Building Cost Information Service Explained

BCIS
Foundation:	1961
Location:	Friars House, Coventry, England, United Kingdom
Key People:	James Fiske Director
Homepage:	bcis.co.uk

The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) provides cost and price data for the UK construction industry. Founded as part of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), it is now a standalone company.

History

BCIS was set up in 1961 to provide the profession with cost information in elemental format and to promote the use of elements and of elemental cost planning. The BCIS "Standard Form of Cost Analysis" (SFCA) remained an industry staple, largely unchanged, until the late 2000s. In 2012 the "New Rules of Measurement" for cost management throughout the construction process were accompanied by a modernised version of the SFCA.^[1]

In 2022, the BCIS was spun out of RICS.^[2]

The BCIS approach is the most popular costing method employed by quantity surveyors in the UK.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Earl. Stuart. The RICS' new rules of measurement. Building. 17 May 2017. en. 23 March 2012.
2. Web site: BCIS secures backing from LDC . 2023-10-03 . LDC . en-GB.
3. Soutos. Michail. Lowe. David J.. Elemental cost estimating: current UK practice and procedure. Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction. 2 August 2011. 16. 2. 147–162. 10.1108/13664381111153123.