Just as a theater begins with a hanger, so any home renovation begins with an estimate. It doesn't matter if you are renovating a whole house or starting a renovation of one bathroom or kitchen.

What is an estimate?

The estimate is a list of all the work necessary to achieve the goal, the parameters of these works in the accepted units of measurement and the cost of these works, as well as the quantity and cost of materials and related services for their delivery.

It does not matter whether you do the repair yourself or hire professional builders. In the latter case, the builders themselves will draw up an estimate, but you must be able to check it and evaluate both the literacy of its preparation and the conscientiousness when indicating the prices for work! Otherwise, you should not approve the estimate and insist on clarifications and changes. And for this, you yourself must be able to draw up estimates for the repair of an apartment or house.

The estimate is necessary in order to determine the budget for future repairs and measure it with your capabilities. Otherwise, having started the repair, it may never be completed due to the fact that the money has run out or the obligatory work has been overlooked.

estimate- this is also a step-by-step list of works that allows not to violate the mandatory sequence of repair actions, that is, the technology of a particular process.

If you are planning to renovate a dwelling in which you have already lived, then the estimate must include the dismantling of old elements: for example, the dismantling of a false ceiling, the dismantling of old wallpaper, the dismantling of partitions, the dismantling of flooring, knocking down tiles, and so on.

If you make repairs in a completely new room, that is, bring the “construction option” to a residential state, then the estimate will have a different type of work: for example, leveling a concrete floor screed, installing electrical wiring, finishing wall plastering and so on.

Well, if the estimate will contain sections by type of work: Section 1 "General construction", Section 2 "Plumbing", Section 3 "Electrical work" and further "Kitchen", "Bedroom", "Living room" and so on. In addition, works and materials will be presented in separate sections.

Even if you are forced to do cosmetic repairs after, God forbid, your apartment was flooded by neighbors from above - make an estimate! And you will not miss a single detail when restoring housing, and then present it to your neighbors for payment.

How to make an estimate for apartment renovation?

Do not rush to go to hardware stores and buy your favorite wallpaper! Repair of an apartment should be started at a desk, having laid out a housing plan indicating all sizes and armed with a pencil and a calculator.

To begin with, think over the concept of your living space, what and where will be located, the image and style of the house, the main color of the interior and the lighting system.

Further, following the sequence and technology construction works, recruiting types of work. We write them out in the first column or column "Name of work". At the same time, it is important to know the technology, for example, painting walls involves first priming them, and then applying at least 2 layers of paint. Therefore, in the column "Name of works" there should be the lines "Primering the walls in 1 layer" and "Painting the walls in 2 layers". The calculation of the quantity and price of the material will then depend on this.

Do not forget to include in this column such types of work as "Removal of construction waste" and "Delivery of building materials and lifting them to the floor." All this costs money!

Then we calculate the amount of work performed. To do this, make appropriate measurements. For example, in order to calculate the amount of work on painting walls, you should calculate their area by multiplying the height by the width of each wall, then add the resulting values ​​\u200b\u200band subtract from this value the area of ​​​​doors and windows.

Pay attention to this! If you check the estimate compiled by builders who will be renovating your home, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room must be reduced by the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwindow and door openings, otherwise the amount of work and materials will be overstated, and you will pay extra money!

After the column is filled "Scope of work", go to the section "Number of materials". The lines in this column are not filled in for those types of work that do not require the availability of materials, for example, dismantling or dismantling of structures. The amount of material required will be indicated per square or linear meter on the package, but do not be too lazy to get advice from the manager who sells this material, they must own complete information for your product group.

In the "Amount of materials" section, do not forget about tools and covering material: film, gloves, masking tape, rollers, basins and other necessary trifles.

Further "Price". If you make repairs with your own hands, then only the price of materials will appear in this part. If builders will work on your repair, then the price of work will be indicated at the rate of 1 sq.m. Take the trouble to find out the estimated cost of a particular type of work that has developed in your area. This can be done either through the Internet or specialized print media, or by calling several construction companies. Today, many hardware stores, when selling building materials, can provide you with business cards of several specialists in laying parquet, painting walls, and installing stretch ceilings.

Last column "Price". We multiply the value in the column "Scope of Work" or "Quantity of Materials" by "Price" and get "Cost", the sum of all the lines in this column will give you estimated repair cost.

