📋 Civil Engineering Billing Guide: BOQ Preparation Step by Step and Quantity Estimation from Drawing
Comprehensive Masonry Analysis: Includes coping, lintel concrete volume steps, contact-area formwork, and reinforcement weight limits with integrated measurement sheets & standard DSR abstracts.
📖 Module 4 – How to find Brick work and block work quantity
This module provides a complete step-by-step methodology to calculate brickwork and blockwork quantities from architectural drawings. You will learn how to measure wall volumes, apply IS 1200 deduction rules for openings, calculate shuttering quantities for RCC members (coping & lintels), and estimate reinforcement steel using standard thumb rules. All calculations are mapped to DSR rates for final BOQ preparation.
🧱 FINAL REALITY CHECK: Never group concrete components blindly with masonry volumes during project billing. Always separate RCC elements (coping, lintels, beams) from the brickwork schedules. Apply IS 1200 rules for voids deductions and map standard DSR item rates to maintain accurate, audit-proof project records.
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📌 CRITICAL AUDIT TIP: Concrete coping and lintels are distinct RCC structural elements. They must be deducted from gross masonry volume and billed separately under concrete, formwork, and reinforcement schedules.
📌 Practical Calculating Brickwork for a G+1 House Plan
Room data: 10′ × 12′6″ → 3.05 m × 3.81 m
Plinth height: 3′ → 0.915 m | Ground floor height: 10′ → 3.05 m
Wall thickness: 9″ → 0.23 m
Coping: height 0.10 m | Lintel: height 0.15 m
Openings: 1 door (0.915×2.21 m), 2 windows (1.37×1.525 m each).
P = 2×(3.05+3.81) = 13.72 m
13.72×0.915×0.23 = 2.887 m³
13.72×3.05×0.23 = 9.625 m³
✂️ Deductions (IS 1200):
Door = 0.465 m³ | Windows = 0.960 m³ | Lintel = 0.126 m³ | Top beam = 1.199 m³
✅ Net GF brickwork = 9.625 – 2.750 = 6.875 m³
➕ RCC elements: Coping = 0.315 m³ | Lintel = 0.126 m³
📐 Shuttering & formwork quantity of Coping and lintel
2 × (13.72 × 0.10) = 2.744 m²
Soffit: 0.841 m² + Sides: 1.097 m² = 1.938 m²
✅ Billable formwork: Coping → 2.744 m² | Lintel → 1.938 m²
🔩 Structural reinforcement quantity of coping and lintel
Steel weight (kg) = Volume (m³) × 7850 × 0.01 (1% rule)
0.315 × 7850 × 0.01 = 24.73 kg → 25 kg
0.126 × 7850 × 0.01 = 9.89 kg → 10 kg
📦 Total reinforcement: 25 kg + 10 kg = 35 kg
📏 1. Measurement Units (IS 1200 Part 3)
| Activity Component | Unit | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Thick walls (≥9″) | m³ | Volumetric billing |
| Thin walls (≤4.5″) | m² | Area-based billing |
| RCC Concrete | m³ | Net volume |
| Formwork | m² | Contact surface area |
| Reinforcement Steel | kg | Weight from BBS |
💰 2. Reference DSR Rates (Delhi Schedule of Rates)
| DSR Code | Description | Unit | Rate (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1.1 | Brickwork in plinth (substructure) using Cement Mortar mix 1:4 | m³ | 6,150.00 |
| 6.4.1 | Brickwork in superstructure using Cement Mortar mix 1:4 | m³ | 7,200.00 |
| 5.1.1 | Reinforced Cement Concrete (M20 grade) for coping & lintels, excluding steel | m³ | 6,850.00 |
| 5.22.1 | High-yield steel reinforcement bars (Fe 500 / Fe 550D grade) | kg | 68.00 |
| 5.13.1 | Centering and shuttering (Formwork) for structural beams and lintels | m² | 400.00 |
📋 BILL OF QUANTITIES (BOQ) – BRICKWORK & RCC ELEMENTS
Project: G+1 Residential Building (Sample Room) | Location: Delhi NCR
Reference: IS 1200 | DSR (Delhi Schedule of Rates) 2024-25
| DSR No. | Description of Item | Qty | Unit | Rate (₹) | Amount (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1.1 | Brickwork in plinth (Substructure) with Cement Mortar 1:4 | 2.887 | m³ | 6,150.00 | 17,755.05 |
| 6.4.1 | Brickwork in superstructure (Ground Floor) with Cement Mortar 1:4 | 6.875 | m³ | 7,200.00 | 49,500.00 |
| 5.1.1 | RCC M20 Concrete for Coping (excl. reinforcement) | 0.315 | m³ | 6,850.00 | 2,157.75 |
| 5.1.1 | RCC M20 Concrete for Lintel (excl. reinforcement) | 0.126 | m³ | 6,850.00 | 863.10 |
| 5.22.1 | HYSD Reinforcement Bars (Fe500) for Coping + Lintel | 35.00 | kg | 68.00 | 2,380.00 |
| 5.13.1 | Centering & Shuttering for Coping (Vertical faces only) | 2.744 | m² | 400.00 | 1,097.60 |
| 5.13.1 | Centering & Shuttering for Lintel (Soffit + Sides) | 1.938 | m² | 400.00 | 775.20 |
| TOTAL | Grand Total (Brickwork + RCC + Formwork + Steel) | ₹74,528.70 | |||
Brickwork Total = ₹17,755.05 + ₹49,500.00 = ₹67,255.05
RCC Concrete Total = ₹2,157.75 + ₹863.10 = ₹3,020.85
Reinforcement Steel Total = ₹2,380.00
Formwork Total = ₹1,097.60 + ₹775.20 = ₹1,872.80
📋 GRAND ESTIMATED COST = ₹74,528.70
📦 G+1 house material consumption for Brick work
| Material | Per m³ | Unit | Wastage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bricks (modular) | 500 Nos. | Bricks | 5% |
| Cement (OPC 43) 1:4 | 1.26 Bags | 50kg bag | 2% |
| Sand | 0.27 m³ | m³ | 5% |
| Water | 150 Liters | Liters | — |
🧱 Based on DSR assumptions for nominal mix 1:4 cement mortar. Adjust for site conditions.
❓ 3. Technical FAQs
Q1: Why add coping and lintel to masonry estimation?
Ans: They are structurally integrated with masonry walls and billed alongside for completeness.
Q2: How is coping formwork calculated?
Ans: Only vertical side faces: 2 × (length × height). Top is finished manually, bottom rests on brickwork.
Q3: What reinforcement % for small RCC members?
Ans: 0.8%–1.2% of concrete volume; standard 1% rule-of-thumb.
Q4: Deduct coping from brickwork?
Ans: No – coping sits on top (additional). Lintel replaces brickwork, so deducted.