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Service 04 / 07

Commercial Estimating

Estimating for commercial building projects. The scope is organised by trade and work section, built from controlled inputs and reviewed before issue.

Output
Trade-structured estimate
Workflow
Covers Drawing, Intelligence, Takeoff, BOQ, Estimate, then human review.
See the outputHow it's checked
A-200 · Front elevation · trade scope · Rev BIllustrative Example
Illustrative commercial building elevation divided into the estimate's five trades: 01 substructure, 02 frame, 03 envelope, 04 fit-out and 05 building services, each numbered on the drawing.L3L2L1GF05SERVICES04FIT-OUT03ENVELOPE02FRAME01SUBSTRUCTUREA-200 · FRONT ELEVATION · REV B

Trade structure

Trade structure (illustrative)
No.TradeState
01SubstructureReviewed
02FrameReviewed
03EnvelopeIn review
04Fit-outMeasured
05Building servicesMeasured

Trade › work section › item

What it does

A commercial estimate organised the way the building is built

Commercial projects bring more drawings, more trades and more scope to track. The estimate is organised by trade and work section, so each part of the building is measured, priced and reviewed on its own.

Inputs are controlled: measured quantities, explicit rates and recorded scope notes. The reasoning behind the estimate is documented with it.

TRADETrade structure
The estimate organised by trade
SECT.Work sections
Items grouped within each trade
SCOPEScope notes
What each trade includes, recorded against the drawings
INPUTControlled inputs
Quantities and rates as explicit, recorded values
DOCDocumentation
Assumptions recorded with the estimate
CHECKReview
Each trade reviewed before issue

Inputs

What we work from

The project's own documents. Core inputs are needed for this service; the others are used where the project has them.

  • Architectural drawings

    Core

    Plans, sections and elevations.

  • Structural drawings

    Core

    Substructure and frame.

  • Specifications

    Core

    Defines the work in each trade.

  • Building services drawings

    Where relevant

    Mechanical and electrical scope.

  • Schedules

    Where relevant

    Doors, windows and finishes.

Workflow

Scope first, then quantities, then the estimate

The scope is split into trades before measurement, so nothing is counted twice and nothing falls between trades.

  • Estimator
  • AI-assisted suggestion
  • Controlled calculation
  • Human review
  1. 01

    Drawing

    Review the drawing set

    Drawings are registered by discipline and revision.

    Who: Estimator

  2. 02

    Drawing

    Organise the scope

    The scope is split into trades and work sections.

    Who: Estimator

  3. 03

    Intelligence

    Identify elements

    AI-Assisted Drawing Intelligence can suggest elements per discipline for the estimator to confirm.

    Who: AI-assisted suggestion

  4. 04

    Takeoff

    Measure by trade

    Quantities are measured into their trade and section.

    Who: Estimator

  5. 05

    Estimate

    Build the estimate

    Each trade is built up from quantities and controlled rates.

    Who: Estimator

  6. 06

    Review

    Trade review

    Each trade is reviewed, then the estimate as a whole.

    Who: Human review

Deliverable

Trade-structured estimate

A summary by trade, with work sections, a scope note per trade and a review state.

Every output includes

  • Estimate by trade and work section
  • Scope note per trade
  • Quantity and rate reference per item
  • Assumptions and review record
CE-01Trade-structured estimate
Illustrative Example
Illustrative trade-structured estimate summary
No.TradeState
01SubstructureΣ items × named ratesFoundations, ground slabReviewed
02FrameΣ items × named ratesColumns, floors, roofReviewed
03EnvelopeΣ items × named ratesMasonry, glazingIn review
04Fit-outΣ items × named ratesPartitions, finishesMeasured
05Building servicesΣ items × named ratesVentilation, electricalMeasured
Estimate · Σ trades 01–05
Illustrative Example — not a real projectSheet 1 of 1

Checked and traceable

Reviewed trade by trade

Each trade carries its own review state until the whole estimate is checked.

Checked before issue

  1. 01Every trade has a recorded scope
  2. 02No scope counted in two trades
  3. 03Quantities and rates are explicit inputs
  4. 04Assumptions recorded with the estimate
  5. 05Each trade reviewed before issue

One line followed back to its source, and one drawing revision handled. Neither is real project data.

Illustrative Example
Trace · trade 03 Envelope

  1. Estimate

    Trade-structured estimate

  2. Trade

    03 · Envelope

  3. Work section

    E · Masonry

  4. Item

    E.1 · 41.60 m²

  5. Source

    A-200 · Front elevation · Rev B

  6. State

    In review

Revision · Trade 03 · Envelope

Was 39.52 m² · Rev A

changed to 41.60 m² · Rev B

The affected trade goes back to review before the estimate is reissued.

Commercial Estimating

Structure a commercial estimate by trade

Organise the estimate by trade, with inputs and reviews you can follow. Next, see how the same structure supports a tender.

Get a quoteNext: Tender Estimating

Related services

  • Output · Cost estimate

    Construction Cost Estimating

    Cost estimates built up from measured quantities and explicit rates, with the calculation inputs kept visible for review.

  • Output · Package estimate

    Specialist Estimating

    Estimating for specialist trades and packages that need discipline-specific measurement.

  • Output · Tender estimate pack

    Tender Estimating

    Quantities and estimates prepared to support tender submissions, with scope assumptions recorded.