Amogh N P
✦ In loving memory of Amogh N P — Architect · Designer · Visionary ✦
Stacked cement bags, sand, steel and bricks on site — the materials whose coefficients and rates build up the rate of an item, before overheads and profit.
Unit IIIEstimation and Specification

Analysis of Rates

Building a rate from materials, labour, overheads — and contractor's profit.

≈ 45 min + studio task

The rate of an item is the price per unit used in the estimate. Rate analysis builds that rate up from its constituents for a defined quantity of work — 1 m³ of brickwork, 100 m² of plaster — by quantifying the materials, the labour and the plant, then adding overheads and contractor's profit (~15% together). Learn the components, the out-turn and lead/lift that fix the coefficients, the standard data in the CPWD Analysis of Rates and DSR, and how the dry-volume factor builds a rate. Try the rate-analysis explorer.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to — mapped to the course outcomes for Estimation and Specification:

1
CO3 · Understand

Explain what rate analysis is and the unit of analysis.

2
CO3 · Apply

Build a rate from materials, labour, plant, overheads and profit.

3
CO3 · Apply

Use out-turn, lead/lift and the dry-volume factor to derive coefficients.

4
CO6 · Apply

Reference the CPWD Analysis of Rates / DSR for coefficients and rates.

Materials, labour, OH & profit

The components of a rate

A rate = materials + labour + plant (the prime cost) + ~15% overheads & profit; coefficients come from the dry-volume factor and the schedule of rates.[2, 3]

Building a rate Materials (coeff. × rate + wastage) Labour (out-turn × wage) Plant + water + sundries = prime cost + overheads & profit ~15% the RATE Profit is typically ~10%; overheads + profit together ~15% on the prime cost.
DiagramA rate built up from materials, labour and plant as the prime cost, plus overheads and profit

Build the rate up

The rate is the price per unit (per m³, m², m, No.) used in the estimate. Rate analysis builds it up from its constituents for a defined unit of analysis (e.g. 1 m³ brickwork). Essential whenever no published schedule rate fits, when prices change, or to check a tendered rate.[1, 2]

Wet → dry × 1.52 wet 1.00 m³ × 1.52 dry ingredients 1.52 m³ 1 m³ cement = 1440 kg= 28.8 bags~500 bricks per m³ The 1.52 factor allows for voids and bulking — always work from DRY volume for ingredient quantities.
DiagramThe dry-volume factor — dry ingredient volume is about 1.52 times the wet volume
Interactive

Build a rate live

Pick an item and see its rate built up from materials and labour (the prime cost) plus overheads and profit.

Rate analysis · pick an item

Brickwork, CM 1:6

per 1 m³
Bricks~500 nos × ₹8.00₹4,000
Cement1.88 bags × ₹400₹752
Sand0.391 m³ × ₹1,800₹704
Labourmason + mazdoor + bhisti₹1,480
Prime cost₹6,936
Overheads & profit @ 15%₹1,040
Rate per 1 m³₹7,976

Illustrative coefficients (DSR-type) and assumed market rates — the rate = prime cost + ~15% overheads & profit.

Brickwork, PCC, plaster

Worked rate analyses

Coefficients from the schedule of rates build each item; RCC costs far more than PCC because it adds steel and formwork.[1, 3]

1 m³ brickwork (CM 1:6) ~500 bricks + cement 1.88 bags + sand 0.391 m³ + labour (mason, mazdoor, bhisti) prime ≈ ₹6,936 → rate ≈ ₹8,060/m³ Coefficients are taken from the schedule of rates (DSR / CPWD AoR) — quote the SoR, don't guess.
DiagramThe coefficients for one cubic metre of brickwork — about 500 bricks plus cement and sand

CM 1:6

Bricks ~500 × ₹8 = ₹4,000; cement 1.88 bags × ₹400 = ₹752; sand 0.391 m³ × ₹1,800 = ₹704; labour (mason + mazdoor + bhisti) ≈ ₹1,480. Prime cost ≈ ₹6,936; add water ~1% and overheads & profit 15% (~₹1,051) → rate ≈ ₹8,060/m³. (Illustrative DSR-type coefficients, assumed rates.)[1, 3]

PCC vs RCC

At a glance

ComponentOneThe other
CementPCC (1:2:4): ~6.3 bags/m³RCC (M20): ~8.0–8.5 bags/m³
SteelPCC: noneRCC: measured separately (kg) + cut/bend
FormworkPCC: minimalRCC: significant (m²) added
Cement in 1 m³1440 kg= 28.8 bags (1 bag = 50 kg)
Overheads + profitProfit ~10%OH + profit together ~15% on prime cost
Vocabulary

Key terms

Rate analysis

Building up the unit rate from materials, labour, plant, overheads and profit.

Prime cost

Materials + labour + plant, before overheads and profit are added.

Out-turn (task work)

The standard daily output of a worker — fixes the labour coefficients.

Dry-volume factor

Multiplier (~1.52) converting wet mortar/concrete to dry ingredient volume.

Coefficient

The quantity of a material or labour per unit of work.

DSR / CPWD AoR

The Delhi Schedule of Rates / CPWD Analysis of Rates — the standard coefficient & rate source.

Apply it

Studio task

Prepare a full rate analysis for 1 m³ of brickwork in CM 1:6: work the dry mortar volume (× 1.52), the cement (in bags) and sand, the bricks (~500), and the labour from out-turn, then add water and 15% overheads & profit to reach the rate. Quote your coefficients from a schedule of rates and state how the rate would change for CM 1:4.

Check your understanding

Self-assessment

1. The number of cement bags in 1 m³ is —

2. The dry volume of ingredients for mortar/concrete is taken as ___ × the wet volume.

3. Overheads + contractor's profit are commonly added at about —

In a nutshell

Recap

Rate analysis builds the unit rate from materials + labour + plant + overheads + contractor's profit.
Material = coefficient × market rate (+ wastage + lead); labour from out-turn (task-work); OH&P ~15% on prime cost.
Coefficients come from the dry-volume factor (~1.52) and the schedule of rates — 28.8 bags/m³ cement, ~500 bricks/m³.
Standard data lives in the CPWD Analysis of Rates and the DSR; states issue their own SoRs.
RCC costs far more than PCC — it adds steel, cutting/bending and formwork to the concrete.
The evidence

References & further reading

  1. [1]B.N. Dutta, Estimating and Costing in Civil Engineering (rate-analysis chapter, worked items).
  2. [2]M. Chakraborti, Estimating, Costing, Specification & Valuation (analysis of rates).
  3. [3]CPWD, Analysis of Rates (DAR) and Delhi Schedule of Rates (DSR) — coefficients & rates.
  4. [4]S.C. Rangwala, Estimating and Costing (out-turn & task-work data).
  5. [5]BIS, IS 1200 (the measurement basis underlying the unit of analysis).

Further reading

  • B.N. Dutta — Estimating and Costing in Civil Engineering.
  • CPWD — Analysis of Rates / DSR.
  • S.C. Rangwala — Estimating and Costing.

Sources gathered and fact-checked June 2026. Published values vary by source, sample and method — treat as indicative and confirm against the cited standard before structural use.