Please note that the estimated cost of repairs is not the final figure. You may not take into account the hidden types of work that appear during the repair process or additional materials. Therefore, the estimate often includes a line "Unexpected expenses" and lay on it, for example, 10% -20% of the estimated cost.

Once you've come up with a figure for the estimated cost of repairs, you can weigh your financial ability against your desire for a good repair. At the stage of developing an estimate, it is not too late to change the parquet board to a laminate, and expensive wallpapers are cheaper. It is better to save on material than on the cost of work, since it is very important that the technology is observed. The quality and durability of your repair depends on this.

An example of an estimate for the repair of a room of 17.9 square meters. m

There are many e-consultation programs available to assist with budgeting, ranging from global ones like Grand Estimate to simple and free ones for smaller repair estimates. On the Internet, you can always download a calculator program that will help you make the correct calculations of the amount of work and the consumption of materials for repairs. If you have such a program, you enter the area and other parameters of the premises into the program, and the calculator calculates how much this or that material is needed. However, no calculator will make the choice of material for quality and price for you.

For help in drawing up an estimate, you can also contact a specialized construction organization or a foreman (foreman) of builders who will repair your premises.

How to budget for home renovations

When repairing a house, the basic principles of budgeting remain the same as described above. However, added types of work required when renovating a house:

• roof repair,
• front work,
• wiring and connection of communications,
• basement insulation work, etc.

Keep in mind that the materials for production external works differ significantly from materials for interior work and price and quality characteristics.

The estimate for home renovation must contain sections "Facade works" And « Internal work» . The rest of the budgeting guidelines remain the same.

In conclusion, My Home wishes you a successful renovation! And for this, one should not neglect such an important stage of repair as preliminary budgeting.

A construction estimate is required, which will take into account all the costs of the work of builders and materials.

How to make an estimate for repairs with your own hands?

To begin with, it is necessary to evaluate and record the volume of construction work - the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe floor and ceiling (they differ), the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwall covering, the length of products calculated in linear meters (cornices, skirting boards), as well as piece work - replacing windows and doors.

Where to get sizes?

Measure personally! Seven times each name. A tape measure and a calculator (to immediately calculate the area) are best friends.

Where to get rates?

Google - there are enough price lists on the sites. Take for your estimate some average cost. The cost of all works is estimated per unit of measurement - m 2 , pgm, piece work, garbage disposal in m 3 .

How to count the amount of building materials?

The calculation of estimates for those who make repairs on their own comes down to the usual calculation of the required amount of materials.

There are two dangers. Buy a little, and then not find the right one. Buy with a large margin and overpay heavily.

To avoid such scenarios, we apply a simple rule:

• we calculate the consumption of a unit of each material per unit of length or area (a roll of wallpaper or a can of paint per 1 m 2), or the size of a unit of the material itself (the area of ​​one sheet of drywall, porcelain stoneware, etc.)
• we multiply the consumption by the data of our measurements - the total area, length or number.
• add ~ 10-30%, depending on the material.

What kind of work should be included in the estimate for the repair of an apartment?

• Preparatory stage
• Rough work
• Related works
• fine finish
• Purchase of materials
• Garbage removal

For each stage you will get a separate mini-estimate.

Do you need a budgeting software?

Special programs are not needed. Enough MS Excel and basic knowledge. 1st column - type of work, 2nd - units of measurement, 3rd - cost and 4th - total (multiply 2 and 3 columns).
You can place each repair stage on different document tabs.

This is just the simplest option. With certain skills, you have where to turn around - the possibilities of Excel are inexhaustible!

Estimate for the preparatory stage of the repair

The estimate always includes demolition work. They include:

• dismantling floor coverings- linoleum, carpet, tiles,
• cleaning the ceiling from whitewash and paint,
• cleaning of wallpaper and dismantling of plaster (all in square meters),
• remove the plinth (in linear meters),
• piece by piece dismantling of door blocks,
• all electric points (chandeliers, sconces),
• all plumbing points - toilets, sinks, heated towel rails, bathtubs and faucets.

The dismantling of walls is recorded in a separate column. Bearing walls cannot be demolished, but in special cases openings can be moved into them. Most often, moving an opening in a load-bearing wall costs 3-4 times more than dismantling an entire partition. Please note that such a process must be approved by the housing inspection and requires special equipment.

