QSPCP2 NRM2 Measurement and iTWO CostX Report Sample (Level 5)

For information and reference only – not to be submitted as your own work.

This extract shows how a strong answer to a Level 5 quantity surveying measurement and CostX report can be structured. It covers a two-part assessment on a module in the Quantity Surveying Private and Commercial Practice 2 (QSPCP2) style: Part A is detailed measurement under NRM2 on dimension sheets, and Part B is an iTWO CostX measurement and Level 2 estimate. The real drawings were not available to us, so every quantity, rate and index below comes from a small hypothetical example and is illustrative only. It demonstrates method, not the answer to any real drawing set. The matching question page is not yet live, so browse the questions hub for now, and a companion guide is available in how to approach an NRM2 measurement and CostX report.

Scope and approach

The extract follows the order markers expect: set out the measurement conventions, take off by work section, then move to the CostX tasks. The measurement rules are those of the RICS (2021a) NRM 2: Detailed measurement for building works, second edition, published in October 2021 and effective from 1 December 2021. Cost planning terms follow RICS (2021b) NRM 1. Always confirm which edition your module and drawings expect.

Three conventions are stated before any measuring, because they protect marks when a marker checks your sheets:

• Dimensions are written in the order length, width, height, in metres to two decimal places (Packer, 2017).
• Every item carries an NRM2-style description, a unit and a drawing reference, and every calculation is shown.
• Where the drawings are silent, an assumption is recorded rather than quietly made. These feed the query sheet in Part B.

Part A – Measurement under NRM2 (illustrative worked example)

A1. Internal partitions and finishes

Hypothetical office: 5.00 m by 4.00 m on plan, floor to ceiling height 2.70 m, one internal partition 4.00 m long. Relevant NRM2 work sections are Work Section 20 (proprietary linings and partitions) and Work Section 28 (floor, wall, ceiling and roof finishings), with decoration in Work Section 29 (RICS, 2021a).

The wall figure in A1.2 is gross. Openings are then dealt with as the tabulated rules direct, and the sheet should state the threshold and rule used. A marker will look for that explicit statement more than for the number itself. Repeat the same logic for each room named in the brief (WC, kitchen, storage, office, bedroom and gym), grouping rooms that share a specification so the descriptions are not repeated.

A2. Roof works

Hypothetical pitched roof: 8.00 m by 5.00 m on plan, 30 degree pitch, eaves on both long sides. Roof structure sits in Work Section 16 (carpentry), coverings in Work Section 18 (tile and slate roof and wall coverings) (RICS, 2021a).

The roof area is the one place where students most often measure plan area by mistake. Showing the cosine step in full, as above, is what earns the mark. Check the tabulated rule for the unit and width breakpoints that apply to boards, and note any roof finishings such as ridge and verge trims as separate items.

A3. In-situ concrete works

Hypothetical frame bay: one column 0.30 m x 0.30 m x 3.00 m high, one beam 0.30 m wide projecting 0.40 m below a 200 mm slab, slab 5.00 m x 4.00 m. NRM2 Work Section 11 covers in-situ concrete. Concrete is measured net in cubic metres, formwork in square metres or metres by the type and size stated in the rules, and reinforcement from the engineer’s schedule (RICS, 2021a; Packer, 2017).

This simplified example ignores the overlap where the column meets the beam and any reinforcement. In a real take-off, say so in a note and handle the junction consistently. The beam is classed by thickness, not by its name, which is why A3.2 sits under horizontal work. Check the tabulated rule for the exact thickness break and the formwork height bands in the edition you are using.

Need a second pair of eyes on your own dimension sheets? See our quantity surveying assignment help page for how our subject team supports measurement and estimating work.

Part B – iTWO CostX measurement and Level 2 estimate

B1. Measuring from the drawings in CostX

Work in a fixed sequence so that the reports you produce are defensible (RIB Software, n.d.):

1. Load each drawing and calibrate it against a known dimension, then check by measuring a second dimension.
2. Create separate dimension groups for gross internal floor area (GIFA), ceiling finishes, internal floor finishes by room and doors, with a clear naming convention.
3. Draw areas for each room and count doors by type. Record any room you could not measure.
4. Use the Reports tools to export each group, and sense-check totals, since the sum of the rooms should be less than GIFA by the wall and circulation areas.

Under NRM 1, internal finishes and internal doors are cost planned as elements: wall, floor and ceiling finishes are measured as the area to which finishes are applied, and internal doors are enumerated (RICS, 2021b). That is the logic your estimate should mirror.

B2. Recommending internal floor finishes

Match the finish to use, wet-area risk, wear and cleaning regime. Rates should come from the current Spon’s price book (AECOM, 2026) and be shown with their source and page, so none are quoted here.

B3. Level 2 estimate with time and location adjustment

Build the estimate in the CostX workbook at element level: ceiling finishes, internal floor finishes and doors. Quantities link from your measured groups, and each rate is adjusted from its base date and location to Q3 2026 and Salford, Greater Manchester. The adjustment is a two-step factor:

Adjusted rate = base rate x (index at target date / index at base date) x (location factor for target / location factor for base).

The index and location values above are invented to show the arithmetic. Your report must take the real figures from the source your module names, and cite it. Show the calculation in the workbook so that a marker can follow it.

B4. Query sheet to the architect

List each assumption as a numbered query: the item, the drawing reference, the assumption made, the cost risk, and the information requested. For example, a missing floor finish specification in the utility is an assumption with a direct pricing consequence. A clear query sheet shows professional judgement.

Critical reflection and limits

Measurement outputs are only as good as the drawings. State the limits: drawing revisions, design information not yet developed, and the use of provisional allowances in an early-stage estimate. Link the work to the module outcomes on advanced measurement, costing and ICT skills for estimating, and to the professional behaviours expected of a trainee surveyor.

Next steps

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References

• AECOM (2026) Spon’s architects’ and builders’ price book 2026. 151st edn. Abingdon: Routledge.
• Packer, A.D. (2017) Building measurement: new rules of measurement. 2nd edn. Abingdon: Routledge.
• RIB Software (n.d.) RIB CostX training videos. Available at: https://www.rib-software.com/en/training/rib-costx/training-videos (Accessed: 31 October 2026).
• RICS (2021a) NRM 2: Detailed measurement for building works. 2nd edn. London: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Available at: https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/standards/october_2021_nrm_2.pdf (Accessed: 31 October 2026).
• RICS (2021b) NRM 1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works. 3rd edn. London: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Available at: https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/standards/october_2021_nrm_1.pdf (Accessed: 31 October 2026).

Prepared by

Students Assignment Help UK Editorial Team

This model answer was prepared by our editorial team in response to a real assignment brief we received. It shows one way to approach the task and is meant as a study guide, not for submission.