All 18trades in the platform, in plain English. For each one: how it’s normally measured (the question to answer first), what an estimator prices, and the checks that catch the expensive mistakes. This is the same content that fills the estimator’s worksheet — so learning it here is learning the tool.
Measured by: Volume of cut and fill (m³), from the site levels
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site strip / topsoil removal | m² | — | — |
| Bulk excavation to level | m³ | — | Confirm depth against the engineer’s footing detail. |
| Detailed excavation to footings | m³ | — | — |
| Cart away spoil | m³ | 25% | Bulking factor — excavated soil occupies more volume than in situ. |
| Imported fill, placed and compacted | m³ | 10% | — |
Measured by: Slab area (m²) and concrete volume (m³)
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand / crushed rock bedding | m³ | 10% | — |
| Vapour barrier membrane | m² | 10% | Include laps and upturns. |
| Reinforcement mesh | m² | 10% | Mesh type per engineer. Include laps. |
| Edge / beam reinforcement bar | tonnes | 5% | — |
| Concrete supply | m³ | 5% | Confirm strength grade from the structural notes. |
| Formwork to slab edge | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Concrete pump hire | each | — | Depends on site access. |
| Place, screed and finish | m² | — | — |
Measured by: Lineal metres of pipe by diameter, plus pit count
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenching | lineal m | — | — |
| Pipework, supply and lay | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Pits and grates | each | — | — |
| Connection to legal point of discharge | each | — | — |
Measured by: Floor area (m²) for labour; lineal metres by member for materials
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bearers and joists | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Wall framing | m² | 10% | Measured on wall face area. |
| Roof trusses, supply | each | — | From the truss layout. Confirm span and spacing. |
| Roof frame erection | m² | — | — |
| Lintels | each | — | — |
| Bracing and tie-downs | each | 5% | Per AS 1684 bracing schedule. |
Measured by: Wall face area (m²), converted to brick count
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bricks, supply | each | 5% | Standard AU brick ≈ 50/m² single skin. Confirm the format. |
| Bricklaying labour | m² | — | — |
| Sand and cement | m³ | 10% | — |
| Wall ties and accessories | each | 5% | — |
| Steel lintels | lineal m | 5% | Galvanised within 1km of the coast. |
| Acid wash and clean down | m² | — | — |
Measured by: Roof surface area (m²) — plan area ÷ cos(pitch). See roofGeometry.ts
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof sheeting | m² | 11% | Cutting waste from nesting; ~10.9% on the reference job. |
| Ridge capping | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Hip capping | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Valley gutter | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Barge capping | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Gutter | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Fascia | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Downpipes | lineal m | 5% | Sizing per catchment — VBA Plumbing Practice Note RP-06. |
| Roof battens | lineal m | 5% | — |
| Sarking / insulation blanket | m² | 10% | — |
| Sundry flashings | lineal m | 10% | — |
Measured by: Area of wet-area floors and walls (m²)
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primer | m² | 5% | — |
| Membrane, two coats | m² | 10% | — |
| Bond breaker to junctions | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Angle fillet / reinforcing tape | lineal m | 10% | — |
Measured by: Wall and ceiling area (m²) by R-value
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling batts | m² | 5% | R-value from the energy rating report. |
| Wall batts | m² | 5% | — |
| Underfloor insulation | m² | 5% | — |
Measured by: Point count from the electrical plan, plus cable runs (m)
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power points (GPO) | points | — | — |
| Light points | points | — | — |
| Switches | points | — | — |
| LED downlights, supply and install | each | 2% | — |
| Exhaust fans | each | — | 25 L/s required to wet areas per NCC. |
| Smoke alarms, interconnected | each | — | Hardwired with battery backup, AS 3786. |
| Switchboard and mains | each | — | — |
| Cable | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Data / comms points | points | — | — |
| Rough-in labour | hours | — | — |
| Fit-off labour | hours | — | — |
Measured by: Fixture count, plus pipe runs (m) by diameter
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixtures, supply and install | each | — | — |
| Water pipework | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Waste and vent pipework | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Hot water system | each | — | — |
| Tempering valve | each | — | — |
| Rough-in labour | hours | — | — |
| Fit-off labour | hours | — | — |
Measured by: Heating/cooling load (kW) and outlet count
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, supply | each | — | Sized from the heat load calculation. |
| Ducting | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Outlets and grilles | each | — | — |
| Installation labour | hours | — | — |
Measured by: System size (kW) and panel count
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PV panels | each | — | — |
| Inverter | each | — | — |
| Mounting system | each | 5% | Rail type depends on the roof profile. |
| Battery storage | each | — | — |
| Installation labour | hours | — | — |
Measured by: Wall and ceiling area (m²)
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plasterboard sheets | m² | 10% | — |
| Wet-area board | m² | 10% | — |
| Cornice | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Fixing labour | m² | — | — |
| Setting and sanding | m² | — | — |
| Jointing compound and tape | m² | 5% | — |
Measured by: Tiled area (m²), separated by wall and floor
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiles, supply | m² | 10% | Raise to 15% for diagonal or patterned layouts. |
| Adhesive | m² | 5% | — |
| Grout | m² | 5% | — |
| Laying labour | m² | — | — |
| Trims and edges | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Silicone to junctions | lineal m | 5% | — |
Measured by: Surface area (m²) by coat and substrate
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation and filling | m² | — | — |
| Sealer / undercoat | m² | 5% | Typical spread rate 12–16 m²/L — confirm the product. |
| Walls, two coats | m² | 5% | — |
| Ceilings, two coats | m² | 5% | — |
| Doors, frames and trim | lineal m | 5% | — |
| External paint | m² | 10% | — |
Measured by: Floor area (m²) by finish type
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underlay | m² | 5% | — |
| Timber / laminate | m² | 8% | — |
| Carpet | m² | 10% | Broadloom waste depends on roll width vs room shape. |
| Vinyl / hybrid | m² | 8% | — |
| Skirting | lineal m | 10% | — |
| Laying labour | m² | — | — |
Measured by: Lineal metres of cabinetry, plus benchtop area
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base cabinets | lineal m | — | — |
| Overhead cabinets | lineal m | — | — |
| Tall units / pantry | each | — | — |
| Benchtop | m² | 10% | Stone is cut from slabs — waste depends on slab yield. |
| Hinges, runners and handles | each | 2% | — |
| Installation labour | hours | — | — |
Measured by: Door count from the door schedule
| What’s priced | Unit | Wastage | Check before pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal doors | each | — | — |
| External doors | each | — | — |
| Door frames / jambs | each | — | — |
| Locks and furniture | each | — | — |
| Hanging labour | each | — | — |
Wastage percentages are conventional trade allowances to edit, not standards — every one is adjustable in the estimator. Rates are never shown here or anywhere in the platform: they’re your own commercial data, and a made-up rate that looks authoritative is worse than a blank one.