Plumbing, Drainage and Mechanical Services Measurement
Services measurement tests whether you can separate pipe from fitting, above-ground from below-ground, and measured work from testing and commissioning. In Cyprus bills these sections are frequently thin, which is exactly why examiners probe them.
Pipework and fittings
- Pipes in m by nominal diameter, material and jointing method, classified by location: buried, surface, or in chase.
- Bends, tees, reducers and couplings are either 'extra over' the pipe or enumerated; the method decides, and the two approaches must not overlap.
- Valves, pumps, tanks, cylinders and sanitary appliances are enumerated with a full description including connections.
Drainage
- Pipes in m by diameter and depth band; manholes, gullies, rodding eyes and connections to the sewer are enumerated.
- Bedding and surround in m³ or m; concrete haunching measured separately; testing and commissioning as items.
Mechanical services
- Ductwork in m², calculated as girth × length, with gauge, insulation, supports and dampers described; grilles and diffusers enumerated.
- Insulation in m² with thickness stated; balancing, testing and commissioning as items.
- Builders' work in connection - sleeves, holes, fire stops, plinths - measured under the relevant trade, not lost in preliminaries.
Worked example
An above-ground soil run of 12.000 m of 110 mm uPVC with 8 fittings, and a below-ground drain of 15.000 m of 110 mm at 1.200 m depth with 2 manholes. Pipe = 12.000 + 15.000 = 27.000 m, but the two runs are different items because one is above ground and one is in a depth band. Fittings = 8 nr extra over. Manholes = 2 nr. Trench excavation = 15.000 × 0.600 × 1.200 = 10.800 m³ for a 0.600 m wide trench. Each run is classified by location, and the trench is a separate earthworks item.
Traps that cost marks
- Measuring fittings as additional pipe length.
- Omitting testing and commissioning, which is a real cost item.
- Ignoring depth bands so all drainage is priced as shallow.
- Forgetting builders' work in connection such as sleeves and fire stops.
- Mixing above-ground and below-ground pipework in one item.