How much does it cost to build?

Excavation is the removal of material from its in-situ position. The three methods of excavation are:

1. Machine excavation — the standard approach; fast digging with an excavator
2. Hand excavation — manual digging with shovels; slower but the safer method when services are present
3. Vacuum excavation — specialist suction equipment; faster than hand digging but still safe for digging near services

Disposal and haulage of excavated material are separate and subsequent activities.

Labour and plant only in GBP. All methods exclude disposal / haulage, trench support, imported backfill, prelims, overhead & profit.

Budget rate generator

• Disposal and haulage of excavated material (priced separately)
• Trench support and shoring
• Dewatering and groundwater control
• Imported backfill or filling material
• Rock breaking or blasting
• Service diversions or protection
• Compaction of fill or formation
• Contaminated ground assessment and specialist disposal
• Very small quantities — machine and vacuum excavation carry minimum call-out charges which may dominate the unit rate
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Reinforced concrete (RC) is concrete cast around a steel reinforcement cage to create load-bearing structural elements — foundations, walls, columns, beams and slabs. This all-in rate covers three cost components:

1. Concrete supply and placement — ready-mix concrete delivered, pumped and placed by the pour gang
2. Reinforcement — rebar supply, cutting, bending and fixing in position
3. Formwork — shuttering supply, erection and striking

Excavation, blinding concrete, waterproofing and contractor prelims are all priced separately.

All-in rate in GBP. Excludes prelims and O&P. Ranges shown cover low to high rebar density within each element type.

Budget rate generator

• Excavation to formation level
• Blinding concrete (priced separately)
• Waterproofing membranes or tanking
• Concrete testing and trial mixes
• Post-tensioning or pre-stressing
• Concrete finishes beyond standard tamped or floated
• Small pours under 10 m³ — higher per-m³ cost due to minimum pump charges and crew setup
• Very heavily reinforced columns or beams (300+ kg/m³) — high fixing complexity pushes rates above this calculator's scope
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Asphalt (tarmac) surfacing is the laying of hot bituminous bound courses onto a prepared sub-base to form a trafficked surface for roads, car parks, driveways and footways. This rate is the supply and laying of the bound courses only; the build-up depends on which courses you lay and how thick:

1. Surface course — the wearing course, typically 30–50 mm
2. Binder course — the intermediate course, typically 50–80 mm
3. Base course — the structural course, 70–250 mm, laid in two lifts when 150 mm or thicker

The rate excludes planing, and assumes a compacted sub-base is already in place.

Net rate per m² of finished surface, national average, excluding overhead and profit. Within each band the low end is a large machine-paved area at minimum depth and the high end is small or hand-laid work at maximum depth.

Budget rate generator

• Excavation and disposal to formation level
• Sub-base or capping supply and lay — the rate assumes a prepared, compacted sub-base
• Formation or sub-base regulating and trimming to level
• Prime coat to unbound granular bases
• Kerbs, edgings and channels
• Gully gratings and ironwork adjustment to finished level
• Road markings, studs and signage
• Traffic management and temporary works
• Surfacing to very small areas under ~100 m² — minimum asphalt loads and gang call-out push the per-m² cost above this calculator's range
• High-spec surfaces (SMA, HRA, coloured or porous asphalt) beyond the noted uplift
• Contaminated planings or coal-tar-bound material — requires specialist assessment and disposal
• Saw cutting at joints or around ironwork — priced separately per linear metre
• Night, weekend or phased working premiums
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

A granular sub-base is a dense-graded crushed-rock layer laid onto a prepared formation and compacted in layers to form the load-bearing foundation beneath paving, slabs or a bound surface. In the UK this material is often referred to as Type 1. This rate is the supply, placement and compaction of that granular layer only, measured per m³ of compacted material in place. The material grade is the choice that moves the rate most:

1. Recycled aggregate — crushed concrete or rubble graded to a Type 1 / dense-graded grading; the cheapest option, subject to grading and acceptance
2. Virgin aggregate — primary crushed limestone or granite to UK Clause 803; the standard specification

The rate assumes a trimmed, prepared formation is already in place. Excavation to formation, disposal of arisings, any separation membrane and the surfacing above are all separate activities and are excluded.

