International Cost Engineering Council

Australia

	Sydney (1 July 04)	Brisbane (2 Feb 03)	Melbourne (Nov 00)	Perth (1 Aug 03)	Adelaide (8 June 04)	Canberra (Aug 04)
Bricklayer	34.35	37.48	33.25	30.04	32.32	33.29
Carpenter	33.98	37.74	33.49	28.90	32.61	33.29
Painter	33.08	37.06	32.82	28.26	31.86	33.29
Plasterer	33.96	37.56	33.36	29.09	32.43	33.29
Plumber	32.95	38.20	34.43	30.06	31.49	34.01
Labourer 3	32.58	34.61	31.21	25.36	30.27	30.77
Labourer 4	31.44	34.00	29.39	25.32	***	30.07

*** Not applicable to commercial projects
Rates reported in Australian dollars/hour, including fringe benefits.
Effective dates as noted for each city.
Unfortunately, these figures have not been updated in recent months because AIQS is reviewing the way these are calculated in order to accommodate changes in the Australian industrial relations system.
Source: The Building Economist, March 2005.

Canada

Rates reported in Canadian dollars per hour as of January 1, 2003;
Source: Labor Rates for the Construction Industry, 30th edition, R. S. Means Co., Kingston, MA, USA, 2002.

Germany

Salary Group 6: DM 43.44/hr
Salary Group 7: DM 47.41/hr
Salary Group 8: DM 52.54/hr

Berlin-Brandenburg, October 2001. Rates include all fringe benefits.

Ghana

Labour General : 20,575
Senior Labour : 21,228
Labour Headman : 21,228
Pay Watchman : 21,228
Foreman Assistant : 21,228
Concrete Mixer Operator : 21,895
Dumper Operator : 21,895
Night Watchman (8 hrs) : 22,556
Day Watchman (12 hrs) : 23,920
Night watchman (12 hrs) : 25,278
All tradesman Grade 2 : 25,278
All tradesman Grade 1 : 26,624
Foreman : 27,983

Base rates in Cedis per working day (8 hrs unless noted as otherwise). For all-in rates, add 300%. Source: Construction and Building Workers Union (Trades Union Congress Accra), December 2004.

Italy

Rates reported in Euros per hour including fringe benefits as of November 2004.
Source: Associazione Italiana d'Ingegneria Economica.

Hong Kong

Bar Bender and Fixer	1,210.1
Concretor	1,011.9
Carpenter (formwork)	1,123.8
Painter and Decorator	882.4
Plasterer	933.2
Metal Worker	860.2
Plumber	946.8
General Workers	578.5

Rates reported in HK$. Source: Levett and Bailey Charter Quantity Surveyors Ltd / Tender price indices and cost trend, a quarterly publication, December 2004 available at http://www.levettandbailey.com/cost-hk.html

Japan

Bricklayers	17,700
Carpenters	21,900
Electricians	17,700
Plumbers/pipefitters	17.600
Sheetmetal workers	15,900
Structural iron/steel workers	16,100

Rates reported in Japanese yen per 8 hour day.
Source: Japan Society of Cost and Project Engineers, November 2004.

Kenya

Rates reported in Kenya shillings per hour including fringe benefits.
Source: Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, February 2004

Malaysia

Rates reported in Malaysian ringgits per hour based upon an 8 hour work day.
Source: Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia, March 2003

Mexico

Mexican Construction Costs, Market Labor Cost with Burden Fringes Source, November 2004 INTERCOST (leopoldovarela@intercost.com.mx)

Netherlands

Rates reported in Euros per hour, including fringe benefits, as of November 2004
Source: Dutch Association of Cost Engineers.

New Zealand

Rates reported in New Zealand dollars per hour excluding GST as of September 2004. Source: Rawlinsons Limited

Nigeria

Artisans: 1,000.00 Niara/day
Laborers: 600.00 Niara/day

Wages at Abuja (Federal Capital of Nigeria)
Source: Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, September 2002.

Norway

Construction workers: 25,661 Norwegian Kroner per month (average base wage + allowances).
Manufacturing workers: 25,812 Norwegian Kroner per month (average base wage + allowances).

Source: Statistics Norway, October 2003 (data reported for 3rd quarter, 2002), http://www.ssb.no/english.

Romania

Skilled Labor: 30,000 Romanian Lei per hour (average base wage)
Unskilled Labor: 20,000 Romanian Lei per hour (average base wage)

Source: Construction Market Review, February 2003.

Russia

Labor rates in Russian Roubles per hour based upon an eight hour work day.
Source: Russian Association of Bidders and Cost Engineering, Construction Cost Indexes, No. 36 (Information about 80 regions of Russia, CO-INVEST, Moscow, July 2001.

Singapore

Labor wage in Singapore dollars per day - Quarter 2 2004

Singapore has a quota ratio of about 1 local to 5 foreign for employment of construction workers
Source: Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers.

