Section 1: introduction

Introduction

The rules for preparing an elemental cost analysis in standard BCIS format set out:

  • the principles of analysis;
  • instructions on the information required to complete a costs analysis;
  • general definitions;
  • definitions of the elements and subelements; and
  • element unit quantities.

The purpose of cost analysis is to provide data that allow comparisons to be made between the costs of achieving various building functions in a project with those of achieving equivalent functions in other projects. It is the analysis of the cost of a building in terms of its elements. For cost analysis purposes an element is defined as a major physical part of a building that fulfils a specific function or functions irrespective of its design, specification or construction. The list of elements, however, is a compromise between this definition and what is considered practical.

The cost analysis allows for varying degrees of detail related to the design process. Broad costs for building types are needed during the initial period and progressively more detail is required as the design is developed. The elemental costs are related to square metre of gross internal floor area and also to a parameter more closely identifiable with the elements function – the element unit quantity.

More detailed analysis relates costs of specific forms of construction within the element shown by ‘All-in’ unit rates. Supporting information on contract, design/shape and market factors is defined so that the costs analysed can be fully understood.

Changes in the 2012 edition

The main changes in the 2012 edition compared to the previous edition are:

  • expansion of the subelements;
  • amendment and clarification of element unit quantities;
  • to reflect practice, lintels and forming openings have been included with walls, rather than windows and doors, and drainage under the building is included in substructure rather than external works;
  • document handling systems have moved from Specialist installations to Lifts and conveyor installations;
  • Building management systems have moved from Specialist installations to Communication, security and control systems;
  • introduction of a new cost category for prefabricated building and building units. While this is not a functional element, it does allow the analysis of prefabricated buildings and buildings containing prefabricated pods or room units to be presented more clearly;
  • introduction of a new cost category for work to existing buildings. Again, this is not an element but it will clarify the analysis of refurbishment and conversion schemes where the allocation of costs for general stripping out was problematic in the past;
  • in External works, the elements have been expanded to reflect the groupings of entities in the Standard Form of Civil Engineering Cost Analysis (SFCECA) outline data structure: pavements, landscaping, divisions, fixtures and services.
  • to divide Facilitating works to cover work carried out to prepare the site for building works. This work will often form part of a separate project independent of the building project. Such projects should be analysed separately as Facilitating works. Where some or all of this work is included in the building project, it should be included in the analysis;
  • adopting a 3 level numeric referencing system. The new numbering and the equivalent old numeric/ alpha/numeric references are shown in the Summary of elemental definitions and measurement; LINK
  • cost analyses are normally prepared from contract documents at ‘tender’ stage (commit to construct) and therefore only reflect the cost of the construction work. NRM1 covers all the client’s project costs and the SFCA has been expanded to facilitate the collection of this wider information where available;
  • project/design fees;
  • Other development/project costs; and
  • client’s risk.

Backward compatibility

For most buildings, at the building element level the definitions are the same as the 3rd edition of BCIS elemental standard form of cost analysis so that historic cost information can be used, with the major exceptions that:

  • where there is a significant amount of prefabrication, the pods would have been included in sanitary installation and other prefabricated units in frame;
  • on refurbishment and conversion schemes, the stripping out costs would have been spread among the elements on an ad hoc basis;
  • for external works, the new structure is significantly different so that comparisons can only be made by grouping the elements;
  • the elements and their equivalent from the 3rd edition are shown in Summary of elemental definitions and measurement;
  • the SFCA shares elemental definitions and data structure with the second edition of New Rules of Measurement for order of cost estimating and elemental cost planning for capital building works (NRM1), but they have different objectives:
    • the SFCA provides rules for allocating cost to their functional elements; and
    • the detailed tabulated rules of measurement for costs planning in NRM1 provide rules for measuring designed elements and components.

The NRM tables are therefore expanded to cover various design solutions to the same functional element; this does not affect the definition and numbering of the elements and subelements, which are common to both documents.

There is one instance, Work to existing buildings, where the measurement rules in NRM1 have, for ease of pricing, been grouped to reflect their specification and procurement rather than their function. For cost analysis purposes, these costs should be allocated to the appropriate elements. When analysing refurbishment or conversion work, the cost of work to existing structure, fittings, finishes and services should be allocated to the appropriate functional element. General stripping out costs that cannot be allocated should be shown in Work to existing buildings - minor demolition and alteration works.

The SFCA and the New Rules of Measurement: Detailed measurement for building works (NRM2)

NRM2 provides rules of measurement for ‘work results’ arranged in Work Sections (Trades). This is a completely different, but complementary, way of describing and measuring a building to Elements. It classifies the parts of a building by how they are designed, specified and constructed. Elements describe what the parts of the building do – their function. Work Sections describe how they are constructed. Many Bills of Quantities are presented in Elemental format and measured in Work Section rules of measurement within each Element.

The SFCA and the New Rules of Measurement: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for building maintenance works (NRM3).

NRM3 uses the common elemental data structure, expanded to identify the maintainable assets that are included in each element. The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the Building & Engineering Services Association (BS&E) (formerly the HVCA), and BCIS have agreed to adopt the NRM3 expanded elemental data structure for their task schedules and life expectancy data. This allows the cost plan reporting and benchmarking of the maintenance life cycle costs to use a common format with the capital costs.

The SFCA and the BCIS/BSi Standardized Method of Life Cycle Costing for Construction Procurement (SMLCC)

The SMLCC refers to the SFCA elements for presenting the cost of:

  • construction;
  • major replacement;
  • refurbishment and adaptation;
  • redecoration;
  • minor replacement, repairs and maintenance; and
  • unscheduled replacement, repairs and maintenance costs.