Learn how we deliver QS-verified cost estimates in just 48 hours.
This means 48 hours measured in working days. The Clock starts from when the Vetting process is complete and we have enough information to give a meaningful Build Cost Estimate. We will advise when the project Clock is started and when the Build Cost Estimate is expected to be completed.
Example: A Project started at 12pm on a Monday will be completed at 12pm on a Wednesday (assuming no Public Holidays).
95% of projects are completed within 48 hours from the completion of the Vetting process.
When Elements are designed and specified, accuracy of measurement is high and quantities are reliable. Reliability can drop where assumptions have needed to be made.
For certain Items, where little design information exists, allowances may be nominated. These will appear in the Project Cost Estimate section of the Trade Summary.
This is a pdf document that includes a Trade Summary and a Schedule of Quantities.
Once complete, and the service fee is paid, we issue a draft Build Cost Estimate to the Design Studio for Review. When they click Finalise a completed Build Cost Estimate is emailed to the Design Studio and the Project Developer if they are paying for the service.
9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday (NZ time), excl. NZ public holidays.
When no Design information is provided for a specific Element, we use Design Assumptions so that these Elements, if needed for the project, can be accounted for in the Build Cost Estimate. Where possible, and where time allows, we take into consideration Project specifics that may influence cost related Design decisions, but we are not a design service.
A Project Summary will be issued to the Design Studio after Vetting in which any Design & Specification Assumptions will be clearly indicated. In the case you have better information about these Specifications, you will have the opportunity to nominate specific construction.
Feedback is given to us via email within our check sheet that we will supply to the Design Studio for completion of only Elements that require clarification.
If the Design Studio responds within 3 hrs of the Vetting email being sent, no fee will be charged for changes. Feedback can be given at any stage, but requests will be treated as a Variation.
Project Documentation (in pdf format unless specified otherwise) is uploaded at the time of Request in the form of:
Architectural Drawings
Structural Drawings
Landscape Drawings
Geotechnical Report
Outline Specification
Additional Notation
Renders & Visualisations (png,jpeg,pdf)
IFC files (ifc)
Updated Project Documentation is supplied via email in response to Project correspondence.
This is any information about form of construction, design or project information provided outside of the Outline Specification and or Drawing sets that may influence the Build Cost Estimate.
Drawings (pdf) that describe the building design. These may include the Outline Specification and Structural Drawings.
Written documents typically supplied by a Geotechnical Engineer outlining any foundation recommendations given for the Project. Useful if no Structural design exists at concept stage.
An IFC file can ensure the design is interpreted correctly.
If the Project has been modelled, please export an IFC file using the translator supplied in the Order Form and by following the instructions given there.
Drawings that describe any Landscape Design.
A text Document (pdf) that gives an overview of the materials, products, systems and construction expectations for the project. This can be embedded within the Architectural Drawings.
Drawings that describe the building Structural Design. Often contains Specific Design by Consulting Engineers.
Where much of the project is designed and specified, a Build Cost Estimate can fall within a 10% range of the build cost.
In cases where a significant amount of the project is based on assumptions, a Design Contingency will be added to account for potential design changes.
Product and Labour Rates are current at the time of Estimating. Any design change may result in a change to the Build Cost Estimate.
Our Fees are typically fixed for our Build Cost Estimate. This is calculated in bands on a per m2 rate for the total Gross Floor Area of the building design.
We reserve the right to require additional fees if we deem the project to be more complex. We will notify any additional fee at completed of the Vetting stage, before estimation commences.
There is no strict measure of minimum documentation. We evaluate each Project for the type of Project and potential Estimate Expectations.
If we feel there are too many Design & Specification Assumptions necessary to carry out our service, we will advise, via email correspondence, to the Design Studio who placed the order. This will give the Design Studio opportunity to review our assumptions and give the go ahead or update any Elements of the project with nominated Specifications.
In the case where exact product specification is unavailable in our database we will notify of any Product Substitutions. These will be shown in the Product Notes section of our Trade Summary.
Our Build Cost Estimate service agreement that outlines our Terms & Conditions.
Variations can be requested at any stage. They will be charged at an Hourly Rate. We reserve the right to require a Restart of the estimation service if we believe there are too many changes and the risk of error is too high or we believe it will be more beneficial to the Service Purchaser.
Depending on the stage and complexity of the variation, the 48 hour clock may be stopped.
A fee will be estimated for time to carry out the Variation and notified to the Service Purchaser before work is carried out.
Vetting is a process to understand the Project Documentation provided. Design Specification is captured in a Project Design Summary checklist and anything not specified is handled with Design & Specification Assumptions clearly indicated.
The process can take up to 2.5hrs and is necessary to be completed before the 48 hour clock is started. Vetting hours operate between 10am and 4pm on working days.
We will notify the Design Studio and the Project Developer, if they are paying for the Service, when the Vetting process is complete via email. The Design Studio will be able to review our Project Design Summary and any Design & Specification Assumptions at the start of the Cost Estimation phase.