Bulk earthworks, pavement layers, drainage and kerbing measured off the civil set and the long sections, with layer volumes, pipe runs and pit counts each on their own lines.
Civil work cannot be estimated from a plan view. The volumes live in the long sections and cross sections, and the drainage lives in the pipe schedule and the pit table. Skip those and you are guessing on the two largest items in the contract.
We work off the full civil set — layout, long sections, cross sections, pit and pipe schedules, and the pavement design — and produce layer-by-layer volumes and item-by-item drainage quantities that follow the drawings rather than an average depth.
Earthworks first: bulk cut and fill volumes from the cross sections and design surface, topsoil strip by area and depth, unsuitable material and its replacement, and cart to spoil or to stockpile by volume with the haul noted. Bulking and compaction factors are applied rather than ignored.
Pavement next: each layer measured separately by area and compacted depth — subgrade preparation, sub-base, base course, and the asphalt or seal — because the layers have different materials, different rates and often different extents. Kerb and channel by the metre and by profile, and line marking and signage by item.
Drainage and services: stormwater pipe by the metre by diameter and class, trench excavation by volume against the invert levels, bedding and backfill by volume, pits counted individually by type and depth, plus headwalls, gross pollutant traps and any subsoil drainage.
Nothing here is an allowance. Each line is measured off your drawings in its own unit, so you can check it against the plan yourself.
| Item | How it is measured | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil strip | Area and depth, with stockpile or disposal | A shallow strip over a large area is still a big volume |
| Bulk cut and fill | Volumes from cross sections against the design surface | Averaged depths across varying ground are always wrong |
| Unsuitable material | Volume of removal and replacement | Usually a rate in the contract — it needs a real quantity |
| Cart and haul | Volume with haul distance noted | Haul distance changes the cartage rate significantly |
| Pavement layers | Each layer by area and compacted depth | Different materials, different rates, often different extents |
| Asphalt or seal | Area by thickness, tonnes calculated | Asphalt is supplied by the tonne, not the square metre |
| Kerb and channel | Linear metres by profile, plus transitions | Profile changes and layback transitions are separate items |
| Stormwater | Pipe metres by diameter and class, trench by volume | Depth drives the trench, and the trench drives the cost |
| Pits and structures | Counted individually by type and depth | Depth changes the pit substantially — never a flat rate |
| Factor | Effect | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bulking | Excavated volume exceeds in-situ volume | Drives cartage loads, not the dig |
| Compaction | Fill needs more loose material than the void | Imported fill is always under-ordered without it |
| Shrinkage | On-site cut yields less usable fill | Affects the cut-to-fill balance |
| Moisture conditioning | Water carting and mixing | A real cost in dry conditions |
| Unsuitable material | Removal plus replacement | Two items, not one |
| Haul distance | Cartage rate per cubic metre | Off-site disposal distance matters |
The most valuable figure on a civil earthworks estimate is whether the site balances. If the cut yields more than the fill needs you are paying to cart material away; if it yields less you are paying to bring material in. Either way it is one of the largest lines in the contract.
We show cut, fill and the resulting surplus or deficit as separate figures with the bulking and compaction factors visible, so you can see where the balance sits and what it costs to correct rather than finding out during construction.
The same five steps on every job, whether it is a single slab or a full tender package.
Email the architectural and structural drawings, the specification and the scope of works in whatever format you have — PDF, DWG, or photos of a marked-up set. If something is missing we will tell you before we start, not after.
Earthworks first: bulk cut and fill volumes from the cross sections and design surface, topsoil strip by area and depth, unsuitable material and its replacement, and cart to spoil or to stockpile by volume with the haul noted. Bulking and compaction factors are applied rather than ignored.
Every measured item gets its own colour and legend entry on the drawing. When the takeoff comes back you can see exactly what was counted and what was not, so you are never asked to trust a number you cannot trace. This is the part clients tell us they did not know they needed until they had it.
The takeoff is delivered as a working spreadsheet, not a locked PDF. Your rates sit in their own column, so you can change a supply price or a labour rate and watch the total move. Plug in your own numbers and the sheet is yours to reuse on the next job.
Quantities are re-measured independently and cross-checked against the drawing before anything leaves here. You get the marked-up plans, the priced spreadsheet and a plain-English note on anything we flagged as unclear or excluded.
The takeoff arrives as a live Excel spreadsheet with the colour-coded marked-up plans beside it. Your rates go in your own column, so you can plug in your own supply and labour numbers and reuse the sheet on the next job. Nothing is locked.
First estimate free. After that the fee is confirmed in writing as a fixed amount before any work starts. No retainer, no subscription, no lock-in contract. Full pricing detail here →
The same cut volume in sand, in clay and in rock are three different prices. Rock changes the plant, the production rate and often the method, and it is the single biggest risk item in civil earthworks.
We price against the geotechnical report where one is provided and clearly state the ground conditions assumed where one is not. That way the rock or unsuitable material line is visible and negotiable rather than a variation argument later.
Quantities are measured against the standards and the specification for your job. Where a drawing and a standard disagree, we flag it rather than quietly picking one.
| Standard | Covers | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| AS 3798 | Guidelines on earthworks for commercial and residential developments | Earthworks and compaction control |
| AS/NZS 3500 | Plumbing and drainage | Stormwater drainage design and installation |
| AS 1289 | Methods of testing soils for engineering purposes | Compaction and material testing |
None of these are unusual. They are the things that get missed when a quote is put together at 9pm after a full day on the tools.
If your question is not here, email it through and you will get a straight answer, not a sales call.
The full civil set: layout plan, long sections, cross sections, the pavement design, and the pit and pipe schedules. The geotechnical report matters too, because ground conditions drive the earthworks price more than volume does.
If part of the set is missing we will tell you which quantities are affected rather than filling the gap with an assumption you cannot see.
Yes, from the cross sections against the design surface, with bulking and compaction factors applied and shown. We also show the resulting surplus or deficit, because the cut-to-fill balance is usually the largest line in a civil contract.
Each layer separately by area and compacted depth — subgrade preparation, sub-base, base and the wearing course. Asphalt is converted to tonnes, since that is how it is supplied and priced.
Yes. Pipe by the metre against diameter and class, trench excavation by volume worked from the invert levels, bedding and backfill by volume, and pits counted individually by type and depth.
We price against the geotechnical report where there is one. Where there is not, we state the ground conditions we assumed and keep rock as a visible line, so it can be resolved as a rate in the contract rather than a dispute during the dig.
Yes. Civil contracts are commonly let on a schedule of rates, and we can present the takeoff in that format with the quantities against each item so it drops into your tender submission.
Smaller civil packages come back within 24 hours. Full subdivision and roadworks packages take longer because of the volume of drawings, and we confirm the exact timing before starting.
Most jobs cross more than one trade. We can price the whole package in one spreadsheet.
Your first estimate is free. Email the drawings and the scope, and you will have a marked-up takeoff and a priced spreadsheet back within 24 hours on most residential jobs. Prefer to talk first? Reply with "KEEN" and your number.