Net rate per m³ placed & compacted, national average, excluding overhead and profit. Within each band the low end is a large machine-laid open area and the high end is small or hand-laid work. Assumes ~2.1 t/m³ compacted with a 5% overfill allowance.

Budget rate generator — choose the material grade and how it is placed

• Excavation to formation level
• Disposal and haulage of excavated material (arisings)
• Capping layer beneath the sub-base
• Formation / subgrade trimming, regulating and proof-rolling
• Lime or cement stabilisation of the subgrade
• Geotextile separation or stabilisation membrane
• Compaction testing — CBR, plate-load or nuclear-density-gauge
• Sub-base regulating / blinding to surfacing tolerance
• Edgings, kerbs and channels to contain the layer
• Prime coat to the finished sub-base
• Surfacing — bound courses, slabs or block paving above
• Very small quantities under ~10 m³ — minimum loads and gang call-out push the per-m³ cost above this calculator's range
• Heavy-duty / high-CBR specifications requiring additional compaction passes or thicker construction
• Contaminated or unsuitable material assessment and specialist disposal
• Setting out and survey
• Night, weekend or phased-working premiums
• Road-opening permits and licences
• Traffic management and temporary works
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Tiling is the supply and fixing of ceramic, porcelain or natural-stone tiles to floors and walls. This is a net rate per m² of finished tiling, blended across floor and wall work, covering tile supply, adhesive, grout, minor substrate patching and the fixing labour. The tile itself is the biggest variable — an £8/m² ceramic and a £300/m² stone are the same trade and unit but a completely different rate.

1. Ceramic — the budget option, lighter and quick to cut and fix
2. Porcelain — the mid-range workhorse, denser and harder-wearing
3. Natural stone — premium stone such as marble, granite or limestone, heavier and slower to lay

Removing old tiles, levelling the substrate, tanking to wet areas and underfloor heating are priced separately and are not part of this rate.

Net rate per m² of finished tiling — national average, floor and wall blended, before overhead and profit. Within each tile type, a large simple floor sits at the low end and a small intricate room at the high end. London and the South East add roughly 18% to the labour element.

• Removal and disposal of existing tiles or floor coverings
• Substrate preparation beyond minor patching — latex levelling screeds, overboarding, plaster repairs
• Waterproofing / tanking membranes to wet areas
• Decorative patterns such as herringbone, diagonal or modular beyond straight lay
• Epoxy grout, rapid-set and specialist adhesives
• Movement joints, matwells and specialist trims or profiles
• Underfloor heating supply or installation
• Sealing and ongoing aftercare of natural stone
• Scaffolding or access equipment above ~3 m for high wall tiling
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Blockwork is the building of walls from precast concrete blocks bedded in mortar — the workhorse walling material for commercial and industrial structures. This is the net rate to supply and lay one m² of single-skin wall, and it depends mostly on the block:

1. 100mm lightweight — partition and inner-leaf blocks, cheap and quick to lay
2. 140mm standard — medium-dense load-bearing aggregate blocks
3. 215mm dense — heavy blocks for solid, load-bearing and party walls

The rate covers blocks, mortar and the laying gang only. DPC, lintels, wall ties, cavity insulation and any applied finish are measured separately.

Net rate per m² of wall, supply and lay, national average, excluding prelims and O&P. Within each band the low end is a simple wall at low level and the high end is complex detailing worked above 5 m. London & SE typically adds 15–25% on labour and plant.

Budget rate generator

• Damp-proof courses (DPC) and cavity trays
• Lintels and padstones over openings
• Cavity wall ties and partial-fill insulation
• Cavity fill / full-fill insulation
• Movement joints and sealants
• Bed-joint reinforcement beyond the sundry allowance
• Fair-faced or painted finish and separate pointing
• Plastering, rendering or dry-lining
• Scaffold supply (usually in preliminaries)
• Very small quantities — minimum delivery loads and mobilisation can dominate the rate
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Brickwork is the building of walls from fired-clay or concrete bricks bedded in mortar — the facing and structural skin of most UK buildings. This is the net rate to supply and lay one m² of brickwork, and it depends mostly on the brick and the bond:

1. Common / engineering — backing and below-DPC bricks, cheap and quick to lay
2. Standard facing — machine-made facing bricks for visible elevations
3. Premium / handmade — heritage and feature bricks, the dearest to buy and lay

The rate covers bricks, mortar, the laying gang and mixing/loading-out plant only. DPC, lintels, wall ties, cavity insulation, separate pointing and any applied finish are measured separately.

