How to check estimates for construction work. Cheating in construction and overstating the estimated cost

• The estimates made are subject to mandatory verification. Checking the estimate documentation reveals technical errors.

The regulatory frameworks were chosen incorrectly, errors in calculations were made - as a result, the price of the estimate does not correspond to reality.

The estimated cost is often overstated. Especially if the estimate was drawn up by the only performer of the work. It is easy to raise the price by raising wages, transportation costs, and waste collection costs. The unrealistically high cost of building materials is found almost everywhere. The analysis of prices for finished parts and blocks (doors, blocks, sensors, etc.) is carried out poorly. Often, contractors indicate the cost of equipment in the estimates at the prices of sales from their warehouses.

The estimated cost increases due to an increase in the required amount of consumables - screws, nails, cable length, etc.

Now many organizations carry out repair work only on the basis of bidding results. The winner is the one who offered the lower price. The reduction in prices by contractors is due to the lack of certain types of work in the estimate. When replacing the roof, they "forget" to calculate the insulation of the attic and waterproofing, and when finishing work, the parquet floor is supposed to be covered with only one layer of varnish. The estimate price is lower than that of competitors. "Forgotten" types of work will still come to light and the customer will have to carry them out with a separate estimate, which means they will have to pay extra.

Sometimes surveyors do not know the technological process of performing construction work. Then, in the estimate for replacing the water supply system, there may be no transition couplings, connecting bolts.

The inspector must have a good idea of ​​the production process, mentally, looking at the estimate, go through all the stages of the work, complete them to the end. When checking, it is necessary to identify underestimation and overstatement of the cost of work, both due to inattention and deliberately.

Examination of estimates

When performing work, contractors are guided by estimate calculations, especially on that part of them where materials are calculated and work is calculated.

Design and estimate documentation must undergo an examination before approval so that you do not have to make changes to it by making new calculations.

After a decision has been made to carry out a major overhaul of a part of the building, power grids, water supply, a project and estimates are drawn up for it. Financing of work is possible only after an expert assessment of estimates by specialists who know the stages and technology of construction work.

Experts will check the estimated cost. Each material indicated in the estimate must contain the name, price and estimated consumption. The reference book of prices to which the estimator consulted must be indicated. The directories must be up-to-date on the day the estimate is made. It is imperative that prices comply with regional regulatory frameworks. The cost of devices and equipment not included in the reference books is confirmed by price lists.

The expert will check the compliance of the scope of work indicated in the estimate with modern requirements, check the need for their implementation. Contractors go for tricks, prescribing duplicate work under different names. The cost of the work rises immediately. Checking by specialists will quickly reveal a violation.

Examination of estimates implies checking the need to use the declared materials. To overstate the cost of work, the calculation may include materials that are not needed at all when performing work. There may be another situation - the list of materials is far from complete. At the same time, the estimated cost will be underestimated, but when performing the work, the customer will still have to spend money on the purchase of missing materials. Conducting an examination will allow you to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Construction work is regulated by a huge number of regulations. Only experts can check the compliance of the materials and works included in the estimate with these standards.

Installation, plumbing and many other works, in addition to building rules, are regulated by fire safety documents, sanitary norms and rules, GOSTs. All these conformities will be verified during the examination.

After the examination, the customer will receive a conclusion, which will reflect all the disadvantages and advantages of the estimate submitted for verification. The recommendations given by the experts will help you make corrections and carry out the work at the best rates.

Examination of estimate documentation

Examination of the estimate documentation will allow the customer to avoid unnecessary costs, insure against the lack of materials when performing work.

After checking the estimates by specialists, there will be no situations when it turns out that individual stages are not reflected in the estimate, and without them it is impossible to perform high-quality contractual work.

The customer provides the expert with a contract with a contractor, terms of reference and estimates.

The specialist will study the documents and make an analysis of the estimated labor costs. The deadlines for the execution of work, prescribed in the contract, affect the size of the travel allowance, especially when performing work on a rotational basis.

