The Cube method estimating is specific for building projects and aims to overcome the current criticism to the floor area method that does not take into account possible variations of the storey height. The building volume method became very popular in some European countries like in Germany and Switzerland, where building costs are often expressed in cubic meter prices. The total cost of the project will be given by:
Estimate = Volume X Unit Cost (Cost/m3)
In order to use the method, the building volume must be first assessed and explicit rules exist in some countries for that purpose. Buildings with distinct types of occupation should have corresponding volumes assessed separately, for example, car park areas, shopping areas and office areas in a commercial building. Specific works like excavations, foundations and external works ought to be assessed separately by using cost comparisons or approximate quantities, for example.
Costs per cubic meter may be difficult to find in countries where the method is not current. Actually, such costs depend on a number of variables, like building types, proportion of wall area per floor area, quality of finishes and so on.