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Title / Estimate costs for medium or large building projects
Level / 5 / Credits / 10
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to, for medium and large buildings: explain the role of the schedule of quantities in preparing a tender submission; build up unit rates for measured items from a schedule of quantities; research building material market rates and conditions; obtain and use quotations; apply overheads, profit, and on-cost items to built-up unit rates; and collate all priced components into a tender submission.
Classification / Construction > Quantity Surveying
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Recommended skills and knowledge / Unit 27155, Estimate costs for a small building project.
Explanatory notes
1Definitions
A schedule of quantities is a list of building work items with quantities set beside them.
Project requirements are the requirements of the project as set out in the tender documentation.
Trade sections are a breakdown of individual trades involved in a building project, outlining their input into the construction of a building.
Small buildings are small scale, light weight buildings, generally of non-specific design, and of domestic scale with lightweight framing and/or concrete or concrete masonry construction.
2Construction methods for medium and large buildings are similar and therefore distinctions between medium and large buildings are not required for the purpose of cost estimation. Medium and large buildings can include domestic and commercial buildings that are not covered by the definition of small buildings.
3Estimating at this level covers the build up of costings and prices for tendering purposes.
4All activities must comply with any policies, procedures, and requirements of the organisation/s involved; the ethical codes of relevant professional bodies; and any relevant legislative and/or regulatory requirements.
5Legislation and publications relevant to this unit standard include: Health and Safety Act 1992 and Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995;
Building Act 2004;
NZS 4202:1995 Standard method of measurement of building works, available from Standards New Zealand (
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Explain the role of the schedule of quantities in preparing a tender submission for medium or large building projects.
Evidence requirements
1.1Trade sections of a schedule of quantities are explained in relation to main contractor and subcontractor costs and responsibilities.
1.2The preliminary and general section of a schedule of quantities is explained in relation to main contractor and subcontractor costs and responsibilities.
Outcome 2
Build up unit rates for measured items from specific schedule of quantity trade sections for a medium or large building.
Range six of – preliminary and general work, demolition, excavation, underpinning, piling, concrete work, precast concrete, reinforcing steel, structural steel, mastic asphalting, stone masonry, metalwork, metal windows and doors, carpentry (laminated timber), joinery, proprietary partitions, plumbing and gasfitting, drainage, solid plaster, tiling, terrazzo work, site works;
one of – mechanical services, fire protection, electrical services.
Evidence requirements
2.1Measured items are separated into pricing components.
Rangelabour, materials, plant, on site overheads, off site overheads, profit.
2.2Labour, materials, and related items are selected and applied to these components to build up unit rates.
Outcome 3
Obtain and use material and equipment quotations for a medium or large building.
Evidence requirements
3.1Market rates of materials and equipment are investigated in terms of cost, availability, and conditions of sale or hire.
3.2Quotations are obtained from suppliers.
3.3Quotations are assessed against, and selected to meet, project requirements.
Outcome 4
Apply overheads, profit, and on-cost items to built-up unit rates for a medium or large building.
Evidence requirements
4.1The principles of overheads, profit requirements, and on-cost items are classified and explained in terms of total trade costs.
4.2These principles are used in the formation of built-up unit rates.
Outcome 5
Collate all priced components into a tender submission for a medium or large building.
Evidence requirements
5.1Priced items and trade totals are collated to contribute to a tender submission in accordance with tender and contract conditions.
Replacement information / This unit standard replaced unit standard 10041.Planned review date / 31 December 2015
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 18 March 2011 / N/A
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0048
This AMAP can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Consent requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Building and Construction Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101562 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018