A professionally prepared elemental cost plan — the credible construction cost figure your project needs at design stage.
An elemental cost plan breaks a construction project into standard cost elements — substructure, external walls, roof, internal fitout, services, externals — and applies measured rates to each, adjusted for your specific specification and site conditions.
This is not a rough estimate. It is a professional quantity surveying document, prepared by an MCIOB-qualified surveyor, that gives you — and your lender or architect — a credible and defensible construction cost at design stage.
All cost plans are prepared to a standard template and issued in PDF format on headed paper.
Many self-build mortgage lenders ask applicants to evidence construction cost before the project goes to tender. A professionally prepared cost plan satisfies this requirement — avoiding the situation where a lender chases you for a contractor's quote that doesn't yet exist.
A cost plan lets your architect — and you — test the cost impact of specification choices before anything is committed. Slates vs tiles. Underfloor heating vs radiators. Triple vs double glazing. Numbers before decisions.
Cost plan structured by standard construction elements — substructure, frame, roof, external walls, internal finishes, services, and externals.
Base rates adjusted for your spec — heating type, ventilation system, glazing specification, finishes and any unusual site constraints.
Appropriate contingency percentage applied depending on design stage — higher at concept stage, lower when detailed drawings are available.
Issued on headed paper with project details, drawing reference, date and revision number — suitable for mortgage or planning submission.
Total and elemental cost per square metre figures provided — useful benchmarks for your architect and lender.
One revision is included to reflect updated drawings or specification changes — provided within a reasonable timeframe of the original issue.
For mortgage applications and to understand what your project should cost — before committing to a builder or accepting a tender.
Cost certainty at design stage helps architects manage client expectations and supports value engineering before detailed design is locked in.
A professionally prepared cost plan from an MCIOB QS provides the construction cost evidence specialist lenders require for self-build mortgage approval.
Floor plans and elevations are the primary inputs. From these we take floor areas and assess the full specification — no checklist or additional documents required.
We review the drawings to identify all specification items that affect cost — heating type, ventilation, glazing, roof finish, finishes — without you having to complete a checklist.
The elemental cost plan is prepared, checked and issued in PDF format. Typical turnaround is 5–7 working days from receipt of drawings.
If your architect updates the design or spec, we revise the cost plan accordingly. One revision is included in the fee.
Send us your drawings and we'll have a fee back to you within 24 hours.