Section 3: instructions

This isurv section is based on BCIS Elemental Standard Form of Cost Analysis (4th (NRM) edition) published in 2012.

Provide the following information:

Note: The information requirements relate specifically to an analysis at the element level; however, they apply equally to building total, group element, element and subelement analyses where appropriate.

3.1.1 Project details

Project title: Make the title descriptive of the building and meaningful to someone who does not know the project, e.g. ‘Meat Packing Factory, St John’s Estate’ rather than ‘St John’s Estate Phase 2’.

Building type: Defined by its user function (Uniclass Table D Facilities).

Type of work: New build, horizontal extension, refurbishment, etc.

Location: Site address including town, county and postcode (Note: report the location of the project less precisely if the client so desires).

Client: Name of client and/or the client type, e.g. local authority, private owner/occupier, property company, health trust, government department, etc.

Dates: Provide:

• base date: the contractual date at which the pricing levels have been set;
• date for receipt of tenders (where relevant);
• date of acceptance (where relevant); and
• date of possession of site.

Project descriptions: Brief description of the building, its function and the project as a whole, e.g. facilitating works, other buildings and external works. Include any special or unusual features affecting the overall costs that are not noted elsewhere.

Site conditions: Description of the site conditions with regard to:

• topography, slope, contours;
• ground conditions;
• water table, running water;
• details of the site prior to building, e.g. woodland, existing buildings, reclaimed brownfield, etc.;
• working space, proximity of other buildings, infrastructure, etc.; and
• access.

Accommodation, design features: Provide:

• a general description of accommodation;
• where a building incorporates more than 1 function (e.g. a block of offices with shops or car park deck), the gross internal floor areas of each should be shown separately;
• a description of the building shape, or where drawings are not provided, give a thumbnail sketch showing overall dimensions and number of storeys in height;
• any particular factors affecting design/cost relationship resulting from user requirements or dictates of the site; and
• brief specification and construction details.

Complex contracts: A cost analysis must apply to a single building. In a complex contract (i.e. a contract which contains a requirement for the erection of more than 1 building), the size of the contract may have an important bearing on price levels obtained. If this situation occurs, it should be identified in the project details showing totals of:

• building analysed;
• building 2…;
• building…n;
• external works;
• facilitating works;
• preliminaries;
• main contractor’s overheads and profit; and
• total contract costs.

3.1.2 Details of building

Floor areas:

• gross internal floor area;
• area of basement floors;
• ground floor area;
• area of upper floors;
• usable floor area;
• circulation floor area;
• ancillary floor area;
• internal divisions floor area;
• area of lowest floor; and
• area of floor spaces not enclosed.

Internal cube

Number of units: Where the analysis is for more than 1 building of the same type or for more than 1 unit in a block, e.g. terrace of industrial units or block of flats - state the total number of units covered by the analysis.

Roof area (as built)

Area of vertical envelope (external wall area): The area of the vertical enclosure of the building measured on the internal face. This would normally be the sum of the external wall and windows element unit quantities.

Site area

Number of storeys: provide:

• total number of floors including basement floors;
• the number of basement floors, i.e. the number of floors below the ground floor;
• where the parts of the building have different numbers of storeys, give the approximate percentage of building (based on gross internal floor area), having a different number of storeys, i.e. 20% single storey, 30% 2 storey, 50% 3 storey; and
• exclude structures such as lift, plant or tank rooms and the like above main roof slab.

Storey height: Give average storey height for the building. Alternatively, give the differing heights and the floor areas to which they relate.

Functional units: State any relevant functional units, e.g. numbers of bedrooms and bedspaces in housing, numbers of vehicle spaces in car parks, etc. (see Recommended functional units).

Building accreditation scores: Provide details of any quality, energy, sustainability, etc. rating. Give score and details of accreditation scheme and version.

Carbon emissions: Provide details of carbon equivalent emissions (CO2), both operational and embodied. Give details of basis of calculation and result.

3.1.3 Procurement details

Project tender price index: State project index, indexing authority and base date.

Type of contract: State name of contract, any option choice and edition.

Cost fluctuations: Details of any provision for fluctuations (variation of price) in the contract.

Contract period in weeks: Stipulated by client, offered by builder (if different), agreed.

Contract pricing documentation: Details of contractual pricing documents, e.g. employer’s requirements and contract sum analysis, bill of quantities, bill of approximate quantities, schedule of rates, target cost, specification and drawings, schedule of works, etc.

Selection of contractor: Details of selection process, e.g. open or selected competition, 2-stage tenders, negotiated, serial contract, framework agreement, etc.

Market conditions: Give details of market for construction affecting the project. Indicate level of current work, availability of labour and materials, keenness of competition, and any special contract requirements. State if project is part of a larger framework or partnering agreement. Give details of any pain gain/ share. If project tendered, give details of any amendments made prior to award and, where applicable, state reasons why lowest tender was not accepted.

Number of tenders issued and received: Where appropriate.

Competitive tender list: List tenders received in descending order of value.

Basis of analysis: State the document used to prepare the analysis, e.g. lowest tender, amended tender, agreed target cost, final account, etc. If a lowest tender was not accepted or was amended, state reason.

Contract breakdown: Show make up of contract sum appropriate to the contract, foe example:

• measured work;
• provisional sums;
• prime cost sums;
• preliminaries;
• contingencies;
• contractor’s design fees on a Design and Build contract; and
• contract sum.