly at this stage, you should thoroughly study what types of work will be used, how many units of equipment, building materials, workers and time will be needed for this, as well as standard standards of completion. 5) Next, you need to decide on the method of bringing the estimate to current prices. 6) After performing the calculation, it is necessary to bring the document into the appropriate form, the form of which is determined by the regulatory framework. According to the rules, the estimate is divided into three components:

• direct costs – purchase of building materials, rental/purchase of special equipment, wages of workers;
• overhead costs are the costs that go towards paying for the organization of the construction process and its administrative part;
• estimated profit is a type of cost that goes towards paying the contractor's remuneration.

To prepare an estimate, it is better to use professional services. There are many companies that provide these services. It is enough to conclude an agreement on drawing up an estimate with her and pay for the work. As a rule, companies provide written guarantees for the correctness of the estimates drawn up and are ready to justify each point of the provided document.

We make the estimate correctly!

In this article we will look at an important issue: how to correctly draw up an estimate. What is an estimate?

A cost estimate is a financial document that includes the prices of all work performed and a list of materials and tools used in construction. The cost estimate must include overhead costs, which generally amount to 15% of the total amount. In addition, the estimate includes contingencies, the amount of which in most cases is 2%. The estimate must take into account the profit of the contractor's company; the profit margin is 12 - 15%.

How to draw up a construction estimate correctly? Of course, adjustments may be made to the estimate. All changes - from the brand of concrete to the brand of wallpaper - must be agreed with the customer. The estimate is agreed upon with the customer and is an integral part of the contract. Unscrupulous contractors will claim that it is impossible to take into account all aspects of construction and will offer you an indicative estimate; such an estimate should not be accepted by the customer, and such performers should be fired. Qualified engineers take into account all materials and even such aspects as the brand and number of screws. Such an organization should be given preference. During the construction or renovation process, changes may be made to the estimate, but only with the customer’s permission or at your request, of course, if the materials have not yet been paid for and the work has not yet been completed. If you draw up a grand estimate correctly, it will help you track the progress of construction and pay for the contractor’s services according to the stages of implementation, because according to the estimate, a schedule of financing and work is drawn up.

Many companies approach the work of drawing up estimates quite flexibly, that is, at your request, they calculate several options for the estimate, including various types of materials and equipment in the estimate. After you get acquainted with them, you can choose the most optimal option for you. A company that treats customers conscientiously will definitely advise you on how to fulfill your order efficiently and save money.

If draw up a construction estimate correctly, you will be able to determine the amount required for construction and compare it with the possibilities of your budget. Perhaps, after reading the cost estimate, you will reconsider certain aspects of construction or repair, for example, decide to replace European plumbing with domestic ones or use cheaper laminate in construction instead of parquet boards. However, with this approach, all existing limits must be taken into account. For example, in order to replace existing load-bearing walls made of reinforced concrete with walls made of cheap gas silicate blocks, you will have to make changes to the project, which will require additional time and money. Therefore, it is better to make final decisions at the design stage.

☛ Let us remind you that if you want to familiarize yourself with ready-made estimates for various types of work, you can easily find them in ours.

☛ Also available on our portal with a large number of estimate terms.

Drawing up estimates for construction work is mandatory, since almost every project has a budget that needs approval. In the article we will talk about the basic principles of developing construction estimates and how the Business.Ru service will help in drawing up estimates.

What you will learn about:

Basic principles of budgeting

Any estimate is made to have a plan for completing a specific project, but also solves other problems. For example, drawing up estimates for construction and other repair work is necessary to:

• separate the money needed for various materials, procedures and work;
• understand and tell the customer how much construction will cost;
• manage cash flows evenly and correctly, in accordance with time and requirements;
• check the financial feasibility of a particular design.

The construction estimate shows the cost of materials and work that are necessary for each of the processes separately.

Traditionally, the estimate is an annex to the contract for the provision of construction services.

The functionality for preparing estimates is one of the new products of the Business.Ru service. This is useful for entrepreneurs and system users who are engaged in construction or finishing work professionally. Also, the ability to draw up construction estimates will simplify communication with contractors for store owners who delve into the process of repairing their facilities.

