---
title: "Building: excavation, wood frames, enamel paint"
subject: "Estimating and Costing"
chapter: 6
key: "semester_7/estimating_and_costing:building-i-enamel-doors"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/building-i-enamel-doors
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Building: excavation, wood frames, enamel paint

Estimating and Costing · Chapter 6: Detailed Estimate

- Asked in: 2076 Chaitra, 3+3+4 marks
- Video: [CET 402 - QSV | Estimation of Wood Work | Doors & Window - Wood Work Estimation | Module 3 | S8 KTU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7amY5CQqG24) — Alex -E Academy
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/building-i-enamel-doors
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/chapter-6

## Question

Estimate the quantities of the following items of work from the accompanying drawing (Figure 1):
(i) Earthwork excavation in foundation
(ii) Wood work for doors and windows frame
(iii) Two coats enamel painting over one coat primer in doors and windows.
[Figure 1 not included in the scanned paper]

## Short answer

For assumed room 4.5×3.5 m: earthwork excavation 15.23 m³, woodwork for door and window frames 0.111 m³, and two-coat enamel painting over primer 10.07 m².

## Answer

No drawing is given, so a one-room building is assumed: room 4.5 m × 3.5 m clear, 230 mm walls, centre-line length 16.92 m; trench 0.90 m × 1.00 m; one door 1.0 × 2.1 m (panelled); two glazed windows 1.2 × 1.2 m; frames 100 × 75 mm.

#### i) Earthwork in excavation in foundation
| Item | No. | L (m) | B (m) | H/D (m) | Qty (m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trench, all walls (centre-line) | 1 | 16.920 | 0.900 | 1.000 | 15.228 |
| **Total** | | | | | **15.228** |

#### ii) Wood work for door and window frames
| Item | No. | L (m) | B (m) | H/D (m) | Qty (m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door frame 2×2.1 + 1.0 | 1 | 5.200 | 0.100 | 0.075 | 0.0390 |
| Window frames 2 × (2×1.2 + 2×1.2) | 2 | 4.800 | 0.100 | 0.075 | 0.0720 |
| **Total** | | | | | **0.1110** |

#### iii) Two coats of enamel paint over one coat of primer
Painted area is measured over the frame and shutter on both sides and multiplied by a coefficient for the type of shutter. The multipliers below are typical textbook values (IS 1200 style; they differ slightly between books): panelled door 1.30 per side measured, glazed window 0.80.

- Door: 1.0 × 2.1 × 2 sides × 1.30 = 5.46 m²
- Windows: 2 × 1.2 × 1.2 × 2 sides × 0.80 = 4.61 m²
- Total painted area = **10.07 m²**, which is taken for primer (1 coat) and enamel (2 coats).

**Answer:** Excavation 15.23 m³; timber frames 0.111 m³; painting 10.07 m² (assumed dimensions).

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. How is the earthwork of 15.228 m3 obtained?
   A. Centre-line length 16.92 m x trench width 0.90 m x depth 1.00 m
   B. Clear room perimeter x 0.23 m x 1.00 m
   C. Room area 4.5 x 3.5 x depth 1.00 m
   D. Centre-line 16.92 m x 0.23 m x 0.90 m
   Answer: A. Trench excavation is centre-line length x trench width x depth = 16.92 x 0.90 x 1.00. (Key point: Excavation formula)

2. What is the timber volume of the door frame (1.0 x 2.1 m, 100 x 75 mm section)?
   A. 0.0465 m3, from length 2 x 2.1 + 2 x 1.0 = 6.2 m
   B. 0.039 m3, from length 2 x 2.1 + 1.0 = 5.2 m
   C. 0.021 m3, from the door area
   D. 0.039 m3, from a length of 2.1 m only
   Answer: B. A door frame has two posts and a head only: 5.2 x 0.100 x 0.075 = 0.039 m3. Including a sill would wrongly give 0.0465 m3. (Key point: Door frame timber)

3. What is the purpose of the 1.30 and 0.80 multipliers in the painting calculation?
   A. They allow for wastage of paint
   B. They convert square metres into litres of paint
   C. They convert the plain measured area of frame and shutter into the actual paint surface for that type of shutter
   D. They account for the number of coats
   Answer: C. Panelled doors have more surface than their plain area and glazed windows have less, so the measured area is multiplied by a type-specific coefficient. (Key point: Painting multiplier)

4. How is the painted area of 10.07 m2 used for primer and two coats of enamel?
   A. The area is doubled for the two enamel coats and tripled for the primer
   B. The same area is taken for the primer (one coat) and the enamel (two coats), rated per coat as specified
   C. Primer area is half of the enamel area
   D. Only the enamel area is measured; primer is ignored
   Answer: B. The area is measured once; the item specification (primer plus two coats) is priced over this area. (Key point: Coats counted on one area)

## Related in Estimating and Costing

- [Building: excavation, second footing, wood frames](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-j-second-footing) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Building: excavation, brick 1:4, wood work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-k-fig1) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Building: excavation, PCC, brick, wood work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-f-fig3-four-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Building: PCC, brick, sal wood frame, RCC slab](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-r-four-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Building: excavation, PCC foundation, brick](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-q-three-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [One-roomed building: earthwork, plaster, openings](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Aone-room-a-fig-c) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6

## Related in other subjects

- [Emulsion paint; painting on new woodwork](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Apainting-wood-emulsion) — Building Technology, chapter 9
- [Thermal insulation of walls, doors, windows, roofs](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Athermal-insulation-exposed-walls) — Building Technology, chapter 1, asked 3×
- [Purpose and sizing of doors and windows; panelled doors](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Adoor-window-purpose-sizing) — Building Technology, chapter 6