Group element in elemental cost plans
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 ‘group element’ refers to:
‘… the main headings used to describe the facets of an elemental cost plan (i.e. Substructure; Superstructure; Internal finishes; Fittings, furnishings and equipment; Services; Complete buildings and building units; Work to existing buildings; External works; Facilitating works; Main contractor’s preliminaries; Main contractor’s overheads and profit; Project/design team fees; Other development/project costs; Risks; and Inflation).
Where an elemental cost plan (or cost plan):
'…is the critical breakdown of the cost limit for the building(s) into cost targets for each element of the building(s). It provides a statement of how the design team proposes to distribute the available budget among the elements of the building, and a frame of reference from which to develop the design and maintain cost control. It also provides both a work breakdown structure (WBS) and a cost breakdown structure (CBS), which, by codifying, can be used to redistribute work in elements to construction works packages for the purpose of procurement.'
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