Material schedule preparation
An itemised list of every material your building needs, in the quantities the drawings require, staged so you can buy as the work progresses.
Buy materials by measurement, not by request
On a self-managed Nigerian building site, materials are usually bought the way they are requested: a few hundred blocks today, two trips of sand next week, another trailer of granite because the first one finished. Nobody knows whether the total purchased is more or less than the building needs, because nobody ever measured it.
A material schedule fixes that. It converts your drawings into a purchase list with quantities, so you buy once, in the right amount, at a better price, and you can see immediately when an order does not match the design.
- Purchase plan you can followOrder against the schedule by construction stage, not by whoever asks.
- Fewer emergency purchasesEmergency buying is where prices are worst and quality is least checked.
- A check on the storeA running comparison of what was bought, what was delivered and what should have been used.
- IndependenceWe do not sell materials, so there is no incentive to inflate quantities or specify a particular brand.
What the schedule contains
| Section | Items included |
|---|---|
| Earthworks and substructure | Excavation volume, hardcore, sand blinding, anti-termite treatment, concrete and reinforcement by element |
| Blockwork and concrete | Blocks by size and wall thickness, cement, sharp sand, granite or chippings, water, formwork timber and plywood, binding wire, nails |
| Roofing | Trusses, purlins, roofing sheets or tiles by area with laps, ridge caps, fascia, gutters, rainwater pipes, fixings |
| Doors and windows | Frames, shutters, glass, ironmongery, burglary proofing, frames and architraves |
| Finishes | Screed, wall and floor tiles by area with cutting allowance, plaster, paint by coverage, ceiling boards and noggins |
| Services | Conduit, cable by size, boxes, switches and sockets, distribution board, pipework, sanitary ware, fittings, water tank, septic and soakaway materials |
| External works | Interlocking or paving, kerbs, boundary wall blocks, gate, drainage channels, topsoil and landscaping |
Waste and cutting allowances are stated per item rather than buried, so you can see exactly where the allowance is generous and where it is tight.
What it will not do
Stated plainly, because a schedule is often oversold.
It does not price materials
Quantities only. Market prices change weekly and by location, and a stale price list is worse than none. We can price against current rates on request.
It does not cover labour
Labour, plant and supervision belong in a BOQ or a contract, not a material schedule.
It cannot beat a bad drawing
If the design changes on site, the quantities change. Revise the schedule when the design is revised.
Material schedule questions
What is the difference between a material schedule and a bill of quantities?
A material schedule lists the materials a building needs, in the quantities needed: blocks, cement, sand, granite, timber, roofing sheets, tiles, pipes, cable. A bill of quantities is broader and formal: it covers labour, plant, workmanship and preliminaries as well as materials, and it is priced against a contractual measurement standard. If you are buying materials yourself, a schedule is what you need. If you are tendering or controlling a contract, you need a BOQ.
Can a material schedule reduce waste?
It is the single most effective tool for it. In Nigeria, a large proportion of losses on a self-managed build is over-purchasing, re-purchasing and theft of unrecorded stock. A measured schedule with a stated waste allowance gives you a purchase plan and a check: order against the schedule, not against the next request.
Will it tell me how many blocks I need?
Yes, with the basis stated. Blockwork is measured by area and converted at a stated block size and mortar joint, with an allowance for openings, lintels and breakage. You will see the assumption, so you can adjust it if your block mould differs.
Do you supply materials?
No, and that independence is deliberate. We measure and specify; you buy from whoever you trust at the price you negotiate. A quantity surveyor who also sells cement has a conflict of interest.
Get a purchase list you can trust
Send your drawings and stage of construction. You will receive a schedule by stage, with every allowance shown.
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