The subject of the contract and the work on the estimate must correspond to each other. In the estimate of the work under the contract, they are signed in stages, taking into account the materials for each stage, the necessary construction equipment is reflected.

Analysis of the contract allows you to see whether the removal of construction waste is reasonably included in the estimate.

The works reflected in the estimate must comply with the terms of reference drawn up by the customer before the conclusion of the contract with the contractor. The calculated materials should be enough to complete the work from the technical assignment with minimal leftovers.

An expert, analyzing the subject of the contract, makes his own estimate, taking into account building codes and rules for the performance of work. Based on the requirements of the customer, he chooses more modern materials and technologies, economical, or according to the criterion "value for money".

After the examination, the customer receives an answer to the question: "Will the estimate submitted for verification allow to complete the work under the contract in full?" Estimated cost analysis will help to see price deviations up or down from the optimal one.

Examination of the estimate documentation will allow the customer and the designer to avoid mistakes in the course of work.

The work of builders according to a good proven estimate will give the customer confidence in resolving disputes with the contractor, during inspections by regulatory authorities.

The estimate is part of the working documentation. It is necessary for any construction site, any work. According to the estimate, they determine how much money the construction site requires. How many of them are needed for the production of work? In the article, we tried to tell you how the estimate is filled in, where to get the data for this? What are indices and odds? What is the estimated cost of? Everything is not as difficult as it seems.

How can this article help?

The article will help you understand the question a little. Understand the estimates at the entry level. Here are only general concepts about the composition of the estimate, examples of estimates for installation. A little about indices and coefficients. Details on the preparation of estimates for are considered in MDS 81-35. 2001.

Title page

Let's consider how to read estimates, using an example. The estimate for the installation of a split system (table in the figure below) contains 13 columns. There are other types of forms that differ in the number of columns. But the principle is similar everywhere and the information in the graphs is similar. The position numbers of the text below correspond to the numbers in the picture of the example estimate. An example of an installation estimate has been drawn up for this article and is not tied to any specific object.

1. At the top left there is a block - "Agreed". The contractor is registered in it. The one who does the work. The organization and data of the head are indicated. His signature and seal are also put here.

2. At the top right there is a block - "I approve", containing the position, surname, initials and signature of the head of the customer. The block "Approved" is also stamped.

3. The name of the construction site - the place where the work will be performed. Several parts of the work can be combined in one construction site.

4. Number of the estimate. According to regulatory documents, the following numbering procedure was adopted:

• the first 2 digits - the number of the section of the consolidated estimate;
• the second and third are the line number in its section;
• the third and fourth are the estimate number in this object estimate calculation.

In the example, the estimate number is not supplied. It is not included in any documentation.

5. The name of the object, works and costs. Description of work indicating the name and address of the object.

6. Foundation. What was the basis for the estimate? It can be a drawing, technical assignment. We indicate, for example, the terms of reference.

7. Estimated cost of work. The amount of the estimate for installation work is prescribed in thousands of rubles. The indication of the amount in thousands of rubles is regulated by the IBC 81-35.2001.

8. Funds for wages. How much should workers be paid in theory?

9. Standard labor intensity. The sum of man-hours without taking into account the downtime required to complete the work.

10. Justification of the estimated cost. The estimate for the example is drawn up in current (forecast) prices for the first quarter of 2018 (but there is monthly indexation). All prices are recorded in 2001 prices, and then, using coefficients, are converted into prices of the current period. This method is called base-index.

Tabular part of the estimate of the example of the estimate for the installation of a split system

The estimate header includes the following columns:

1. Rates number.

2. Code and number of the standard. Indicates in which standards the estimate is drawn up and by what order this regulatory framework is valid. In this case, the FER (federal unit building rates) directory is used. The numbers in the name of the rate mean the numbers: collection - section - table-rates.

