Element unit rate
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.
According to NRM1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building work, the term 'element' refers to:
'...a major part of a group element (e.g. the elements that create group element 3:
Internal finishes are 3.1: Wall finishes, 3.2: Floor finishes, and 3.3: Ceiling finishes).'
The term ‘element unit rate’ (EUR) means:
‘…the total cost of an element divided by the element unit quantity (EUQ). For example, the EUR for external walls is the total cost of the external walls divided by EUQ for external walls. EURs include all the cost of all materials, labour, plant, subcontractor’s preliminaries, subcontractor’s design fees and subcontractor’s overheads and profit. EURs exclude main contractor’s preliminaries, main contractor’s overheads and profit and other allowances, such as project/design team fees, other development/project costs, risk allowances and inflation. These items are to be assessed separately.’
Where, the ‘element unit quantity’ (EUQ) is:
‘…a unit of measurement that relates solely to the quantity of the element or sub-element itself (e.g. the area of the external walls, the area of windows and external doors and the number of internal doors).’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
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.