QS or Online Estimator Service?

[Oldsteel]

I am at the preparation stages for a 4 bed detached in the Cotswolds. Discharging planning conditions, getting initial quotes for the big items, having the BR drawings done and lots of conversations! My plan is to send the BR drawings to an estimating service to get benchmark cost and some kind of idea of the cost (which of course will be more than I budgeted for). The house is 200m2 on a sloping site. I have read many of the threads here and can see the benefits of retaining a good QS throughout the project. 

So should I get a 'Bill of Quantities' from a QS at this stage with the advantage of developing an ongoing relationship, or pay my £150-£250 fee for the online service and dispense with the QS? Understand services such as HBXL are often used by builders to do quotes anyway.

[nod]

You really don’t need a Qs for building one house 

But if you are looking to get a ballpark estimate of materials

Online is as good as anything  

[LA3222]

I used estimators online -  cheap so you get what ya pay for!  I'm happy with the service - loads of info that I can manipulate in order to refine towards my project.

 

This is one of those areas where you get what you pay for, so you need to decide how much you are happy spending and work from there.

Edited August 13, 2019 by LA3222

[Oldsteel]

22 hours ago, nod said:

You really don’t need a Qs for building one house 

But if you are looking to get a ballpark estimate of materials

Online is as good as anything  

Thanks @nod I like the throwaway 'building one house' line ?. Glad to hear I am on the right track though! @LA3222 that's my plan too, its a good starting point. 

[Redoctober]

We too used online estimators and found their figures to be very useful. It provided us with a ball park figure across various build routes and to be fair, the quotes provided weren't that far off. I would recommend them.

[Thedreamer]

I previously created a thread on bill of quantities that might be helpful for you. 

 

We stick build our house so had to work out every bit of timber and nail etc. A tedious job but satisfying when you see the timber frame up.

 

For my mortgage I need inspections from a surveyor or architect. The first thing our surveyor inspected was my costings and provided assurance to the lender that our project costs were accurate.

 

 

[Brian-H]

On ‎13‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 12:15, nod said:

You really don’t need a Qs for building one house 

But if you are looking to get a ballpark estimate of materials

Online is as good as anything  

 

[Brian-H]

Try looking at www.priceajob.co.uk

[Oldsteel]

I went for an online estimate from estimators-online.com. Pretty easy, I sent them my BR drawings and they sent me back a fully detailed estimate, BOQ style, within a couple of days. There were some exclusions, odd items such as pocket doors, fill under garage, MVHR etc but these were all listed. For about £180 it has proved really useful for getting a ball-park cost for the early back-of-the-envelope budgeting. It was also useful as a guide to all of those small items you don't think about that must be included. Its worth noting they use standard materials and labour costs (albeit regionalised) so for me, my costs are going to increase where I opt for higher quality finishes. They also provide a detailed project plan, and all costs include contingency, builders margin etc.

I have used the main cost breakdown as a template for my own cost assessments, adding in the costs I am aware of so far.

I am now out to tender to four local builders, and I have included the BOQ at their request, excluding the costs, and asked them all to quote using the same sections as the online estimate, eg, foundations and excavation, ground floor,first floor, roof etc etc. I would recommend using online service to anyone who wants to get a good handle on costs prior to engaging builders, PMs or subbies, and of course raising finance.

[Bodgerbedge]

another one for estimators online. If nothing else to make sure nothing is missed - as others have stated it is fairly easy to the manipulate as things change or to tailor to your own requirements. for example, kitchen and bathrooms PC sums were for spec build standard fit outs, not the usual self builder standards. If using a builder for much of the work it should be sufficient. (we self-managed and found it useful). A QS seems a little OTT but may give you a more accurate figure if you are going to be doing much of the work yourself.

The only caveat is with foundations - especially on a sloping site, be prepared for some very different quotes from different builders.