Enabling & substructure
Demolition, site establishment, excavation, retaining, foundations, basements and concrete structure, with temporary works and access allowances identified.
ESTIMAXRequest a quoteSector 02 / Construction estimatingCommercial construction
Commercial construction
estimating.
A coordinated view of structure, façade, services and fit-out costs for commercial buildings, from design budgets to tender packages.
Australia-wide service · Scope agreed before work starts
A practical starting point
Price the building and the systems that make it work.
Commercial projects bring several design disciplines and procurement packages together. Estimax reviews architectural, structural and services information alongside the specification to establish what belongs in each trade and where packages meet.
We support head contractors, developers and project teams with estimates for new buildings, extensions and refurbishments. The breakdown can separate base-building works, tenant areas and external infrastructure, making it easier to review subcontractor scope, compare design options and prepare a tender based on a defined document issue.
01 / Project types
Projects we estimate.
- New commercial buildings
- Commercial extensions
- Base-building upgrades
- Multi-tenancy developments
- Commercial refurbishments
- Business precincts
- Commercial podiums
- Shell-and-core projects
02 / What we measureFrom the drawings
From the drawings
to the work packages.
The take-off follows the information issued for your project. Each element is separated by its type, specification and location where the documentation allows.
Frame & façade
Concrete, steel, formwork, reinforcement, glazing, façade panels, roofing and waterproofing, separated into buildable and procurable packages.
Fit-out & common areas
Partitions, ceilings, finishes, doors, joinery and amenities, with lobbies and circulation areas distinguished from tenancy work.
Building services
Mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and fire scope from coordinated drawings and schedules, recording builder's work and specialist supply boundaries.
Movement & specialist items
Stairs, balustrades, lift-related builder's work and scheduled specialist systems, with proprietary equipment treated against supplier scope.
External infrastructure
Access roads, car parks, footpaths, drainage, utility connections and landscaping within the nominated construction boundary.
Measured quantities and provisional allowances are identified separately. Missing design information is recorded so it can be resolved rather than hidden in a total.
03 / Estimating services01 02 03
PlannedMeasuredPriced
Choose the service that matches the decision you need to make and the detail available in your drawings.
Pre-construction cost planning
Compare structural systems, façade areas and services provisions before the design is fixed, with cost allowances linked to the current design maturity.
- Preliminary budgets
- Design option comparisons
- Design development allowances
- Budget review notes
Quantity take-offs
Produce quantities by trade, floor or tenancy so procurement packages can be reviewed without losing the common-area and base-building scope.
- Measurements
- Trade breakdowns
- Drawing references
- Scope and quantity notes
Tender estimating
Assemble the tender from measured packages, subcontractor information and agreed preliminaries, recording exclusions and gaps between offers.
- Detailed trade pricing
- Agreed labour & material allowances
- Received quotation comparisons
- Assumptions & exclusions
04 / Documentation we reviewThe right information.
The right information.
A clearer estimate.
Send the latest coordinated set you have, together with the drawing register and known changes. We confirm what can be assessed from that issue and what needs an allowance or clarification.
Early plans are a starting point for cost planning. Detailed take-offs and tender pricing require enough design and specification information to define the work.
- Architectural documentation
- General arrangements, tenancy boundaries, façade details and schedules.
- Structural design
- Foundation, floor, frame and roof information, including member and reinforcement schedules.
- Services packages
- Mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and fire layouts, equipment schedules and scope notes.
- Civil & landscape
- Levels, pavements, drainage, utility and landscape drawings.
- Specification & brief
- Performance requirements, finishes and the agreed base-building handover standard.
- Tender issue
- Document registers, addenda, pricing schedules and subcontract package scopes.
05 / Trade-by-trade estimating
See where the cost sits.
A commercial breakdown can follow both the construction trades and the project's tenancy structure. Separate services equipment from builder's work, and show the inclusions behind major subcontract allowances.
01
Enabling & substructure
02
Superstructure
03
Façade & roofing
04
Fit-out & amenities
05
Services & specialist systems
06
Civil & landscape
Package interfaces
Who provides supports, penetrations and making good?
Tenancy boundaries
Where does base-building scope finish?
Preliminaries
What access, staging and programme assumptions affect cost?
06 / What you receiveInformation you can
Information you can
actually work with.
See the cost of each commercial package and the scope behind it before comparing tenders or committing to procurement.
Your quote sets out the agreed deliverables. A quantity-only take-off does not include a priced estimate unless pricing is part of the brief.
Your agreed estimating package
- Measured quantities for the agreed scope
- Trade-by-trade breakdown
- Drawing and document references
- Clear assumptions & exclusions
- Cost breakdown for priced commissions
- Outstanding information and allowance notes
Confirm your preferred format
Tell us if you need Excel, PDF, marked-up drawings or a separate labour and material split. We confirm availability and inclusion in the scope before work starts.
07 / Who we work with
Built around your role in the project.
We agree the scope around the packages you are responsible for, whether you are coordinating the whole project or pricing a single part of it.
- Head contractors
- Commercial developers
- Construction companies
- Architects
- Services engineers
- Project managers
08 / How it worksSimple to start.
Simple to start.
Thorough from there.
A defined brief, a clear document issue and an agreed delivery date give the estimate a useful basis from the outset.
UPLOAD YOUR DRAWINGS01
Upload your drawings
Send the current drawings, specifications and project brief through our quote form. Include the site location and your required delivery date.
02
We review the documentation
We check the available design information, document revisions and any gaps that affect what can be measured or priced.
03
Scope & quote confirmed
We agree the estimating service, package boundaries, deliverables, fee and timing with you before proceeding.
04
Estimating & take-off
We measure the agreed work, organise the trade packages and develop pricing where it forms part of the confirmed service.
05
Internal review
Your agreed package identifies drawing references, assumptions, inclusions and allowances for your review.
06
Estimate delivered
You receive the agreed package with its pricing basis, assumptions and outstanding information clearly recorded.
09 / Why EstimaxConstruction thinking.
Construction thinking.
Clear documentation.
Useful estimating connects the drawings to the way the work is procured and built. The result needs to explain its basis as clearly as it presents its quantities and costs.
Review the detail
For each base-building or tenancy item, record its drawing reference, responsible package and any unresolved connection or finishing work. Confirm the handover boundary before comparing quotations.
Keep scope visible
Separate trade packages, identify interfaces and state allowances. Make the construction scope behind a number available for review.
Work across Australia
Share documentation digitally. Confirm the project location, access conditions and pricing basis so local requirements can be considered in the brief.
Ready when you areReady to price
Ready to price
your next project?
Upload your drawings and project documentation and let Estimax review the scope.