Last edited 06 Aug 2018

BCIS elements

BCIS is the Building Cost Information Service of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It is described by RICS as ‘the leading provider of cost and price information to the construction industry and anyone else who needs comprehensive, accurate and independent data.’ It was established in 1961 to facilitate the preparation of elemental cost plans, where 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’.

An elemental cost plan is a cost plan which is broken down into a series of elements. Initially, the elemental cost plan will simply be the total construction cost for the project divided into elements on a percentage basis. As the design becomes more detailed however, the elemental cost plan will be 'measured', based on the actual quantities of work and materials that will be required to construct the project.

The outline BCIS elements data structure is:

0 Facilitating Works

0.1 Toxic/Hazardous/Contaminated Material Treatment
0.2 Major Demolition Work
0.3 Temporary Supports to Adjacent Structures
0.4 Specialist Groundworks
0.5 Temporary Diversion Works
0.6 Extraordinary Site Investigation Works

1 Substructure

1.1 Substructure

2 Superstructure

2.1 Frame
2.2 Upper Floors
2.3 Roof
2.4 Stairs and Ramps
2.5 External Walls
2.6 Windows and External Doors
2.7 Internal Walls and Partitions
2.8 Internal Doors

3 Internal Finishes

4 Fittings, Furnishings and Equipment

4.1 Fittings, Furnishings and Equipment

5 Services

5.1 Sanitary Installations
5.2 Services Equipment
5.3 Disposal Installations
5.4 Water Installations
5.5 Heat Source
5.6 Space Heating and Air Conditioning
5.7 Ventilation Systems
5.8 Electrical Installations
5.9 Fuel Installations
5.10 Lift and Conveyor Installations
5.11 Fire and Lightning Protection
5.12 Communication, Security and Control Installations
5.13 Specialist Installations
5.14 Builder’s Work in Connection with Services

6 Prefabricated Buildings and Building Units

6.1 Prefabricated Buildings and Building Units

7 Work to Existing Building

7.1 Minor Demolition and Alteration Works (Strip Out)
7.2 Repairs to Existing Services
7.3 Damp-Proof Courses/Fungus and Beetle Eradication
7.4 Façade Retention
7.5 Cleaning Existing Surfaces
7.6 Renovation Works

8 External Works

8.1 Site Preparation Works
8.2 Roads, Paths, Pavings and Surfacings
8.3 Soft Landscaping, Planting and Irrigation Systems
8.4 Fencing, Railings and Walls
8.5 External Fixtures
8.6 External Drainage
8.7 External Services
8.8 Minor Building Works and Ancillary Buildings

9 Main Contractor’s Preliminaries

9.1 Employer’s Requirements
9.2 Main Contractor’s Cost Items

10 Main Contractor’s Overheads and Profit

11 Project/Design Team Fees

11.1 Consultant’s Fees
11.2 Main Contractor’s Pre-Construction Fees
11.3 Main Contractor’s Design Fees

12 Other Development/Project Costs

12.1 Other Development/Project Costs

13 Risk (Client’s Contingencies)

For more information see Elemental Standard Form of Cost Analysis (SFCA). Principles, Instructions, Elements and Definitions 4th (NRM) Edition. RICS 2012.

RICS state that the 4th (NRM) edition ‘has not sought to make radical changes to the elemental list, but to take account of some practical issues that have come to light in the drafting of measurement rules for designed elements and components for NRM1 and NRM3.

The use of the common elemental definitions and cost breakdown structure with the New Rules of Measurement for capital and maintenance cost will increase their usefulness to the profession and its clients and allow capital and lifecycle maintenance cost plans to be developed and analysed in the same format.’

NB: The New Rules of Measurement (NRM) are published by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). They provide a standard set of measurement rules for estimating, cost planning, procurement and whole-life costing for construction projects.