You can save at this stage if you are able to do some of the listed actions yourself.

Estimate for draft work

At the stage of rough work in the repair, there is a lot of hidden work, for example, preparing surfaces for fine finishing.

What works will be included in the estimate:

• For ceilings - cleaning from nabel, sealing seams, leveling (plaster), putty and primer.
• For walls - leveling with plaster, putty and primer.
• For the floor - a screed device, in wet rooms a waterproofing device, when installing a warm floor, laying out the cable, installing sensors and connecting to the mains

An additional type of work is the connection of electricians and plumbing.

The budget should also take into account:

• scraping walls for electrical outlets,
• laying cables in the corrugation,
• laying of water pipes,
• laying sewer pipes.

Estimate for related work

Usually organized by specialized companies.

What activities need to be taken into account when budgeting?

• installation of telephone, internet and TV cables, intercom,
• installation of air conditioners,
• kitchen assembly,
• replacement of windows, includes the installation of slopes and window sills.

The Internet is most often now laid free of charge, the main thing is that there is a provider in the house. And the rest - you should contact the organization in advance for calculations - calling measurers is now also mostly free!

Drawing up a budget for cleaning

After marking preparatory work proceed to the calculation of the cost of finishing the premises.

What works can be included in the estimate?

• ceiling - painting (before finishing the walls);
• installation of stretch and rack ceilings;
• walls - painting, plastering, wallpapering, tiling;
• floor - laying ceramic tiles, parquet, laminate, linoleum, carpet, parquet;
• molded products - cornices, moldings, plinth
• plumbing installation;
• installation of electrical outlets (sockets, switches);
• installation of heating radiators;
• door installation;
• installation and installation of chandeliers and lamps.

The assembly of furniture and built-in wardrobes can also be taken into account in the estimate. But, you can skip it for now, as many furniture manufacturers do free assembly or include its cost in the total bill when ordering furniture.

Purchase of materials

If you hire a foreman, the purchase of materials is also included in the estimate. Most often, the purchase and delivery to the site costs approximately 20% of the price of materials.

But if you buy everything yourself, then it can only be a car rental. There are options with free shipping if you order materials through online stores with a certain amount of order.

Waste removal on a budget

Construction waste removal is included in the estimate after each subsection. It is desirable after dismantling, roughing and finishing work.

Please note that ordering a car, collecting garbage in bags, cleaning the premises can also be included in the estimate as hidden work. Even the most solid builders will not do it for free.

For garbage disposal, containers with a volume of up to 8 m 3 and a load capacity of up to 5 tons are rented more often than others.

And again - if you collect everything yourself and can take it out - then all that remains is to order a container. And if there is a place to store garbage, then you can get by with its one-time export.

• Immediately draw up a plan of the apartment with dimensions. It will help you with the calculation of consumables.
• Calculate separately each amount of work - the area of ​​​​walls, floors and ceilings, the length of molded products for all repaired premises.
• Determine whether it is necessary to change engineering communications (pipes, electrics).
• Count the number of sockets, switches, faucets and related fittings, as well as such trifles as screws and self-tapping screws.
• Determine who will be involved in the purchase of materials, delivery and lifting to the floor, as well as the removal of construction debris.
• Distribute the entire scope of work separately to the premises, so it is easier to control the process.

Be prepared for the fact that it is impossible to accurately calculate the time and cost of repairs on your own, without any experience.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

A huge help for an accurate calculation of the estimate is the design project of the premises. The probability of an error is practically excluded, unless you want to do something differently than it is calculated in the project. But the designer is a separate expense item. Do you need it, it's up to you!

You have decided to start renovating your apartment, but you are going to start on Monday. Yes, of course, many things can change before Monday, including your decision. But we suggest spending this time more productively by drawing your attention to some important details, without which it is pointless to undertake repairs.

First of all, you need to decide for yourself: do you need help in repairing an apartment. Whether it will be relatives, a construction company capable of performing all turnkey work is not so important. The choice is important, since the solution of the second significant question will depend on it: how to make an estimate for the repair of an apartment?

