We know they will love your design, but will they love the cost?
A Preliminary Estimate at design development stage can reduce everybody's stress.
NEW SOUTH WALES QUEENSLAND VICTORIA
ABOUT US
SMART BUILDING ESTIMATES supply building quantities and cost estimates at varying levels of detail. We specialise in architectural residential design and can complete estimates on residential construction up to 5 storeys.
Our background is in construction, and we are still licenced builders, but our focus is on providing cost guidance to Architects, Building Designers, Developers, Builders and property owners. Building professionals need to be up-to-date when it comes to programming and budgeting his projects. Estimates can be prepared from feasibility stage right through to pre-tender. A large proportion of our work is carried out at Design Development stage when the design is agreed upon and the need is to know whether it is practical within the clients budget.
Architects ..
Customers will always remember the first price you gave them as a budget figure, especially if it is within their expectations? Getting a preliminary estimate to make sure that price is considered makes good sense.
Builders ..
How can you establish your building programme if you do not know your needs. A bill of quantities shows you what materials you need to source and what labour is associated with them. If you are working in an area that you haven’t worked in for a while, then a building estimate will help you adjust your quote for current market conditions.
Property Owners ..
With a fully costed estimate, your can ensure that you start with sufficient funds to cover the cost of your project. Even then, in the excitement of building your dream, the costs can run away without you noticing. Having documented your budget gives you control and provides you with a baseline to guide your project back on track.
Subcontractors ..
An accurately measured job makes your quote more competitive plus everyone understanding the extent of a sub-contract, and what is included or excluded, saves disputes when the time comes to sort out the bill.
CHOOSING YOUR ESTIMATE TYPE
*NEW * Tender Estimate
Prices start from $400
Delivery from 7 working days
Specifically designed to assist builder’s in preparing their quotes or tenders, your Tender Estimate is normally prepared from the drawings and specifications supplied at the Building Application stage.
Tender Estimates are composed of some composite prices for building components. Trades that usually ‘supply and fix’ will be estimated at a rate or lump sum. If no specifications are given, all PC Items and finishes will be priced as per your standard allowances. These reports do not contain the detail of a Bill of Quantities and the building’s components are not completely broken down into materials and labour. Estimates are provided as per our sample estimate.
To keep fees down, re-pricing, or re-calculations, due to plan adjustments, are not included. The format of these reports is as an easy-to-read PDF document, or as an Excel spreadsheet so that you can make adjustments if you need to.
The prices used in your estimate are sourced by us from the subcontractors you nominate or from your regular suppliers nominated. These are used in conjunction with your 'in-house' rates for the work that your business performs directly, which are priced into the estimate in the same way that a subcontractor is priced in. You only need to calculate these rates once, and then review and update them as you feel is necessary. Once you calculate ‘in-house’ rates, material supply rates and PC or PS allowances, we are able to complete your tender estimates with very little input from you.
All of the above combine to provide you with an estimate that is much lower in cost but still valuable to a building professional. These estimates are calculations and totals only with a minimum amount of description.
Bill of Quantities
Prices start from $200
Delivery from 15 working days
Bill of Quantities can be done for a single trade or for an entire project. Trades will be calculated as a quantity, count or area, in line with general building trade pricing practices. Costs are not included in these reports. These reports assist builders to cost tenders, to assist subcontractors pricing trade packages and to assist builders to compare sub-contractors prices ‘apple for apple’.
Custom Estimates
Estimates can also be custom designed to suit your requirements or our existing estimates can be altered to include specific information that you or your client require.
HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER
TO REQUEST A QUOTE ....
Simply select the type of estimate you require. Then send us your plans and let us know when you need your estimate. We will reply promptly with a written quote and a delivery date. A sample of the type of estimate that you are looking for will be included with your quote.
If you need a specialised report, formatted specifically for you, we can help. Brief us on what you need and we will be happy to quote you, and provide exactly what you need.
TO PLACE AN ORDER ....
Reply to your quotation email approving us to go ahead. Please be sure to include your contact details, business name, address, phone, etc. We estimate a delivery date when we prepare your quote, and confirm the date when we receive your order. Please be aware that your delivery date may change if you delay placing your order.
As soon as we receive your order we will program your quote in our system. Generally work will commence on your estimate as soon as your payment is received, however this is also dependant on all the drawings and specifications being provided to us.
NOTE:
Council requirements regarding estimate types, and included content, vary widely. If you intend to use your estimate for council approval please check the council requirements prior to ordering and satisfy yourself that you are ordering a suitable estimate. We are very happy to alter reports to suit individual councils, but extra costs may be incurred if we need to make changes after the report has been commenced. Some councils may require a Quantity Surveyor to prepare your estimate and, unfortunately, we are unable to assist you if that is the case.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Estimates are based on averaged data for your locality plus some enquiries made by SMART Building Estimates to local trades and suppliers. We expect that all costs we provide in your estimate are achievable but, as costs vary from trades and suppliers, to different purchasers, we highly recommend that you check our rates with your own trades and suppliers prior to contracting any work.
Please note that the accuracy of your estimate relies upon the quality of the information supplied by you. Where quantities are unclear, or not measurable on your documents, we will presume that regular building practices are being followed and will estimate quantities accordingly. As this is an estimate, a subjective document containing our opinions or points of view, we offer a free review service so that you may request changes if you feel there are any misinterpretations, misunderstandings, miscalculations, errors or omissions in your report.
The information supplied for some styles of estimate is insufficient to actually construct the project. Because of this, all quantities and rates in these estimates may be subject to change prior to construction and these documents should be used as a budget guide only, not a comprehensive costing. Quotations and contracts should not be prepared using any information supplied by SMART Building Estimates without verifying that you can achieve the estimated outcomes; therefore we limit our liability, in regard to these estimates, to an amount equal to, but not exceeding, the amount of the fees we have charged for the specific service we have provided.
SMART Building Estimates is not a Quantity Surveying business, we are builders with many years experience in preparing estimates and quotes. We do not offer to cost or financially manage large commercial buildings. We only undertake low and medium-rise work, generally no more than 5 levels, including apartment blocks, new homes, alterations and additions etc., and we do not offer on-going financial management or contract management.
