NRM 2, CESMM4 and SMM7: what each measurement standard covers
NRM 2, SMM7, CESMM4 and POMI are methods of measurement: published rules for measuring and describing work in a bill of quantities. NRM 2 and SMM7 are commonly used for building work, CESMM4 for civil engineering and POMI on some international projects. The tender documents name the one that applies.
By BOQ Estimator. Published .
Why the standard behind a bill matters to your price
A method of measurement fixes how each kind of work is measured, how it must be described and what the rate is deemed to include. Two bills for similar work can differ in quantities and wording purely because they follow different rules, so a rate built for one may not suit the other.
This is a high-level orientation to the standards as commonly met, not a substitute for the published rules. Editions and project amendments change the detail, so work from the edition and modifications named in the preambles.
In practice four points do most of the work: where the preliminaries sit, how provisional sums are classed, whether item references are coded, and how much of the detail lives in the item description rather than in a coverage rule. Check those in the first hour and the rest of the bill is easier to read.
Checklist
How to find out which rules a bill follows
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Read the title page and the preambles
Look for a statement that the bill is measured in accordance with a named standard and edition. Many bills also list modifications to it.
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Read the amendments first
Note every stated departure, such as a changed measurement rule or an item deemed included. For this bill, the amendment wins over the published rule.
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Check how the bill is organised
Lettered or numbered work sections, a preliminaries section or a general items section suggest which family the bill follows. Treat that as a hint and confirm it in the preambles.
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Read the coverage rules that affect rates
Where the standard says what a rate is deemed to include, such as waste, fixings or temporary support, build your rates to that rather than to habit.
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Record the standard on your pricing file
Note the standard, the edition and the amendments, so any rate can be traced back to the assumption it was built on.
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Query a contradiction
If the named standard and the bill's wording disagree, ask before the deadline and keep the reply. See errors and omissions.
Reference
The four standards at a glance
| Standard | Commonly used for | How bills are typically organised | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRM 2 (RICS New Rules of Measurement 2) | Detailed measurement of building works, mainly in the UK. | Work sections, with the rules set out in tables. | The edition, and how preliminaries and provisional sums are treated. |
| SMM7 (Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works, 7th edition) | Older UK building projects and some markets that still use it. | Lettered work sections; section A covers preliminaries and general conditions. | Amendments in the preambles, which are common. |
| CESMM4 (Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement, 4th edition) | Civil engineering, such as earthworks, drainage, roads and structures. | Work classes with coded item references, plus a general items class. | Method-related charges, where you price your own methods. |
| POMI (RICS Principles of Measurement International) | Some international projects, often with local rules layered on top. | Principles rather than full rules, so bills vary. | Project-specific amendments and the local method named. |
Check the current publication and the edition named in the tender. Bills in other countries often follow national methods or house rules.
Watch for
What goes wrong with measurement standards
- Assuming the standard from the project type. A building project can follow a civil method, and an older edition may still be named.
- Pricing from memory. Rates built to SMM7 habits can be wrong for an NRM 2 bill, and the reverse.
- Skipping the amendments. Preambles often change the published rule, and the change governs that bill.
- Reading compliance as correctness. A bill measured to a standard can still contain errors. The contract decides how they are treated.
- Mixing up the NRM suite. NRM 1 and NRM 3 cover cost estimating and cost planning. NRM 2 covers detailed measurement for bills.
- Pricing from a summary. Overviews like this one leave out detail. For any rate that turns on a rule, use the published rules in the edition the bill names.
The tool
How BOQ Estimator helps
BOQ Estimator applies none of these standards and makes no claim of compliance with any of them. It reads the columns of a bill whichever method it was measured to, keeps item numbers and section headings as printed, and checks printed subtotals against the items above them. Try it on the BOQ to Excel converter. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See plans and limits.
Related
Related guides
FAQ
Questions estimators ask
What is a method of measurement?
A published set of rules for measuring quantities of work and describing them in a bill of quantities. It also states what each rate is deemed to include, so that tenderers price the same thing.
Which standard replaced SMM7?
In the UK, NRM 2 is generally regarded as the successor to SMM7 for building work. SMM7 bills are still met on older projects and in some markets, so check the standard named in the bill.
What is the difference between NRM 1 and NRM 2?
RICS publishes a suite. NRM 1 covers order of cost estimating and cost planning, NRM 2 covers detailed measurement for building works, and NRM 3 covers cost planning for maintenance. Bills of quantities relate to NRM 2.
Is CESMM4 only for civil engineering?
It is written for civil engineering works and is mainly used there. A bill for a building project would normally follow a building method, but the preambles say what applies.
What is a coverage rule?
A statement of what a rate is deemed to include, for example waste, fixings or temporary support. Building methods such as SMM7 and NRM 2 set these out in their tables. Always read the rule in the edition the bill names.
Does a bill have to follow a standard?
No. Many clients use house formats or modify a published method. Where the preambles state no method, price to the bill's own descriptions and raise a query if anything is unclear.
Does BOQ Estimator check compliance with these standards?
No. It checks that the spreadsheet matches the document: item counts, duplicated item numbers, units and printed subtotals. It does not measure work or test a bill against a method of measurement.