In the case of a family contract, everything seems to be simple: we drank tea, discussed who and what kind of assistance in repairing an apartment can provide, and began to calculate the costs. It is good if you have a sufficient level of knowledge of technological processes and the ability to determine the amount of work. And if not? Then it is absolutely impossible to make an estimate for the repair of an apartment without significantly exceeding it.

Well, we thought about it and decided to give the repair into the hands of an inexpensive team of visiting builders. Yes, they have practical experience and their own channels for acquiring the necessary materials. But who said that it would be easier for them to make an estimate for apartment renovation? Often, such teams generally work at the rates of foreign firms (why complicate your life), and you do not have the opportunity to compare their calculations with real-life figures on the market for such services.

The third option remains: a company capable of performing all turnkey work, including budgeting. The advantage of this approach to repair may be that at the disposal of any construction company there is always an electronic program for drawing up estimates for the repair of apartments. And the specialists of the company you have chosen are able, reasonably, based on various existing and canceled SNiPs, coefficients and prices, to significantly save your money and indicate the real cost of repairs.

In the end, no matter whose help you prefer in repairing an apartment, approach this choice thoroughly, since you will have to count your own money.

Estimate for apartment renovation - drawing up rules

The estimate is the most important document when performing repair and finishing work after the contract. Be sure to conclude a contract for finishing work and insist that a detailed estimate signed by the team for the repair of an apartment (cottage, etc.) be attached to it.

Why is it so important to make an estimate for finishing work?

Repair and decoration of the apartment are a set various kinds works performed in a certain sequence and according to a certain technology. And the whole catch is that both the client and the team often have different interpretations of the composition of these types of work.

Let's take for example an abstract position like "ceiling repair". What types of work can be for this position in theory:

1. unloading,

2. ceiling primer

3. leveling the ceiling with stucco gypsum mixtures

4 putty ceiling

5 ceiling painting in 2 layers

The client most likely means just a high-quality flat ceiling.

The team can set a price only for explicit work such as:
putty, painting for 1 time.

Do not chase the cheapest price, choose the team that will make an accurate estimate for the renovation of your apartment. Thus, you will save yourself from unpleasant surprises during the repair process, remember the wise old proverb: "The miser pays twice."

Very often, the lack of an estimate for finishing work (a verbal agreement does not count) is the reason for the team to start "twisting the arms" of the client.

How does the "arm-twisting" usually happen to a client who did not insist on drawing up a detailed estimate?

Often brigades underestimate the initial cost of work in order to be chosen. But they still have the desire to make a profit from this object. After entering the facility and receiving an advance payment, the client is usually shown some previously unaccounted for type of work that really needs to be done (for example, sealing ceiling seams before painting) and the question is asked: "Shall we do it?", and here the customer is practically nowhere he will get away if he does not have a clear estimate for the repair of his apartment, in which it is clearly written what and for what amount the brigade should do.

I think that this is the most necessary article on this site, since a correctly drawn up estimate is the basis of the foundations and the beginning of a trusting relationship between the customer and the contractor.

Budgeting is painstaking work, takes quite a lot of time and, like any other work, must be paid. The cost of making an estimate is very loyal and is only 5 UAH per 1 sq.m. area of ​​the room. If you choose our team, then the money will be returned to you.

Sample estimate

Bedroom (stretch ceiling)

Wall primer 31.85 m2 5 159.25
Alignment of walls with isogypsum 31.85 m2 30,955.5
Wall putty 31.85 m2 20 637
Floor leveling 11.75 m2 30 352.5
Door installation + assembly 1 pc. 270 270
Slopes 4.8 l.m. 100 480
Baguettes 14.5 l.m. 15,217.5
Wall papering 31.85 m2 18,573.3
Laminate installation 11.75 m2 35 411.25
Platband installation 2 sets. 75 150

Installing a skirting board 13.5 running meters 18 243
4449,3

How to determine the cost of repairs.

There is an erroneous opinion that knowing the prices of a construction company or individuals, you can determine the cost repair work, based on the prices received, select the contractor and determine the cost of construction and repair. This is wrong.

Firstly, all so-called prices have a purely conditional value, since they depend on many factors:
- The scope of work performed
- Complexity of work
- The required quality of performance
- Place of work
- Deadlines
and based on a combination of factors, they may differ greatly from those presented to you earlier.