South Africa

Rates reported in South African Rand/hour (July 1, 2002).
Rates include burdens and fringe benefits but do not include small tools, consumables, minor construction equipment,
travel cost, safety equipment, and site transport.

Sri Lanka

* Rates reported in Sri Lanka rupees per normal working day per the Wages Board Ordinance, Government of Sri Lanka.
** Market rates in Sri Lanka rupees per normal working day as of November 2002.
Source: Institute of Project Managers of Sri Lanka, November 2002.

United States of America

Labor rates*

• Rates reported in US$;
• Source: Means Labor Rates for the Construction Industry, 2006 edition;
• * Union labor rates including fringe benefits, 30-city average, 1 January 2006.

Australia

Prices in Australian dollars/metric ton erected.
Source: The Building Economist, December 2005

Canada

Structural steel shapes: 1132.80

Prices reported in Canadian dollars per 1000kg. Source: Engineering News Record, December 2004
*Average of Montreal and Toronto

Germany

Structural steel shapes: 475

Prices in Euros per metric ton, FOB warehouse, minimum charge 250 kg.
Source: Dutch Association of Cost Engineers, November 2002.

Ghana

Italy

Steel bs Fe44B: 580 Euros per metric ton. (November 2004)
The price of steel has increased markedly (more than 50% in last year) due to international markers. This is putting pressure on all contracts, even those for public works, where escalation clauses were not allowed.
For more information click here. Source: Associazione Italiana d'Ingegneria Economica.

Hong Kong

Mild Steel Round Bars (HK$/t): 3815.00
High Tensile Steel Bars (HK$/t): 3668.00

Source: Levett and Bailey Charter Quantity Surveyors Ltd / Tender price indices and cost trend, a quarterly publication, December 2004 available at http://www.levettandbailey.com/cost-hk.html

Japan

Structural steel shapes:

Kenya

Roof trusses (framed): 125,000

Prices reported in Kenya shillings per metric ton.
Source: The Quantity Surveyor, the magazineof Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, January - March 2005.
See http://www.iqskenya.org for other Kenya construction cost data.

Malaysia

Trade prices reported in Malaysian ringgits per metric ton.
Source: Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia, March 2003

Mexico

Structural steel shapes: 11,000 Mexican pesos per metric ton / US$956.52 per metric ton

Mexican Construction Costs, Market Labor Cost with Burden Fringes Source, November 2004 INTERCOST (leopoldovarela@intercost.com.mx)

Netherlands

Structural steel shapes: 1250

Prices in Euros per metric ton.
Source: Dutch Association of Cost Engineers, November 2004.

New Zealand

Supply of steelwork - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin

Supply, fabricate and erect

Prices in New Zealand dollars per metric ton. Rates exclude GST. Source: Rawlinsons New Zealand Handbook, 2004 Edition.

Nigeria

Mild steel bars: 70,000
High tensile steel reinforcement bars: 75,000

Prices in Nigerian Niara per metric ton.
Source: Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, January-March 2004.

Romania

Smooth reinforcing steel: 11,730,000 per metric ton
Ribbed reinforcing steel: 12,865,000 per metric ton
Other materials:

Russia

Prices in Russian Roubles per metric ton.
Source: Russian Association of Bidders and Cost Engineering, Construction Cost Indexes, No. 36 (Information about 80 regions of Russia, CO-INVEST, Moscow, July 2001.

Singapore

Rebar: 920.00
MS I-beams: 1,170

Prices in Singapore dollars/metric ton as of 3rd Quarter 2004.
Source: Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers.

South Africa

Universal beams: 5,779 to 6,797 (1 July 2003)
Universal columns: 5,779 to 6,930 (1 July 2003)
Plate: 5,864 to 7,269 (1 July 2003)

Prices in South African Rand/metric ton, excluding VAT (SABS 1431/300 WA).
Source: Macsteel (Pty) Ltd.
Note: Due to fluctuations in the value of the Rand, steel prices have been changing rapidly. Current pricing is available from monty.isserow@mactrading.co.za.

Sri Lanka

Reinforcement steel: 9,014
Structural steel: 14,812

Prices reported in Sri Lanka rupees per metric ton.
Source: Institute of Project Managers of Sri Lanka, November 2002.

Tanzania

Roof trusses (framed): 1,670,000

Prices reported in Tanzania shillings per metric ton.
Source: The Quantity Surveyor, the magazine of Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, January - March 2005.
See http://www.iqskenya.org for other Tanzania construction cost data .

Uganda

Roof trusses (framed): 2,660,000

Prices reported in Uganda shillings per metric ton.
Source: The Quantity Surveyor, the magazineof Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, January - March 2005.
See http://www.iqskenya.org/ for other Uganda construction cost data.

United States of America

US$/sq. meter

• * 25% of projects had lower costs that this column;
• ** 25% of projects had costs exceeding this column;
• Costs reported in US$;
• Based upon Means Building Construction Cost Data, 2006 edition.