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:
- 0.1 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
- 1.1 Substructure
- 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
- 3.1 Wall Finishes
- 3.2 Floor Finishes
- 3.3 Ceiling 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
- 7.1 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
- 8.1 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
13 Risk (Client’s Contingencies)
- 13.1 Design Development Risks
- 13.2 Construction Risks
- 13.3 Employer Change Risks
- 13.4 Employer Other Risks
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.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- BCIS.
- Benchmarking.
- BIM classification.
- BRE Building Elements series (AP 243).
- Budget.
- Common arrangement of work sections classification.
- Cost information.
- Cost planning.
- Elemental cost plan.
- Measurement.
- New Rules of Measurement.
- Quantity surveyor.
- RICS.
- Uniclass.
[edit] External references
- BCIS online.
- RICS, Building Cost Information Service.
- Elemental Standard Form of Cost Analysis. Principles, Instructions, Elements and Definitions 4th (NRM) Edition. RICS 2012.
Featured articles and news
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.
Comments
This whole article looks like an advertisement
All the links are internal - taking you to related articles.