Example:

Laying ceramic tiles on the floor with an area of ​​​​more than 1000 m2. The cost will be 5 US dollars per m2.
Laying tiles on the wall with frontal and rear trimming with an area of ​​2 m2. The cost may be $35. US per m2.

Secondly, the so-called prices can mean various things.

The cost of laying laminated parquet is 3 dollars. US per m2, but in the end you may be charged:
- removal of the old floor covering 2 USD.
- surface preparation 3 dollars.
- self-leveling 1 dol.
- laying laminate 3 dollars.
- installation of skirting boards 1 USD. per m
- garbage disposal 0.5 USD.
- material drift 0.5 dollars.
total in the final price you will be billed instead of 3 dollars. 11 dollars

Thirdly, various additional markups can be given for the prices provided.

What you need to know to start renovating an apartment.

First of all, you need to determine your financial capabilities. Now many are looking for Contractors who will make repairs cheaper. And they are easy to find. However, you need to know where this cheapness comes from, what is its structure. The system for Contractors offering low prices is very simple:

cheap (unskilled) labor force;
cheap (low quality) Construction Materials;
“the main thing is to get an advance and start work, and then we’ll see” (the options are described in detail in chapter I)

The result is very deplorable for the Customer of the repair, namely:

If the repair is completed, its extremely low quality will manifest itself both immediately and within warranty period, and in post-warranty time. At the same time, the consequences can be very serious, including for health (for example, poor-quality electrics) and financial well-being(e.g. poor quality plumbing). I'm not talking about plaster falling on your head and peeling walls.
If the Customer caught on in time, refusing the services of this Contractor, hiring a new “good”, then the new repair will cost even more than it would have if this new contractor had worked from the very beginning, because. part of the money will be spent on dismantling and other liquidation of the consequences of the initial “repair”
If the Customer thinks that he will collect money for reworking the repair from the first Contractor, this is an illusion. In 95% of cases, this cannot be done, even through the courts (again, see chapter I).

When buying a so-called “zero apartment” for 15 million rubles, the owners most often do not ask themselves what they paid this money for (bare concrete curved walls, ceiling and floor, two pieces of pipes coming out of the wall and one wire, in best case connected to a Chinese electric machine). In fact, this is not an apartment, and not even a semi-finished apartment. On the other hand, when receiving a repair and finishing estimate for 2.5 million rubles from the Contractor, they are very surprised at the “high cost”. But it is the finishers who make a residential, comfortable, beautiful APARTMENT out of "whatever" (candy out of shit).

The conclusion suggests itself - when buying an apartment, do not forget to leave money for its decoration. So how much money should you keep?

I. You need to decide if you need a design project.

If necessary, contact the construction organization that you want to contract. Almost everyone has their own designers, and since throughout the entire repair, builders and designers work “in conjunction”, it is in your interests that they are “worked out” and there is no unnecessary friction between them.

The design project includes not only a sketch of your future apartment and electrical and plumbing schemes, but also the selection of facing materials and equipment, furniture, etc. In general, the task of the designer is to create a comfortable living space for you. If the idea of ​​this space does not match the existing layout of the apartment, they resort to redevelopment. However, a design project and redevelopment are in some cases not an obligatory component of European-quality renovation - this is when the owner of the apartment acts as a designer and the layout of the apartment suits him. The cost of the designer's services, including architectural supervision of the work, is approximately 2,000 rubles. for 1 sq. m floor.

II. Selecting a construction contractor.

When choosing a construction organization, do not pay attention to its external attributes (a solid office, numerous employees in expensive "foreign cars", etc.). Often, all the profits of such firms go precisely to support the external gloss and feed the administration, there is little left for workers to pay, and therefore they hire a low-skilled contingent (guest workers), and it is they, and not office workers, who will do the repairs for you with their own hands. In our practice, there are several cases of alteration of work after such "super firms". You should not go to the other extreme - to hire a team of "shabashnikov" consisting of a painter-electrician, a carpenter-plasterer-plumber, etc. A good construction team usually employs narrow-profile specialists who know their area of ​​work well.

Don't chase the low price. Low price repair means one of two options: a) the work will be carried out by low-paid specialists with the appropriate quality, while the shortcomings of the repair may appear after the end of the warranty period; b) the estimate was drawn up by the contractor “cunningly”: it does not include a number of works that, during the repair process, will still “emerge” and will be presented to you as additional work payable that arose at your request. This "feint", used by some of our colleagues, sometimes increases the estimate by 2 times or more during the repair. It is best to get several estimates and compare them not only in price but also in content.

