The estimate in full
The worked example is below. It is the document to produce when someone asks “roughly what will this cost?” and you want to answer honestly.
| Description | Unit | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed joinery allowances | ||||
| Modular kitchen — 10 ft L-shape, premium band | rft | 10 | ₹26,500 | ₹265,000 |
| Master wardrobe — 8 ft run, 8 ft high | sq ft | 64 | ₹2,100 | ₹134,400 |
| Second bedroom wardrobe — 6 ft run | sq ft | 48 | ₹1,800 | ₹86,400 |
| TV and crockery units, living room | LS | 1 | ₹168,000 | ₹168,000 |
| Entrance and utility storage | LS | 1 | ₹62,000 | ₹62,000 |
| Fixed joinery allowances — sub-total | ₹715,800 | |||
| Surfaces and services allowances | ||||
| False ceiling across the flat, average | sq ft | 420 | ₹125 | ₹52,500 |
| Painting, walls and ceiling | sq ft | 2600 | ₹43 | ₹111,800 |
| Electrical, points and rewiring | LS | 1 | ₹135,000 | ₹135,000 |
| Flooring upgrade in two bedrooms | sq ft | 250 | ₹195 | ₹48,750 |
| Bathroom refresh, two bathrooms | nos | 2 | ₹165,000 | ₹330,000 |
| Surfaces and services allowances — sub-total | ₹678,050 | |||
| Soft costs and risk | ||||
| Design fee, drawings and 3D visualisation | LS | 1 | ₹85,000 | ₹85,000 |
| Project management and site supervision | LS | 1 | ₹72,000 | ₹72,000 |
| Society deposits, lift charges and debris | LS | 1 | ₹45,000 | ₹45,000 |
| Design contingency at 7 per cent of works | LS | 1 | ₹96,000 | ₹96,000 |
| Soft costs and risk — sub-total | ₹298,000 | |||
| Sub-total (ex-GST) | ₹1,691,850 | |||
| GST @ 18% | ₹304,533 | |||
| Grand total (incl. GST) | ₹1,996,383 |
Allowances, not measured quantities. Treat the total as a range of plus or minus 12 per cent.
How to build your own
- Start from the joinery. On almost every Indian flat, fixed joinery is 55 to 65 per cent of the cost, so get those five lines roughly right and the total is roughly right.
- Put the soft costs in from the start. Design fee, supervision, society deposits and debris are real and they are usually 12 to 18 per cent of the total.
- Keep contingency visible. Seven per cent on works is a sensible starting figure for a new flat; 12 to 15 per cent for a renovation.
- Convert it to a measured BOQ once drawings exist rather than treating the estimate as a price.
What it stops
- A budget set without loose furniture in it. Sofas, beds, curtains and appliances add another 15 to 25 per cent on top.
- An estimate presented as a quotation. Stating the plus or minus band once, at the top, prevents a year of misunderstanding.
- Contingency spent before anything goes wrong, which is what happens when it is buried inside the rates.
Sanity-check it against the 2BHK interior design cost guide or the 2BHK calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is an allowance-based estimate?+
Plus or minus 10 to 15 per cent if the allowances are honest and the scope does not change. The error is almost never in the joinery rates; it is in scope that was not discussed — a bathroom that turns out to need full rework, or civil work nobody surveyed.
Should loose furniture be in the estimate?+
Show it, but separately. Sofas, beds, dining sets, mattresses, curtains and appliances typically add 15 to 25 per cent on top of a fixed-interior budget. Clients who exclude it from planning discover it three weeks before moving in, when there is no money left.
What contingency should I hold?+
Seven per cent of works for a new flat with no civil work, 12 to 15 per cent for a renovation, and up to 20 per cent for an old building where plumbing and wiring may both need replacing. Hold it as a separate head and record in writing every time you release from it.
When does the estimate become a quotation?+
When drawings exist and quantities can be measured. At that point every allowance line becomes several measured lines with units and rates. Expect movement of 5 to 12 per cent between the estimate and the priced BOQ; that is the estimate working as intended.
What is a realistic 2BHK budget in Mumbai in 2026?+
Rs 7 to 10 lakh at an essential specification, Rs 11 to 16 lakh at premium and Rs 18 to 30 lakh for luxury, all ex-GST and excluding loose furniture. The worked example on this sheet lands in the premium band for a 680 sq ft flat.