The principles for drawing up estimates are prescribed in the special guide “Methodology for determining the cost of construction products on the territory of the Russian Federation” MDS 81-35-2004.

According to him, there are several types of estimates. Basically, the document defines estimates when working with government orders and official bodies.

Types of construction estimates

MDS 81-35-2004 identifies the following types of construction estimates:

• local estimates (primary documents for the construction of large objects and structures: buildings, roads, etc. at a basic price level and with a forecast);
• object estimates (documents with figures from local estimates, compiled with prices of the current year);
• summary estimates (created on the basis of previous documents, as well as on the basis of the expected costs of operating the administrative apparatus). They determine the final limit of funds that will be required for the construction of objects.

Important! Methodological recommendations are necessary for professional estimators for large government orders or construction companies. When preparing such estimates, they usually use directories with prices for 2000, and then change them using a coefficient.

If we are talking about small companies when working with private companies or individuals, then a simpler version of the estimate is drawn up. The type of such document differs according to the areas of construction: a general estimate for construction work, as well as an estimate for finishing, electrical, design, plumbing, roofing, installation and other types of work.

An estimate for construction work is necessary if there is a global project ahead: from the construction of a new building to the addition of a new premises.

The sample estimate for construction work differs from other estimates in a large number of positions. For example, it may indicate not only a list of installation, but also dismantling work.

A sample estimate for construction work looks like this:

You can create a sample estimate for construction work yourself in an Excel spreadsheet, or you can use special services for preparing estimates. For example, this functionality is available in the cloud accounting system Business.Ru.

Based on the results of work in the service, the finished estimate is also uploaded to Excel, where it can be further corrected.

Electrical installation work is the whole range of repair work related to electrical wiring. These include complete and partial replacement of electrical wiring, electrical wiring in a new building, and even installation of an electrical panel, sockets and lamps.

The peculiarity of such a document is that the basis of the estimate is a list of works with costs. You can make an estimate for electrical installation work using the Business.Ru service.

Example of an estimate for electrical installation work:

After the contract between the contractor and the customer, a store with electrical equipment is selected where the purchase will be made (or the equipment is purchased by the client himself through the online store).

Design work is the first stage in the construction of a building. When designing a structure, the estimate takes into account the remuneration of specialists. Typically, estimates for design work are drawn up using special reference books where wages and coefficients are calculated. Such a document has a small number of columns.

Example of an estimate for design work:

The estimate for repair work can be very varied. It includes sections related to finishing or minor repairs.

An example of an estimate for repair work to level the walls in a room where radiators were already installed:

Plumbing work is a group of works related to the installation and replacement of water and sewer pipes, as well as the installation and dismantling of washbasins, toilets, taps, radiators, etc.

Small private companies and individual entrepreneurs make estimates for plumbing work without taking into account guidelines for remuneration.

A sample estimate for plumbing work is presented below:

As is the case with the general estimate for construction work, the estimate for roofing work usually includes not only installation, but also dismantling work.

The picture shows a sample estimate for roofing work in an administrative building:

Welding work is usually prepared as a separate estimate only by professional estimators in large construction companies, taking into account methodological recommendations.

However, if minor welding work is performed, then the estimate for welding work can be performed in simpler programs for preparing documents. For example, in the cloud service “Business.Ru”.

Sample fragment of an estimate for welding work:

If work is carried out with excavation of soil or, conversely, backfilling it (into holes), such work is called earthwork.

The estimate for excavation work usually includes the cost of the work itself (wages for workers and foreman), as well as consumables: shovels, bags, etc.

This is what a fragment of a sample estimate for earthworks looks like, made according to methodological recommendations:

Dismantling work is a set of works associated with the destruction of a building or part of it (for example, walls, windows, doors, etc.).

Typically, in such a document, in addition to the cost of dismantling work, the fee for removing garbage from the floor, collecting and removing garbage to a landfill is indicated.

Sample estimate for dismantling work:

Installation work is a set of works related to the installation of something. The estimate for installation work includes calculation of the price of the equipment, as well as the cost of its installation.