III. Directly the cost of repair and finishing work.

In reality, if we discard the “cheap options” described above, renovation of an apartment will cost you:

The cost of work is from 5 to 18 thousand rubles. (depending on the complexity and scope of work) per sq. m floor.
The cost of other expenses of the Contractor - building materials supplied by the Contractor, overhead costs (transport, loading and unloading, depreciation of tools, budgeting, accounting, etc.), ordering garbage bins, payment to the housing office for temporary shutdowns of water and heating - approximately 40- 50% of the cost of work, i.е. from 2.4 to 9 thousand rubles. per sq. m floor. Thus, the Contractor will receive from you from 7.4 to 27 thousand rubles. per 1 sq.m. gender.

The cost of facing materials and equipment that the Customer purchases independently, using the advice of the Contractor and the designer (doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, lamps, sockets, switches, wallpaper, tiles, etc.) very much depends on their brand, "elite" and etc. and will be at least 50% of the total cost of the Contractor's estimate, i.e. from 3.7 to 13.5 thousand rubles. per 1 sq.m. gender.

That is, the minimum amount required for renovation of an apartment (without a design project), with an area of ​​100 sq.m. (excluding furniture, curtains and other furnishings) will amount to 1.260.000 rubles. It is impossible to specify the maximum amount, because according to clause 3, the Customer's expenses depend on his taste and wallet, therefore they are dimensionless and unpredictable.

make an estimate for the renovation of the apartment

In today's our review, we will touch on one of the most delicate topics. The issue of estimate documentation combines the organization of work, the choice of contractors and suppliers of materials, and determines in general: is it time to start repairs at this moment, or will the project budget become too heavy over time?

What is an estimate and why is it needed

In the construction business, the compilers of estimate documentation are treated condescendingly, considering their work to be superficial and not requiring special knowledge. However, a good estimator always knows the repair business in the most small details, which allows him to keep records of working time and materials in a comprehensive manner, to the last ruble, completely avoiding unforeseen expenses.

In the first approximation, the estimate is a table in which the types of work are sequentially listed, and the division is carried out to the degree of primitiveness when the amount of work performed can be determined with maximum accuracy. For each position of the estimate, there is an assessment rate per unit of volume, the required number of man-hours and materials is indicated, the total amount is summed up and the required coefficients-corrections for working conditions are accepted.

A well-designed estimate excludes the possibility of freezing the facility due to lack of funding and brings the project to a new, qualitatively better one. high level organizations. Self-estimation for the repair of an apartment will help determine the required amount of costs and compare the pricing policies of different contractors.

How is the budget documentation prepared?

There are many software tools for developing estimates, but almost all of them are paid and require special training, sometimes very lengthy. Fortunately, the estimate for repairing an apartment is usually simple, and “reconcile credit with debit” at least in in general terms anyone can.

Usually, in determining the cost of each type of work, they are guided by the GESN reference books, which describe in detail the costs of labor and materials. This is necessary for the performance of work by special organizations that control labor and wages for their employees. With private contractors, everything is simpler: they have their own price list with firm prices, where all overhead costs for transport are already included, or these costs are taken out as separate items.

For the most part, estimates for the repair of an apartment - documents are enough high degree templating. The network has great amount samples of spreadsheets with prepared formulas for calculating the total amount and embedded functions for applying additional coefficients. All that remains for the developer is to fill in the table with the necessary content by type of work, indicate the volumes and prices from the price list of a particular contractor.

The scheme for the development of estimates for the repair of an apartment

When drawing up estimates manually, they are guided by the principle of sequential recruitment. In the classic version, the estimate (table) consists of two parts. Works are added to the upper one in the planned order of their execution, and the necessary building and consumable materials are added to the lower one along the way.

As you already understood, when drawing up an estimate, the presence of a project is strictly necessary. But more importantly, the estimator must not only have a project on hand, but also understand all its ins and outs, know exactly what and how the work will be performed. Starting with redevelopment, demolition and erection of partitions, pouring the screed and ending with finishing - everything should be described in as much detail as possible.

