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How to create a commercial office modular wiring estimate in minutes


Why wait several days for a quote, when you can generate a bill of materials yourself in minutes, then issue it for simple comparative pricing?

By following these few simple steps you could save days, freeing-up time to concentrate on the rest of your tender package. We are going to show you how to take the most common modular wiring project, the Commercial Office, and from your LCM and FCU take-offs, produce a simple, yet accurate schedule of materials.

MDBs/MDUs (Master Distribution Box/Unit)

  1. Break MDBs down into No. of Ports required. Keep it simple. Assume separate Lighting and Power, and assume 6 Ports to be used throughout. (A different configuration may be pre-designed - even easier).

  2. By DB, the quantity of circuits used = the number of ports required. Divide by 6 = MDBs. If no circuits, assume 2 LCMs per circuit. If you don't want to 'locate' your MDBs and scale-off the Home Runs, then simply assume an average length of around 18m.

  3. Power MDBs, like the Lighting, circuits = ports, so divide the total by 6, (per DB). If the design is not circuited yet, allow 6No FCU per circuit, and again allow an average Home Run length of around 18m.

  4. The only other implications are whether you want a pluggable DB Header, and what cable sizes are to be specified in the Home Run.

Lighting Materials

  • 5c 2.5mm² Extenders, LCM Tee, 5c/6c 1.5mm² Luminaire Leads

  1. Qty of LCMs = LCM Tees, usually 300mm drop to free-end.

  2. Qty of LCMs = Qty of Extenders. For speed, you could list these all as an average length of 8m.

  3. Luminaire Leads: Maybe identify Emg and Non-Emg, for typical 5c and 6c allowance. Split these evenly between 2m, 3m and 5m. If lighting layout not finalised, allow 70/30 split in favour of Non-Emg.

Power Materials
  • 3c 4mm² Extenders, Fused Spurs for FCUs

  1. FCUs = Spurs = Extenders.

  2. Again for speed, allow one simple average length of 8m.

That's it! Issue your list to the modular wiring manufacturers and they will appreciate that it is simpler to quote a list of materials than it is to print everything, understand the project, make allowances and assumptions, not least, fit it in at the end of their queue.

It is this element of assumptions and allowances which generates variables in the modular wiring manufacturer's quotes, which results in not comparing apples-for-apples, and puts the client in a difficult and confused situation.

For further help, advice or assistance, please contact us, visit our website, subscribe to Newsletters, and keep in touch for further articles, free advice and downloadable tools. We will create further articles in this series, identifying how to apply take-offs across all the sectors. If you don't feel comfortable doing these processes, please engage with us and we'll create the materials list required for any project.

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