General information on determining construction costs
The assessment and determination of construction costs is fundamentally defined and regulated in DIN 276 (Costs in Construction). Particularly in specialized planning for building construction, cost estimation at various levels according to this DIN standard is generally required. According to DIN 276, costs for new construction and renovation are organized and determined from pure building technology, technical building equipment (electrical, heating, plumbing, air conditioning, ventilation, wastewater, etc.) to complete external facilities in individual firmly assigned cost groups. The goal is to present all incurred costs transparently and comparably according to individual building trades in order to create a solid foundation for design and execution planning as a planning or architectural office.

Cost Determination
Cost determination serves as the basis for cost control, for planning and procurement decisions, and is divided into different levels. Cost determination simultaneously serves as proof of incurred construction costs. Here, individual costs are subdivided into predefined cost groups to ensure correct traceability later. In cost determination according to HOAI, costs for building technology and general building technology must be comprehensively recorded and broken down. The following methods can practically be applied for cost determination.

Cost Estimation
Cost estimation itself generally serves as the basis for basic requirements determination as well as for the initial phases in specialized planning (for example, preliminary planning – service phase 3 according to HOAI). The client's task description and the first available construction documents generally serve as the basis.

Cost Calculation
Cost calculation itself serves as the basis for decisions about design planning and differs from pure cost estimation based on the level of cost determination. Cost calculation at the 2nd level according to DIN 276 is thus much more concrete and accurate than cost estimation at the 1st level and can therefore be claimed as a useful basis for HOAI service phase 3. Fundamentally, documents such as already created design plans (typical design drawings via CAD or CAE programs) and quantity calculations (cost groups) are needed to be able to present a solid cost calculation for the further phases of specialized planning.

Cost Estimate
This serves as the decisive basis for the subsequent execution planning according to HOAI service phases and simultaneously forms the foundation for preparation of construction procurement. The following basics are needed for correct preparation of the cost estimate:
– Execution plans (final planning documents, usually scale 1:50)
– Calculations for thermal protection according to EnEV and DIN V18599
– Quantity calculation
– Calculations for structural stability (structural planning).

Cost Determination
This represents the final level of cost determination and serves as proof of incurred costs in building construction as well as for final documentation in architectural and specialized planning. The checked billing documents, planning documents, and various billing drawings are usually used as the basis here.

Our Professional Experience – Your Security
As experienced MEP engineers, we can provide you with practical cost determination, upon request down to the final cost level. We are happy to assist you with your construction project in planning and construction management, until our joint project success.