Facilitating works for construction
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, facilitating works are:
‘…all components measured and incorporated in group element 0 (i.e. Facilitating works). Includes specialist works which, normally, need to be completed before any building works can commence (e.g. major demolition works, soil stabilisation works and or temporary diversion of mains drainage).’
This is as opposed to enabling works, which NRM1 defines as:
‘…works executed ahead of the main building contract. Enabling works are employer and/or project team specified works, which might include a mixture of facilitating works and new building works (e.g. site preparatory works such as major demolition, removal of contaminated materials, reptile mitigation measures, and soil stabilisation; together with new sewers, new access road, new drainage, new retaining walls, and minor new building works).’
A facilitating works estimate is:
‘…the sum of the cost targets for group element 0 (i.e. Facilitating works). It excludes the building works estimate, as well as those relating to main contractor’s preliminaries, main contractor’s overheads, profit/design team fees estimate, other development/project costs estimate and risk allowances.’
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