Since most repair projects have a consistent structure of presentation, it is not difficult to determine the scope of work. It is much more difficult to correlate the required scope of work with the content of the contractor's price sheet, where the wording can be very, very ornate.

When all the work and materials provided for by the project are entered in the table, they are calculated in terms of volume according to the measurement plans of the project. Next, the total cost of each type of work is set according to the available prices, after which the total cost column is summed up and the total cost of work according to the estimate is displayed. After a similar calculation of the cost of materials, special items can be added to the estimate, such as insurance against damage to materials, wear and tear of equipment and tools, and other overhead costs, if they are listed as a separate item in the price list.

Upon completion of the calculations, the estimate is submitted for agreement with the contractor. The beauty of spreadsheets is that any inconsistencies can be easily corrected by changing the pay rate or adding the right factor to take into account difficult working conditions.

The main difficulty in accompanying the estimate is the need to constantly clarify whether prices or the cost of materials have changed. In an average apartment renovation, about 4-5 different contractors and more than a dozen suppliers of building materials can take part. Despite the fact that an individual estimate is consistent with each of them, the customer is interested in a general, generalizing table. And bringing it down is not so easy.

Definition of the scope of work

The complexity of determining the volume of each type of work directly depends on the units of calculation established by the contractor. At best, concepts such as square and linear meters, units and mounting points are used. If the contractor himself cannot (or does not want to) clearly ration the services provided, measurement by workdays, or even more abstract concepts such as the number of batches of a concrete mixer or the cost of the materials used, comes into play. Such uncertainty should be avoided either by individually negotiating more specific valuation standards or by approaching another contractor.

The easiest way to evaluate such works as the dismantling of partitions and finishing coatings, concrete work, applying finishing coatings and laying communications. All of them are evaluated either by volume in cubic meters (construction debris from dismantling, concrete for pouring), or by square meters (putty, screed, painting), or by running meters (pipelines, electrical network, skirting boards, etc.). All these works are very easy to calculate in terms of volume, using the measurement plan from the project.

It is somewhat more difficult to calculate brick and block masonry: you have to convert the physical volume of the wall into the number of masonry elements of a certain size, while simultaneously calculating the volume of the binder with a specified joint thickness. Special installations can have an even weirder pricing system, which takes into account the height of the ceilings, the number of floors, the number of connection lines or the weight of the products to be installed. All these points should be discussed directly with the contractor, achieving maximum specification.

State and company labor assessment standards

It is worth touching on two popular pricing systems in more detail, because many construction and repair companies work precisely according to state standards and a preliminary estimate from them costs money or requires the conclusion of an agreement. Whereas small contractors have fixed list rates and remain fixed with very few exceptions, the price of large firms is subject to completely different rules.

First of all, the cost of work is determined by the wages of the craftsmen who directly perform these works. For each type of work, logistics costs are provided, the amount of which is determined by the distance of the object from the warehouses of the supplier of materials and the construction company itself.

Additionally, the estimate includes such things as coefficients for harmful work (dusty, with toxic materials), wages for the administrative department and, finally, the estimator himself. Also, a separate item indicates the estimated profit - the percentage of the cost of work that the contractor will put in his pocket.

It will not be possible to accurately calculate the cost of such an estimate, because the work is divided very much, up to drilling holes and driving dowels into them. In addition, the corporate structure of the company and the number of people involved in the work on the object in one way or another are not known for certain. Therefore, self-duplication of estimates for a preliminary cost estimate should be carried out at obviously inflated prices, otherwise the risk of a budget shortage is very high.

Software simplification of calculations

It is because of the complexity of such calculations that all kinds of programs and tables with automatic calculation are used. Even a self-made estimate can be very detailed and not using the available software is at least stupid. Especially if the contractor himself offers his own template pivot table for a preliminary cost estimate.

As a conclusion, we add that even a small contractor, before starting repairs, can provide an estimate, the prices of which differ from the price list and, in general, the repair cost is even less than planned. This is due to the fact that the price list indicates the average cost of work based on the experience of previous objects: everything so that the potential customer can better navigate the prices.

There is nothing to be done: high-quality capital estimates are used by builders more and more often due to the high benefit for the organization of work, at the same time, the customer needs to have at least some certainty for the competent distribution of his own funds.