---
title: "Short notes: overhead charge, task work"
subject: "Estimating and Costing"
chapter: 4
key: "semester_7/estimating_and_costing:short-note-overhead-task-work"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/short-note-overhead-task-work
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Short notes: overhead charge, task work

Estimating and Costing · Chapter 4: Analysis of Rates

- Asked in: 2067 Asar (old course), 2 marks
- Video: [How to Answer Rate Analysis Questions in QS Interview | Overheads, Labour Productivity Explained](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBNdplU9xy0) — The Institute of Construction Managment 
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/short-note-overhead-task-work
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/chapter-4

## Question

Write short notes on: i) Overhead charge ii) Task or out turn of work.

## Short answer

Overhead: indirect contractor expenses (establishment and job overheads), allowed as 15% of direct cost in Nepal. Task/out-turn: quantity of work a worker/gang completes in an 8‑hour day; it determines labour requirement (labour days = 1/out-turn).

## Answer

#### i) Overhead charge
Overhead charges are the indirect expenses of the contractor that cannot be allotted to a particular item. They are of two types:
- **Establishment (general) overheads:** head office rent, staff salary, insurance, licence fees, interest on capital and so on.
- **Job (site) overheads:** site office, supervisors, watchmen, temporary sheds, water and electricity, and tools.
In the Nepal rate analysis the contractor's overhead and profit together are allowed as **15%** of the direct cost.

#### ii) Task or out-turn of work
The task (out-turn) of work is the quantity of work that a worker or a gang of standard composition can do in one working day (8 hours), for example the area of plaster one mason does per day, or the volume of brickwork laid. Task work gives the labour required per unit of work (labour days = 1 / out-turn) and is the basis of labour in the norms. It depends on the skill, the conditions and the method of work.

## Check yourself

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

1. What are the two types of overhead?
   A. Direct and indirect labour
   B. Fixed and variable materials
   C. Establishment (general) and job (site) overheads
   D. Profit and tax
   Answer: C. Establishment and job overheads. (Key point: Overhead types)

2. Which is a job overhead?
   A. Head office rent
   B. Licence fees
   C. Interest on capital
   D. Site office, supervisors, watchmen, temporary sheds
   Answer: D. Site-specific expenses. (Key point: Site overhead)

3. What is out-turn of work?
   A. Quantity a worker or gang does in one 8-hour day
   B. Total cost
   C. Daily wage
   D. Overtime
   Answer: A. Task = daily output. (Key point: Task work)

4. How are labour days found from out-turn?
   A. Out-turn x wages
   B. Labour days = 1 / out-turn
   C. Out-turn / 8
   D. Out-turn x 15%
   Answer: B. Inverse of daily output. (Key point: Labour from task)

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