EC2CQC Construction Quantification and Costing

Module Code and Title

EC2CQC Construction Quantification and Costing

Assessment Title

Coursework 1 – Early cost advice

Assessment weighting

30%

Submission Date and Time

31/10/2025; 12 noon

Word Count/Page Count/Lengths of presentation/ Fixed Window

Assessment Period (in hours/days)

500 words max (excluding tables, figures, references and appendices)

Assessment Mode (What do I need to produce at the end?)

You will produce a professional report with supporting calculations. Here's an easy-to-use toolkit to help improve the professionalism of your assignment and save time too. It includes instructions and video tutorials for preparing a professional looking report: https://bit.ly/AstonToolkit.

Task Description (What do I have to do for this assessment?)

A site in Birmingham, UK has become available for development. The site is on the market with a guide price of £240,000 (inclusive of all land acquisition fees). A property developer Moatkeep Developments is considering the purchase of the site with the intention of building a mix of 2 bed detached houses, terraced houses and flats. The properties are expected to be sold immediately on completion due to a buoyant property market. Moatkeep Developments has appointed CQC Consult to provide early cost advice.

You work for CQC Consult and your manager has tasked you to establish a budget for the project and undertake a development appraisal.

Prepare a professional report in accordance with NRM1 ready for submission to the client setting out your budget for the scheme and appraisal of its viability indicating all relevant information; especially your assumptions and sources of information. Your report must enclose:

· A detailed order of cost estimate for the project based on NRM1.

· A detailed development appraisal to show the return from this investment and advise whether Moatkeep Developments should go ahead or reject this opportunity.

Consider the following in your evaluation:

· Moatkeep Developments have appointed design consultants to produce preliminary site plan for the proposed project for planning purposes (Appendix A).

· Preliminary site investigations have revealed that the following facilitating works are required:

o There is a need to treat the entire site for Japanese knotweed.

o There is also a need to relocate a colony of about 20 great crested newts.

o There is also a need to relocate existing services (allow £10,000)

· Allow £25,000 for enabling works.

· Swanky Homes will take a bank loan at current commercial rates for the duration of the project to fund construction costs.

· All houses are expected to be sold off at the end of the project.

· Marketing cost to attract buyers will be roughly 3% of the gross development value.

· Assume Swanky Home’s hurdle rate of return is 22%.

· In your development appraisal consider the likely impact on the return of ±10% variance in your cost and value forecasts.

· Source all other required information not already provided.

Note that your report must be a professional report from CQC Consult. Your full order of cost estimate and development appraisal should be attached to the report as appendices, but the main body must include all the relevant summary information for Moatkeep Developments. Your submission should also show clearly what cost information has been used, and how such cost information has been adjusted to reflect the project scenario. These should also be shown in appendices. Sources of information should be clearly identified and referenced.

Submission Instructions (When and Where do I submit?)

Please submit your assessment via your module’s Assessment Area on CloudCampus.

Preferred Format

· Style: Professional Report in PDF (plus any native file e.g., MS Excel, Costx submitted as separate file for checking). You may use this toolkit to help with presentation of the report - https://bit.ly/AstonToolkit

· Document Title: Student number_EC2CQC_Report 1

· Word Count: 500 words max plus supporting calculations and evidence

· Preferred reference style: Harvard referencing

Link to Learning Outcomes (How does the assessment help you demonstrate the outcomes of this module?)

Coursework 1 requires students to develop an early cost estimate, based on approximate estimating techniques, for a given scenario and undertake a development appraisal, and then offer early cost advice to a potential client. This course work helps you to achieve LO1 and LO2 of the module as it introduces you to the RICS’s New Rules of Measurement Book1 (NRM1) and how to measure for the purposes of preparing an Order of Cost Estimate.

Purpose of Assessment (Why am I doing this? How does this link to my future role as an professional in the discipline? What knowledge, concepts or skills should I demonstrate? How might this links to (name of specific PSRB?) )

The rationale behind this task is to create an opportunity for you to align and connect what you have been exploring in the module with current industry practice. Through the exercise of preparing an Order of Cost Estimate and writing a report you will develop competency in design economics, cost planning, quantification and costing of construction works which are all core competencies of the RICS required to be demonstrated at Level 3 (Being able to give strategic and reasoned advice, including the preparation and presentation of reports with reference to cost).

The CIOB similarly requires professional Construction Managers to be able to produce examples of price and cost estimation for construction activities from feasibility through to final accounts, and produce detailed measurement using a range of standard methods of measurement. They must be able to apply professional standards of reporting and accountancy and demonstrate understanding of the need for honesty and accuracy in reporting. The knowledge, skills and experience needed to showcase these attributes are developed through this assessment.