3. Name of work, costs and unit of rates. The work itself is described (just as it is written in the rate), the rate meter (in this case, 1 split system). Further, in the name of the price, the coefficients for the positions and the indexes of the positions are prescribed.

4. Quantity. The quantity is affixed, taking into account the rate meter. In this example, this is one split system.

Unit cost (block 1). This block includes the current base price and its elements.

5. Total / wages.

6. Operation of machines / including wages (drivers).

7. Materials.

Total cost (block 2). It is obtained by multiplying the unit cost by the quantity.

9. Remuneration for labor.

10. Operation of machines / including wages (drivers).

11. Materials.

Labor costs of workers (block 3), not related to the maintenance of machines, people. hour.

12. Per unit.

There is also a breakdown of the estimate into sections. There are no hard and fast rules. Break down logically. A section is always summarized.

What do the numbers in the estimate table mean?

The method of drawing up the estimate under consideration is the base-index. The prices in it are indicated at the 2001 price level and are called baseline. To convert prices to the current level, the base price is multiplied by the index. Direct prices cannot be immediately converted to the level of current prices, since there is no index for them. There are indices for cost items. The estimate is made in cost elements.

There are four of them:

• wages of workers - payroll;
• operation of machines - EM;
• pay for machinists - salary;
• Cost of materials.

Where to find direct costs in the table:

Where to look for cost elements in the table:

As in the standard FER 20-06-018-04, cost elements are spelled out. Here you can also see which materials were included in the price list and which ones remained unaccounted for.

Therefore, in order to find out the real cost of work, you need to multiply the prices of cost elements in 2001 by indices and summarize. If the "Materials" column is filled in the rate, it means that there are so many materials in the rate unit. This can be seen in the example of the price for the installation of a split system (line No. 1). There are materials that are not included in the price. Then they are called unaccounted for and are entered in a separate line (positions 3 to 9 of this estimate).

Estimated coefficients

In addition to indices, there are coefficients. They are charged on unit rate items. Indicated in column 3. Coefficients may be different (for wooden structures, for earthworks, for dismantling, for work in winter conditions ...). All of them can be found in magazines, price books and in MDS 81-35.2001. Coefficients are charged on items of unit rates. They can be both lowering (for example, for dismantling) and increasing (for example, tightness).

At the end of the estimate, all costs are summed up. In this variant of filling out the estimate, first there is a line of costs in 2001 prices. Then a line with current prices, where all price indices are taken into account. Then comes the column - "Effort".

The next two lines:

• JV (estimated profit).
• HP (overhead).

The coefficients for them are indicated in the prices. You can learn more about the calculation of the joint venture from MDS 81-25.2001, and about the calculation of NR - from MDS 81-33.2004.

After that, the "Total" section is broken down into cost elements.

Accrual expenses are being accrued.

If there are sections in the estimate, then the estimate totals are summed up from the totals of the sections.

At the end, signatures are put and deciphered:

Compiled by (engineer full name).

Checked (engineer full name).

Design and estimate documentation (DED) is an integral part of any repair and construction work. Competent drawing up of it allows in the future to correctly select materials and carry out the work necessary for the implementation of the project.

It is more profitable to hire a construction control service, for example STROY NADZOR LLC: here the services already include the analysis of design and estimate documentation both at the initial stages and in the process of performing construction and installation works, as well as a constant check of the volume of construction and installation work, control over the quality of their implementation , further acceptance. This is ideal for every Customer who wants to fully control the construction process of their facility.

Checking the estimate documentation is a significant stage in the construction

Analysis of estimates is necessary both at the beginning of construction and its process, as well as in case of any disagreements with contractors:

• to determine inaccuracies in the work performed;
• overexpenditure of building materials;
• the correctness of the applied rates and the set of works;
• verification of the compliance of the actual scope of work with the declared ones.

If the check of the estimates is not carried out in a timely manner, then at the final stage of the construction and installation work, the contractor can present payment for his services much higher than they are worth.

