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Construction Estimating and Rate Build Up for Contractors

Winning work at a price that still makes a profit is one of the hardest disciplines in African contracting, where volatile material prices and labour output can erode margins overnight. This course teaches contractors how to build up rates from first principles for labour, plant and materials. It covers pricing overheads, preliminaries, wastage and risk so that tenders are both competitive and recoverable.

What you will be able to do

  • Break down a work item into labour, plant and material components.
  • Build up unit rates from measured productivity and outputs.
  • Price preliminaries, overheads and profit into a tender.
  • Allow for wastage, escalation and contingency realistically.
  • Assess pricing risk on volatile items and long programmes.
  • Compile a priced tender that can be defended and recovered.

Course outline

  1. 01Estimating principles and tender strategy
  2. 02Labour output and productivity rates
  3. 03Plant and equipment costing
  4. 04Material pricing and wastage
  5. 05Preliminaries, overheads and profit
  6. 06Escalation, risk and contingency
  7. 07Compiling and reviewing the tender

Who should attend

Estimators, contracts managers, quantity surveyors, emerging contractors and small business owners who price construction work.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendar
24 to 26 Aug 2026Online3US$900
31 Aug to 2 Sep 2026Mozambique3US$1,500
7 to 9 Sep 2026Cairo3US$1,500
14 to 16 Sep 2026Accra3US$1,500
21 to 23 Sep 2026Lusaka3US$1,500
28 to 30 Sep 2026Kigali3US$1,500
5 to 7 Oct 2026Nairobi3US$1,500
12 to 14 Oct 2026Durban3R13,000
19 to 21 Oct 2026Johannesburg3R13,000
2 to 4 Nov 2026Mauritius3US$1,500
9 to 11 Nov 2026Dubai3US$1,500
16 to 18 Nov 2026Lagos3US$1,500
23 to 25 Nov 2026Harare3US$1,500
30 Nov to 2 Dec 2026Kampala3US$1,500
7 to 9 Dec 2026Dar es Salaam3US$1,500
14 to 16 Dec 2026Pretoria3R13,000
21 to 23 Dec 2026Cape Town3R13,000

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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