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Civil and infrastructure projects have unique cost characteristics. Earthworks volumes, material haulage distances, geotechnical conditions, utility relocations and regulatory requirements all affect the final number. Getting these estimates right requires specialist knowledge that general building estimators often lack.
Our civil cost estimation team brings deep experience in pricing roads, bridges, drainage, water and sewer infrastructure, earthworks, retaining structures and site development works.
We provide detailed cost estimates for road construction and rehabilitation, bridge and structural works, stormwater drainage and flood mitigation, water supply and sewer reticulation, earthworks and site preparation, retaining walls and slope stabilisation, parks, landscaping and public realm works.
Each estimate is built from first principles using current market rates, supplier pricing and productivity data relevant to the project location and conditions.
We provide estimates at every project stage. Early concept estimates for feasibility studies and business cases. Detailed estimates for design development and budget approval. Tender estimates for procurement. Our accuracy improves as the design progresses, and we clearly communicate the confidence level of each estimate.
For projects going to tender, our estimates serve as the independent benchmark for evaluating contractor submissions. We know what things should cost, and we can tell you whether the prices you receive are reasonable.
We work with local councils, state government agencies, developers and civil contractors. We understand the reporting and governance requirements of public sector projects and the commercial drivers of private development.
Our civil estimates integrate with our broader estimation services. For building components within infrastructure projects, our take off and quantity measurement service handles the building quantities. For the full project cost picture, our quantity surveying service manages costs from planning through to completion.
Need help with a tender submission for civil works? Our tender and bid support service combines accurate pricing with professional documentation.
Civil and infrastructure projects carry unique cost risks that building projects do not. Geotechnical conditions are a major source of cost uncertainty. Ground conditions encountered during excavation frequently differ from site investigation predictions. Contamination, unexpectedly hard rock, unstable soils and groundwater all add cost that is difficult to predict with precision before works commence.
We help clients understand and manage these risks through appropriate contract structures, risk allocation strategies and contingency allowances sized to reflect actual uncertainty levels rather than arbitrary percentages. A project with extensive ground investigation data carries less geotechnical risk than one based on limited investigation. The contingency allowance should reflect this difference.
Escalation is another significant risk for civil projects with longer construction periods. Material costs, labour rates and fuel prices all move over time. Contracts with fixed price periods of 12 months or more carry meaningful escalation risk. We model escalation scenarios for long duration projects and advise on escalation provisions in tender documentation that protect both client and contractor interests appropriately.
For government infrastructure clients, we prepare independent cost assessments for business cases and budget submissions. These assessments are required to demonstrate that project costs have been independently verified before public funds are committed. We understand the level of rigour and documentation required for Treasury and infrastructure body review processes.
We provide cost estimation for road and highway construction and rehabilitation, bridges and culverts, stormwater and flood mitigation infrastructure, water supply and sewer reticulation, pumping stations, earthworks and site development, retaining walls and slope stabilisation, parks and public realm works, and utilities relocation. We work across all project scales from local council infrastructure to major state government projects.
Earthworks quantities are calculated from survey data and design drawings using mass haul analysis. The cut volumes that need to be excavated are compared against the fill volumes required for embankments and site formation. The balance between cut and fill determines how much material needs to be imported or exported from the site. Swell and compaction factors are applied to convert from bank measure volumes to loose and compacted volumes respectively. We use specialist earthworks calculation software for accuracy.
Probabilistic cost estimates express cost as a range rather than a single point. A P10 estimate is the value with a 10 percent probability of the actual cost being lower. A P50 estimate is the median expected cost. A P90 estimate is the value with a 90 percent probability of the actual cost being lower. For major infrastructure projects, P50 and P90 estimates are commonly used for budget setting and contingency planning to reflect genuine cost uncertainty rather than presenting false precision.
The AACE International classification system describes cost estimate accuracy by class from Class 5 (concept screening, minus 50 to plus 100 percent accuracy) through Class 1 (definitive check estimate, minus 3 to plus 10 percent accuracy). Each class corresponds to a level of project definition. The classification helps clients understand the confidence level of an estimate relative to the design maturity at the time it was prepared.
Yes. We are familiar with local government procurement frameworks, state government procurement guidelines and the reporting requirements of infrastructure funding bodies. Our estimates are prepared in formats suitable for business case submissions, budget approval processes and tender evaluation. We can prepare independent reviewer ready documentation for projects subject to Gateway review or similar government assurance processes.