If various construction organizations, companies or teams are involved in the process of performing construction and installation work, then a certain algorithm of actions should be followed, which is optimally performed together with the construction control service.

1. A statement is drawn up for the estimated scope of work, which must be agreed between the Customer and the general contractor, and then be finally approved.
2. The general contractor draws up estimates, after which they are transferred to the Customer.
3. The estimate documentation is checked and its further agreement with the Customer is carried out.
4. Acceptance by the Customer of the completed project, which must correspond to the scope of work according to the statement and estimate.
5. Payment for the completed project.

What will you get as a result of checking the estimates?

If we analyze and check estimates at the initial stage, even then you get the opportunity to save about 20-30% of the total construction amount. It is this percentage, or even more, that each contractor lays down in the estimate and, in order to avoid unreasonable additions, the analysis of the original estimate is carried out.

During construction and repair work, the initial local estimate may change. If, in the course of construction and installation work, the cost estimates and scope of work are regularly checked by STROY NADZOR LLC, you will be able to prevent unnecessary cost overruns, often observed due to unnecessary additional work, often included in the initial estimate and already included in certain types of work. Timely analysis of the estimate documentation will show the purchase of materials that are irrational in cost and quantity, deviations from the project, and unreasonable overpricing by the contractor.

For the implementation of any project, some costs are required, no matter what kind - be it material, financial or labor resources. The consolidated financial cost plan is called the cost estimate. The most widely known are construction estimates and budgetary estimates for the maintenance of budgetary institutions). By analyzing the construction estimate, one can understand the cost of certain types of work in detail, the budgetary - the total cost, for example, of keeping children in kindergarten. The guarantee of the correctness of the data is the verification of the accuracy of the estimates, carried out by specialized organizations or authorized bodies.

Checking construction estimates

Verification of construction estimates, or, as it is also called, the examination of estimates, is mandatory. Only licensed specialized organizations are authorized to carry it out. Checking the estimates is designed to identify possible facts of fraud admitted by the design organization at the design stage. This is one of the most significant moments in the relationship between the contractor and the customer. Any investor is interested in the work being completed and the material costs incurred in accordance with the prices actually prevailing in the market.

Checking estimates in construction is carried out for:

1. Possible overpricing of building materials.
2. The presence of errors in calculating the amount of work.
3. The correctness and validity of the application of various correction factors.

The main violations revealed when checking construction estimates

The general practice of checking the reliability of estimates in the construction industry shows that most of the violations committed are of the following nature:

• incorrect assessment of the estimated scope of work in comparison with the provided construction drawings of the project;
• permissible computational errors when carrying out mathematical calculations;
• incorrect application of prices and correction factors and rise in price indices due to the estimator's ignorance of the very technology of the construction process.

A timely check of estimates allows you to identify and eliminate these violations before the start of the production cycle.

Estimate check procedure

The process of checking estimates in construction itself looks, as a rule, as follows: a customer interested in the rational and efficient use of financial resources at his disposal is looking for an independent (this is a very important factor!) Organization that has an appropriate license. Concludes an agreement with her for the examination and submits a package of documents received from the designers in full with the obligatory attachment of all available drawings and technical drawings.

The expert organization, using special software, divides the draft estimates into the costs of materials, machine operation, wages, estimated profit and overhead costs. The estimate engineer then analyzes the local construction estimates at his disposal and assesses the potential savings.

In the process of examination, not only unnecessary work can be identified, but also moments of lack of necessary work can be established or proposals to replace one type of work with another, more effective one, can be made. So the examination of the reliability of estimates does not always give a tangible reduction in the estimated costs, but always leads to the possibility of the most rational use of funds.

A sample construction cost estimate can be found on various specialized sites.

Checking budget estimates

Verification of the estimates of budgetary institutions, as a rule, is carried out by various bodies exercising either departmental or financial control. Under the current legislation, budget estimates are drawn up exclusively by state institutions. Budgetary and autonomous institutions that are not recipients of budgetary funds (all financial flows come from the founder as a so-called payment (subsidy) for the performed state or municipal task) do not draw up budget estimates. Their main financial document is a plan of financial and economic activities.

