Every rate shows the labour hours, material allowance and assumptions behind the number — so you can adjust it to your own jobs, check a sub's quote, or price a variation in minutes.
Your merchant gives better pricing? Change the material line. Your carpenter rate differs? Change the labour line. The rate follows your actual cost base.
Developed by Chartered Quantity Surveyors (MRICS) and Licensed Building Practitioners — built from decades of estimating residential and commercial construction.
Most cost guides give you a number to look up. QS4NZ gives you what's inside the number — so you can calibrate it to your suppliers, your labour rate, and your jobs.
Your merchant gives you better pricing? Change the material line. Your carpenter charges more? Change the labour line. The benchmark adjusts to your actual cost base.
You don't need to be a QS. You need a number you trust — and to know when to push back on the one you've been given.
The scenarios below are illustrative examples of how the framework is used, not quotes from named customers.
Open the relevant division. Find the matching line item. Compare the decomposed benchmark against what the sub is charging — and see exactly where it diverges.
A client adds a garage. Your sub wants to reprice the framing. Navigate to Division 7, find the relevant plate size, apply your labour rate and current timber pricing. A variation response in minutes.
Every rate shows how it's constructed. A junior estimator can follow the logic, understand the assumptions, and build a professional estimate — not just populate a template they don't understand.
Every division covers one trade in full. Click Preview to see real rates from inside each division before you buy.
Not just a PDF. Each division you buy includes:
Works on Windows, Mac, and tablet — it's a standard PDF, so any device that can open one can open your divisions. Print it, search it, or keep it on-screen on site.
Plenty of builders estimate in Excel — and there's nothing wrong with the tool. The difference is what's behind the numbers you type into it. Unlike a spreadsheet you build yourself, every rate in QS4NZ already contains a measured labour constant, a methodology note explaining the assumption behind it, and a benchmark allowance you can check against — so you're not starting from a blank cell every time, and you're not relying on a number you can't explain if a client or subcontractor questions it.
No. Every rate here shows its full build-up — labour hours, material cost and the methodology behind the number — not just a single figure. Adjust any rate to your own suppliers and labour costs.
Both. The rates and methodology apply equally to renovation and new-build work — pricing a variation or a full new build draws on the same decomposed rate structure.
Yes — that's the core idea. Every rate shows the labour and material lines separately so you can substitute your own supplier pricing or labour rate and get a number that reflects your actual cost base, not a generic average.
Yes. All prices shown are in NZD and are GST inclusive (15%).
Rates are reviewed and updated quarterly. Updates are included with your purchase at no extra cost.
Individual division and bundle purchases are for single-user use in your own estimating and quoting work. If you want to share access across a practice, team, or training provider, see Practice & Team Licences below rather than sharing a single-user purchase.
You'll get access to download your PDF(s) immediately after checkout, with a copy of your receipt and download link emailed to you as well.
Buy individual divisions or grab a pre-built bundle. No subscription — the divisions you buy are yours to keep.
Individual divisions available from NZ$79 in the shop. Browse all 21 above and use Preview to see inside before buying.
Concrete, Carpentry, Cladding, Hydraulics, Mechanical, Electrical, Preliminaries. High complexity, broad use.
Siteworks, Piling, Masonry, Steel, Roofing, Windows, Linings, Joinery, Plastering, Floor Finishes, Painting, Fire Services, External Works.
Signage & Wayfinding. Narrower scope, lower use frequency.
Small practice (up to 5 users) from NZ$2,500/yr. Education & training providers from NZ$3,000/yr. Includes firm branding on templates and priority support.
QS4NZ and QS4AU share the same professional framework and divisional structure — with base rates and market data specific to each country. A joint venture between QS4NZ.co.nz and QS4AU.com.
Visit QS4AU.com →Know exactly what every rate is made of. Start with the divisions relevant to your work — buy individually or grab a bundle. No subscription, no lock-in — yours to keep.
No breakdown. Can't check it.
Can't adjust it to your own jobs.