In the Business.Ru program, you can create a similar estimate that will help sell a set of goods for the installation of technically complex products. For example, when implementing smart home systems or an electronic barrier.

By the way, a sample estimate for barrier installation work, which a store could print for a client, is presented below:

Commissioning works - a set of works after installation of equipment: checking and adjusting all processes. Typically, estimates for commissioning are drawn up in large construction companies, taking into account the codes and positions of the standards specified in special reference books.

Sample estimate for commissioning work:

Finishing work is the final stage of repair. For example, work on wallpapering, laying laminate flooring, installing doors, etc.

A sample estimate for finishing work in one of the office rooms is presented below. It includes finishing of the ceiling, walls and floor.

Estimate for work and materials

An estimate for work and materials is a simplified type of estimate that is used for minor repairs. For example, if your store just needs to paint the walls, the sample labor and materials estimate will only include the cost of paint and refinishing.

Estimate for survey work

Survey work is a list of works necessary to explore the construction site. The survey estimate includes both economic and technical work.

Economic calculations include studies that substantiate the benefits of constructing a building in this particular location. Technical is a set of matters in the field of geology and geodesy, which are also carried out before construction.

The sample estimate for survey work mainly includes costs for salaries, as well as for the delivery of specialists to the site of the proposed construction (gasoline, car rental, etc.).

The concept of estimated cost in construction

Determining the estimated cost is used not only by estimators, but also by all foremen who draw up estimates without taking into account standards. In the most general sense, the estimated cost is the amount of money intended for construction. It represents the final amount on which the contractor and the customer rely to determine the amount of financing.

When deriving the estimated cost, prices for construction goods, costs for equipment (rent, purchase), removal and delivery, and wage costs for workers and their supervisor are taken into account.

The estimated cost is determined by direct and overhead costs, as well as the estimated profit of the organization.

Direct costs include the cost of materials, operation of machinery and mechanisms, as well as wages of employees.

Overhead costs in construction estimates are indirect cash costs that are associated with the organization of work. These include, for example, remuneration for the administrative apparatus, payment for the use of programs for drawing up estimates and other documentation, the use of mobile communications, rental of administrative premises, etc.

Estimated profit is money to cover the costs of contractors and stimulate the work of workers (for example, bonuses for overtime).

Top 5 mistakes when drawing up estimates

When preparing construction estimates, errors periodically occur. Here are the top 5 most common mistakes.

1. No budget at all. The customer meets with the foreman and finds out the prices for the work in words. The contractor was recommended by a friend, so the future client does not doubt his honesty and simply inquires about the prices in order to estimate the costs.

As a result, the amount of construction or repair costs exceeds all permissible limits. After all, if there is no specific agreement on materials, the contractor will buy more construction materials than required.

1. There is no scope of work. The construction estimate may simply indicate the amount of costs for a particular action (for example, repairing a utility room), but does not indicate the scope of work.

As a result, it turns out that when drawing up the estimate, the contractor indicated only the main work on this object, and forgot additional, smaller ones (on purpose or by accident - it doesn’t matter in this case). The client has to pay extra.

For example, in a store the ceiling is being leveled. The contractor decided to use mesh and a minimal layer of plaster. But during the removal of the old coating, very large joints between the slabs are discovered, which requires 5 times more plaster consumption. The client's repair costs are rising.

1. Additional work in the estimate. This error may be accidental or special. Sometimes non-professional builders do not know about simpler technology and assume a more complex set of works. Additional work may appear in the estimate intentionally in order to increase the cost of labor.
2. Exceeding the quantity of materials in the estimate. Overestimating the amount of materials by more than 15% of what is required is not the contractor's insurance, but a mistake. After all, in order to make a good construction estimate, for example, for the renovation of a store, you need to measure all the walls, windows, doorways, check the unevenness of surfaces, etc. However, rarely does a contractor approach calculations so thoroughly.
3. Not all work is included in the estimate. An unscrupulous contractor may devote the bulk of the estimate to preparatory work. The customer, without fully considering the estimate, but only seeing the final amount, sees that the price suits him, and signs the contract.

As a result, the contractor does the rough work and disappears. The customer, having carefully looked at the estimate, sees that he really only paid for the preparatory part. As a result, such an “error” in the construction estimate leads to overpayment.