Accordingly, the subjects of financial control in terms of drawing up budget estimates are, first of all, the founder (departmental control) and various control and supervisory bodies (treasury, financial authorities, control and accounting chambers, control and audit bodies, and so on).

Main areas of verification

Budget estimates are checked for:

• the reliability of the calculation of indicators of the wage fund;
• the accuracy of the calculation and the application of the current prices for services related to the maintenance of property that is in the operational management of the audited institution;
• reliability and validity of planning of state (municipal) purchases;
• compliance of the planning of spending funds with the goals and conditions of their provision.

A sample estimate for state institutions can be viewed on the official website of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the above, checking estimates (the so-called preliminary control) is a very important aspect in the implementation of both various investment projects and in the everyday activities of institutions. It allows you to identify internal reserves, eliminate the likelihood of violations and avoid additional costs in the form of imposition of penalties from various kinds of control and supervisory authorities.

In most cases, professional estimates are involved in the preparation of estimates, and in this case, various auxiliary specialized programs are almost always used. Therefore, problems often arise with how to read the estimate without having the appropriate knowledge in this area. Despite the fact that the document in question often has a rather impressive and cumbersome appearance, it is quite possible to disassemble the estimate, without being an estimator at all. To do this, you must be guided by some basic rules and recommendations.

Budgeting will become a much simpler process if you entrust this business to professionals.

Types of estimate documentation

local estimate calculation or local estimate. The most common document that is drawn up at almost any facility under construction or when performing any work. There are many different variations of it, the most common are the following documents, differing in the number of columns in the form:

• 16 count. The most complete and detailed version of the estimate (along with the following), used in cases where a full-fledged project is being developed, part of which is the estimate documentation;
• 17 count;
• 11 count. The most common in recent years is just this type of estimate. Its widespread use is due to its ease of perception, which compares favorably with the options described above. In this case, the estimate contains all the information necessary for making a decision;
• 7th graph. It is used when using the resource method, which is especially common when building private facilities or performing a small amount of work;
• object estimate. Compiled on the basis of local calculations for certain types of work. It is necessary for large facilities to determine their full cost.

Despite the fact that the above options for the forms of various estimates are officially approved, in practice there are quite often their various variations. However, the general principles for deciphering estimates, which are described below, are independent of these minor adjustments.

We read the estimate compiled using the basis-index method

The basic index method is undoubtedly the most widespread in modern conditions. The deciphering of the estimate drawn up with its use is easiest to consider using the example of the most detailed 17 columns. The fact is that the much more common variant containing 11 columns is much simpler and contains practically the same information, only in a more concise form. Having dealt with the 17 columns, it will not be difficult to read the estimate from 11.

Deciphering the estimate header is quite simple. It contains “Approved” and “Agreed”, which are signed by the responsible persons (most often, managers) of the contractor and customer, respectively. In this case, the date is indicated.

This is followed by the name of the document, the name of the object and its main parameters, obtained as a result of the preparation of the estimate under consideration, including the total cost, wages fund, labor intensity (with a separate allocation of the labor costs of drivers). The calendar period, in the prices of which the calculation is performed, is also indicated here.

The table header consists, as noted above, of 17 columns:

• "No. p / p" - the number of the item of the estimate, as a rule, either continuous numbering is used throughout the document, or starting for each section with one;
• "Justification" - the code of the estimated cost applied. Taken from GESN-2001 or TEP-2001, depending on which regulatory framework is applied;
• "Name", "Unit. rev. " and "Qty." - the name of the marked work, the units of measurement in which its volume is calculated, and their quantity. The data to be filled out is taken from the list of works compiled on the basis of the project, or the defective list (when performing repair work);

• "Unit cost, rub." - consists of four columns, in the first of which the total price of work per unit of measurement is put down, and in the other three - its constituent parts, namely the main salary of workers, EMM and salary of machinists. The data is taken from the respective prices;
• "Total cost, rub." - also consists of four columns of similar content, but the values ​​for filling them out are obtained by calculation - by multiplying the amount of work by unit prices;

• Effort - The next four columns contain the effort of the main workers (per unit and total) and machinists (also per unit and total).