Net rate per m² of wall, supply and lay, national average, excluding prelims and O&P. Within each band the low end is a simple half-brick stretcher wall at low level and the high end is decorative or detailed work above 5 m. Top-end gauged and heritage brickwork can exceed the range. London & SE typically adds 15–25% on labour and plant. Rates are net of overhead & profit — add about 15–25% for a subcontractor all-in rate.

Budget rate generator

• Damp-proof courses (DPC) and cavity trays
• Lintels and padstones over openings
• Wall ties, cavity insulation and cavity fill
• Movement joints and sealants
• Bed-joint reinforcement beyond the sundry allowance
• Separate pointing and repointing
• Applied finishes — render, plaster or paint
• Scaffold supply (usually in preliminaries)
• Very small quantities — minimum loads and mobilisation can dominate the rate
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Painting is the application of paint to internal walls and ceilings, measured per m² of surface actually painted. This is a net rate for new-build work — new or freshly-plastered surfaces with minimal preparation — covering the paint, sundries and the application labour by a decorator working at standard height with brush and roller. The paint system is the biggest variable: a two-coat trade emulsion and a three-coat specialist coating are the same trade and unit but a different rate.

1. Trade emulsion — two coats of contract or vinyl matt, the standard new-build finish
2. Premium emulsion — three coats of a durable, wipeable matt for higher-traffic rooms
3. Specialist coating — three coats of an anti-mould, eggshell or fire-rated product where the room demands it

Preparing old, damaged or previously painted surfaces is a separate activity and is not part of this rate, as are scaffold and access above 3 m.

Net rate per m² of internal surface, new build, at standard height, national average, excluding scaffold, overhead and profit. Each band is a paint system; within a band, large open areas sit at the low end and small, cut-up rooms at the high end. London & SE add ~20% on labour.

Budget rate generator

• Surface preparation of old, damaged or previously painted surfaces
• Stripping or removal of old or failed coatings, including lead paint
• Scaffold, access towers and working above 3 m
• Wallpaper, fabric and specialist wall coverings
• Joinery, trim and metalwork painting
• External painting
• Plaster or render repair and making good
• Strong or dark colours needing an extra coat for opacity
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Reinforcement is the supply and fixing of steel reinforcement bars (rebar) within concrete elements. In a bill of quantities, rebar is often measured and priced separately from the concrete and formwork. The rate per tonne covers bar supply, delivery, cutting and bending to schedule, and fixing in position including tying wire, spacers and supports. Bar diameter, quantity and fixing complexity are the primary cost drivers.

Supply and fix in GBP. Excludes concrete, formwork, prelims, overhead & profit.

Supply and fix budgeting guide only — not a tender price.

• Concrete supply and placement
• Formwork supply and striking
• Reinforcement mesh (A-type — priced separately)
• Post-tensioning cables or tendons
• Stainless steel or specialist alloy bars
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT

Formwork is the temporary mould into which concrete is poured. It must be erected before the pour, propped and checked, then struck (removed) after the concrete has cured. The rate covers supply of formwork materials, erection, striking and cleaning for reuse. Formwork is often the most expensive component of a reinforced concrete element — a complex bespoke form can cost more per m² than the concrete itself.

Supply, erect and strike in GBP. Excludes concrete, rebar, prelims, overhead & profit.

Supply, erect and strike budgeting guide only — not a tender price.

• Concrete supply and placement
• Reinforcement supply and fixing
• Temporary propping beyond standard (priced separately)
• Permanent lost formwork (e.g. Cordeck)
• Specialist surface finishes to formed faces
• Preliminaries, overhead and profit
• VAT