Estimates play an important role in planning and design work. Without it, it will not be possible to launch any serious project. Particularly often, estimates are resorted to in the construction industry. Of course, drawing up an estimate correctly is not an easy task, which only specialists can do. But they are also forced to resort to various software, often paid, to perform this task. But, if you have a copy of Excel installed on your PC, then it is quite possible to create a high-quality estimate in it, without purchasing expensive, highly targeted software. Let's figure out how to do this in practice.

A cost estimate is a complete list of all expenses that an organization will incur when implementing a specific project or simply for a certain period of time of its activities. For calculations, special standard indicators are used, which, as a rule, are publicly available. The specialist should rely on them when drawing up this document. It should also be noted that the estimate is drawn up at the initial stage of launching the project. Therefore, this procedure must be taken especially seriously, since it is, in fact, the foundation of the project.

Often the estimate is divided into two large parts: the cost of materials and the cost of performing work. At the very end of the document, these two types of expenses are summed up and are subject to VAT if the enterprise that is the contractor is registered as a payer of this tax.

Stage 1: Start of compilation

Let's try to make a simple estimate in practice. Before you begin, you need to receive a technical specification from the customer, on the basis of which you will plan it, and also arm yourself with reference books with standard indicators. Instead of reference books, you can also use Internet resources.

Stage 2: drafting Section I

1. In the first row of the table we write the name . This name will not fit into one cell, but there is no need to push the boundaries, because later we will simply remove them, but for now we will leave them as they are.



2. Next, we fill out the estimate table itself with the names of materials that are planned to be used to implement the project. In this case, if the names do not fit into the cells, then we move them apart. In the third column we enter the amount of specific material required to complete a given amount of work, in accordance with current standards. Next we indicate its unit of measurement. In the next column we write the price per unit. Column "Sum" We do not touch it until we fill the entire table with the above data. The values ​​will be output to it using a formula. We also do not touch the first column with numbering.



3. Now let's place the data with quantity and units of measurement in the center of the cells. We select the range in which this data is located and click on the icon on the ribbon that is already familiar to us "Align to Center".



4. Next, we will number the entered positions. To a column cell "No.", which corresponds to the first name of the material, enter the number "1". Select the element of the sheet into which this number was entered and place the pointer on its lower right corner. It transforms into a fill marker. Hold down the left mouse button and drag down, inclusively, to the last line, which contains the name of the material.



5. But, as we see, the cells were not numbered in order, since all of them contain the number "1". To change this, click on the icon "Fill Options", which is located at the bottom of the selected range. A list of options opens. Move the switch to position "Fill in".



6. As you can see, after this the line numbers were set in order.



7. After all the names of materials that will be required for the implementation of the project have been entered, we proceed to calculating the amount of costs for each of them. As you might guess, the calculation will involve multiplying the quantity by the price for each item separately.

   Place the cursor in a column cell "Sum", which corresponds to the first name from the list of materials in the table. We put up a sign «=» . Next, in the same line, click on the sheet element in the column "Quantity". As you can see, its coordinates are immediately displayed in the cell for displaying the cost of materials. After that, use the keyboard to put the sign "multiply" (* ). Next, in the same line, click on the element in the column "Price".

   In our case, we got the following formula:

   But in your specific situation it may have other coordinates.



8. To display the calculation result on the screen, press the button Enter on keyboard.



9. But we only displayed the result for one position. Of course, by analogy you can enter formulas for the remaining cells of the column "Sum", but there is an easier and faster way using the fill marker, which we already talked about above. Place the cursor in the lower right corner of the cell with the formula and, after converting it into a fill marker, hold down the left mouse button and drag down to the last name.



10. As you can see, the total cost for each individual material in the table is calculated.



11. Now let's calculate the total cost of all materials combined. We skip the line and make an entry in the first cell of the next line "Total by materials".



12. Then, holding down the left mouse button, select the range in the column "Sum" from the first name of the material to the line "Total by materials" inclusive. While in the tab "Home" click on the icon "Autosum", which is located on the ribbon in the toolbox "Editing".