Deciphering the final part of the estimate ("tail" as it is often called by the estimators themselves) does not present any problems. Depending on the agreement between the customer and the contractor, it can consist of a different number of lines, but usually includes:

• index of conversion to current prices. As a rule, the last one published by Gosstroy is used. They apply to the total cost derived from the estimate;
• costs of temporary buildings and structures and unforeseen costs (standards are taken that take into account the conditions of construction);
• VAT. This item of the estimate does not need to be deciphered;
• "TOTAL according to the estimate."

Other types of local estimates made using the base-index method are used in most cases, almost the same columns and constituent elements of design and calculation.

We read the local resource estimate

The resource method is used mainly in private housing construction, when erecting small objects or performing work, when the customer is an individual or a private investor, and the contractor is a team of workers or a small construction company. Therefore, there are no uniform forms of budgeting for all forms, however, to decipher the document in question, some main points and elements can still be highlighted.

The cap of the local resource estimate is drawn up, as a rule, in the same way as in the variant described above when calculating by the base-index method. It contains the approval and approval from the leaders of the contractor and the customer and the main data on the object.

The table consists of estimate columns, the name and decoding of which is as follows:

• "No. p / p" - the number of the item of the estimate;
• "Price code and resource codes" - a feature of the estimate compiled by the resource method is the listing of the resources used for each type of work. To designate them, the codes indicated in the regulatory estimate base are used;
• "Name of work and costs", "Unit of measurement" and "Number of units" - these three columns contain information on the work and costs that are carried out for their implementation, units of measure used in calculating volumes and their quantity;
• "Price per unit of measurement" - the actual price for each type of work. It is taken in the amount that is negotiated by the customer and the contractor. It can be obtained on the basis of the current regulatory framework (HPES, TEP) with the corresponding rise in price indices;
• "TOTAL costs" - an indicator that is calculated by multiplying the volume of each work and the resource used to complete it by the corresponding price.

The final part of the estimate is drawn up in the same way as in the case of using the base-index method, so its decoding does not present any special problems. As a rule, this takes into account unforeseen costs, costs of temporary buildings and structures, VAT. Other similar types of costs may be included by agreement between the customer and the contractor.

We read the object estimate

The object estimate consists of almost the same elements as the various local options described above, which makes it quite simple to decipher it.

The head of the document contains "Agreed" and "Approved", where the heads or responsible persons, respectively, of the contractor and the customer, must sign.

Below is the basic information about the document itself, including:

• name of the construction site;
• name of the estimate and object;
• the main parameters obtained as a result of calculating the estimate, namely:
• the total cost;
• the amount of funds required for wages;
• the calendar period in the prices of which the calculation was carried out.

The table header consists of the following main points:

• "No. p / p" - item number of the object estimate;
• "Number of estimated calculations (estimates)" - the number included in the object local estimate;
• "Name of work and costs" - types of work for which local estimates have been drawn up;
• "Estimated cost, thousand rubles." - includes columns containing the cost of construction, installation or other work, as well as equipment, furniture and inventory, and the column "Total". The data is taken from the corresponding local estimates;
• "Funds for wages, thousand rubles." - information on this indicator is also in local estimates;
• “Indicators of the unit cost” is a column that is rarely filled in in practice and is mainly for reference purposes.

The final part of the object estimate is drawn up in the same way as in other options, so its decoding is quite simple. In most cases, unforeseen costs, expenses for temporary buildings and structures, VAT are taken into account. Other similar types of costs may be included by agreement between the customer and the contractor.

Using the above basic rules for decoding the estimate will make it easy to read such a document and understand what it contains.