Essay: Construction costs

Building Design and Construction is the process of creating a plan and adding structure to real property or construction of buildings. In the modern industrialized world, construction usually involves the translation of designs in to reality. A formal design team may be assembled to plan the physical proceedings with the other parts. The design usually consists of drawings and specifications, usually prepared by a design team including Surveyors, Civil Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Mechanical Engineers, Structural Engineers, Planning Consultants and Archaeological Consultants.
Understanding and estimating construction cost can be difficult. There are a variety of factors affecting costs, including what are called life-cycle costs. Asphalt shingles cost little over the short term, but need to be replaced at regular intervals, while a slate roof will last the life of the building. It is also wise to consider energy costs. For example high-efficiency furnaces or low-E glass. They cost more now, but save money later. Construction cost is often influenced by a group of design variables, which are called as building morphology factors. Variables include plan shape, size, circulation space, number of story, story height, grouping etc’. Those various designs identified and examined and selected by the Client. Sometimes it may causes to reduce the extra, useless expenses or sometimes it may causes for huge wastages of money.
Accurate estimation of the construction cost of a project is extremely important. One of the most unpleasant bits of news you may ever have to deliver to a Client is that the cost of a project will be more than you had estimated. Construction cost estimating usually proceeds in one of two ways, either the client provides the designer with maximum budget figure, the limit for construction cost, or there is a preliminary period of study in which possible schemes are developed and their respective costs estimated. Some factors can individually affect construction cost estimating include the project such as size, type, special construction, project accessibility, project clarity, project difficulty, Client difficulty, Contractor problems, time of Year, Competition, Labor Rates, Material Costs and General Economic Pressures.
When we look at the location factors cost will be influenced by such factors as climate and comfort requirements, building codes and regulations, ease of access, distances from sources of labor and materials, degree of union influence, and productivity of workers in the area. Condition of the site also takes a valuable part of the location factors. The bearing capacity of the soil, presence of rock, location of groundwater, slope, and existing conditions influence substructure costs and basic building design. Urban sites may require underpinning, extraordinary security, and limitations on access and maneuverability. When we talk about the regulations Building design and construction are affected by a wide range of building codes and standards as well as planning, zoning, environmental protection, construction labor, and site safety laws and regulations. These requirements, and the regulatory fees the owner must pay, may vary considerably from locality to locality. Market place is also influence to the construction cost factor. Construction prices are subject to change according to the laws of supply and demand. Overstressed and under stressed construction markets will affect the level and quality of competition as well as the prices charged.
Design factors are also influence to the construction cost. The plan dictates the amount and complexity of the perimeter required to enclose a given space. Generally, the higher the perimeter-to-floor area ratio, the greater the unit cost. Exterior closure is a high-cost item and has a secondary effect on lighting and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system capacities and operating costs.
There is a direct correlation between qualitative factors, as stated in performance terms, and cost. The more demanding the performance requirements, the higher the cost. Some owners may have specific performance concerns or aesthetic preferences. Better quality and performance may need to be justified on a life-cycle basis to optimize higher costs over a longer term.
Time factor is also influence to the construction cost. Accelerated schedules often increase construction costs due to overtime, extra shifts, or other requirements. Time must be considered on a case-by-case basis.
After examining those facts we have understand that factors influencing building design and construction have huge range of things we should know before making the project. As Quantity Surveying students we should be able to acquire knowledge on factors influencing the cost of a construction project. In this report we have made some effort to find what are the factors truly influencing building design and construction cost.