13. As you can see, the total cost of purchasing all materials to complete the work has been calculated.



14. As we know, monetary expressions indicated in rubles are usually used with two decimal places after the decimal point, meaning not only rubles, but also kopecks. In our table, monetary values ​​are presented exclusively in whole numbers. To fix this, select all the numeric values ​​of the columns "Price" And "Sum", including the summary line. Right-click on the selection. The context menu opens. Select the item in it "Cell Format...".



15. The formatting window launches. Moving to the tab "Number". In the parameter block "Number Formats" set the switch to position "Numerical". On the right side of the window in the field "Number of decimal places" number must be set "2". If this is not the case, then enter the required number. After this, click on the button "OK" at the bottom of the window.



16. As you can see, the price and cost values ​​are now displayed in the table with two decimal places.



17. After that, we’ll work a little on the appearance of this part of the estimate. Select the line containing the name "Section I: Material Costs". Located in the tab "Home", click on the button in the block "Alignment on tape". Then click on the icon we are already familiar with "Bold" in the block "Font".



18. After this we go to the line "Total by materials". Select it all to the end of the table and press the button again "Bold".



19. Then we select the cells of this line again, but this time we do not include in the selection the element in which the total amount is located. Click on the triangle to the right of the button on the ribbon "Merge and Place in Center". Select the option from the drop-down list of actions "Merge Cells".
20. As you can see, the sheet elements are combined. At this point, the work with dividing the costs of materials can be considered completed.

Step 3: Compiling Section II

We proceed to the preparation of the section of the estimate, which will reflect the costs of performing direct work.

Stage 4: Calculation of total costs

1. Skip the line after the last entry and write in the first cell "Total for the project".



2. After this, select a cell in the column in this line "Sum". It is not difficult to guess that the total amount for the project will be calculated by adding the values "Total by materials" And “Total cost of work”. Therefore, in the selected cell we put a sign «=» , and then click on the sheet element containing the value "Total by materials". Then set the sign from the keyboard «+» . Next, click on the cell “Total cost of work”. We got a formula like this:

   But, naturally, for each specific case the coordinates in this formula will have their own form.



3. To display the total cost per sheet, click on the button Enter.



4. If the contractor is a value added tax payer, then add two more lines below: "VAT" And .



5. As you know, the VAT amount in Russia is 18% of the tax base. In our case, the tax base is the amount written in the line "Total for the project". Thus, we will need to multiply this value by 18% or 0.18. Place in the cell that is at the intersection of the line "VAT" and column "Sum" sign «=» . Next, click on the cell with the value "Total for the project". We type the expression from the keyboard "*0.18". In our case, we get the following formula:

   Click on the key Enter to calculate the result.



6. After this, we will need to calculate the total cost of the work, including VAT. There are several options for calculating this value, but in our case the easiest way would be to simply add the total cost of work without VAT with the amount of VAT.

   So, in the line “Total for the project including VAT” in the column "Sum" add cell addresses "Total for the project" And "VAT" in the same way that we summed up the cost of materials and work. For our estimate, the following formula is obtained:

   Click on the button ENTER. As you can see, we have received a value that indicates that the total costs of implementing the project by the contractor, including VAT, will be 56,533.80 rubles.



7. Next, we will format the three resulting lines. Select them completely and click on the icon "Bold" in the tab "Home".



8. After this, to make the totals stand out among other estimate information, you can increase the font. Without deselecting the tab "Home", click on the triangle to the right of the field "Font size", which is located on the ribbon in the toolbox "Font". From the drop-down list, select a font size that is larger than the current one.



9. Then select all the total rows up to the column "Sum". While in the tab "Home" click on the triangle located to the right of the button "Merge and Place in Center". Select the option from the drop-down list "Merge by Row".

Stage 5: Completing the estimate

Now to fully complete the estimate, we only need to make some cosmetic touches.

After this, the preparation of the estimate in Excel can be considered complete.

We looked at an example of drawing up a simple estimate in Excel. As you can see, this spreadsheet processor has in its arsenal all the tools to cope with this task perfectly. Moreover, if necessary, much more complex estimates can be made in this program.