7 Tips For Better $/m2 Construction Estimates
Estimating construction budget has always been a balance between the time you spend building your estimate versus its accuracy.
Not surprisingly, architects and designers will often opt for a square metres rate to ‘ball-park’ the budget.
Here’s a list of items to be mindful of when estimating your budget, to improve house extension costs per square metre method.
1. Quality of Fitout.
A house extension cost per square metre doesn’t take into account the quality of your fixtures and finishes for specific rooms. Whether you opt for high-end (premium) or budget finishes – and the rooms they’re allocated to – will dramatically affect your final costs. By careful to apply the right square metre rate for the required finish.
2. Kitchens and Bathrooms Cost Loads More Than a Bedroom or Loungeroom.
As you know, the elements, tradespeople (plumbing, electrical) and costs that go into building kitchens and bathrooms aren’t equal to building costs for an additional bedroom or living area. Basically, the house extension cost per square metre for wet areas is very different to the cost per square metre for living zones. Applying two different rates for those rooms makes sense for accuracy.
3. The Detail of Demolition.
Will your site require extensive demolition work? Will walls or part of the existing dwelling be knocked down?
Typically, square metre rates overlook this expense so be sure to add them in.
5. Assess Cost for Renovations Within an Existing Building Envelope.
Are you simply refurbishing some rooms the home within the existing walls, or will you be removing walls too? As well as looking at costs associated with any extension work, you should tally up any additional renovations taking place inside the home at the same time.
6. Poor Site Access or Sloping Blocks.
The house extension cost per square metre method doesn’t consider the slope of your land which can bring a new level of variation to costs. Impacting on costs and planning are: poor site access, sloping blocks and land size (small blocks).
7. The Simplest Way to Estimate Construction Costs
By using an industry calculator such as ProCalc all these factors are included to ensure your clients have a sensible starting budget for their project. That means a more relaxed and professional project environment with far fewer surprises – using an industry costing method.
