Taking off construction works
The term ‘taking off’ refers to the process of identifying elements of construction works that can be measured and priced. This is necessary to produce bills of quantities and requires that the design is complete and a specification has been prepared.
Analysis of drawings and specifications allows the cost consultant (usually a quantity surveyor) to prepare a taking off list, which lists all of the individual elements that comprise the works.
These elements can then be measured in number, length, area, volume, weight or time then collated and structured to produce an unpriced bill of quantities. This process is sometimes referred to as ‘working up’.
Where there may be uncertainty about some elements, they may be entered onto a query sheet that can be issued to the appropriate members of the consultant team for clarification.
The unpriced bill of quantities will have price and rate columns for tenderers to complete.
The bill of quantities is issued to tenderers for them to prepare a price for carrying out the works. The bill of quantities assists tenderers in the calculation of construction costs for their tender, and, as it means all tendering contractors will be pricing the same quantities (rather than taking off quantities from the drawings and specifications themselves), it also provides a fair and accurate system for tendering.
Best practice for the preparation of bills of quantities is set out in the New Rules of Measurement (NRM) published by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and replacing Standard Method of Measurement, seventh edition (SMM7). Adopting the New Rules of Measurement means that all projects are taken off in the same way and in the same order following consistent rules.
Increasingly, software packages are available to assist in the preparation of preparation of bills of quantities, and building information modelling systems can be used to produce bills of quantities from information already contained within the model.
Bills of quantities are normally only prepared on larger projects. On smaller projects, or for alteration work, the contractor can be expected to measure their own quantities from drawings and schedules of work. Schedules of work are 'without quantities' instructional lists that allow the contractor to identify significant work and materials that will be needed to complete the works and to calculate the quantities that will be required.
For more information, see How to take off construction works.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Approximate bill of quantities.
- Approximate quantities cost plan.
- Bill of quantities.
- Common Arrangement of Work Sections (CAWS).
- Common mistakes in bill of quantities.
- Comparison of SMM7 with NRM2.
- Computers in tendering.
- Construction work packaging.
- Contract documents
- Cost plans.
- Elemental cost plan.
- Extra over (EO).
- How to take off construction works.
- Measured quantity.
- New Rules of Measurement.
- Spot items.
- Standard Method of Measurement (SMM7).
- Tender.
- Tender documentation.
- Tender pricing document.
- Uniclass.
- Working up construction works.
Featured articles and news
BG 50 & VDI 2035 – your questions answered.
Types of domestic heating systems.
Will the way we heat homes change when winter comes ?
Extended reality in a post-pandemic world.
Can XR technology be leveraged in design & construction?
Or are you capping.
STEM ambassadors needed for ICE CityZen award.
Digital gaming competition for UK students aged 16 to 18.
Heritage protection in England vs Australia.
Fire doors and the Fire Door Inspection Scheme.
Three-quarters of fire doors fail inspections
UN International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22.
The role of geoparks, biospheres and world heritage sites.
BSRIA conference 2022, June 23.
Just one month to go ! Find out more here.
Restoring Broadbent’s Bath House
A new gallery for the University of Huddersfield.
Corruption in the construction industry.
What will it take to stop it ?
To celebrate world bee day 2022 !
Just one month until the changes to part L come into effect.
Not forgetting part F and the new part overheating part O.
Heat Pump demand rises by one quarter.
As energy prices jump up in cost.
With people in the UK from Ukraine.
Industry leader Steve Murray takes on role.
An abundant and versatile building material.
How overheating complicates ending gas in the UK.
600,000 heat pump installations targeted per year by 2028.
Cost planning, control and related articles on DB.
Helping prevent those unwanted outcomes.
ICE debate Public transport - post pandemic.
How has transport changed due to Covid-19 ?
Cross-ventilation in buildings. Do you have it ?
Will you need it ? after June 15 and the new Part O ?