Timber Frame Estimating Services
Independent cost assessment for open panel, closed panel, SIP panels, glulam, and CLT construction across the UK. Bills of Quantities, cost plans, and erection estimates delivered in 24 to 48 hours, following UK construction standards.
What Our Timber Frame Estimating Covers
Timber frame estimating services provide independent cost assessment for structural timber construction projects across the UK. The work covers open panel and closed panel systems, SIP panel construction, platform frame, glulam beams, and cross laminated timber, with deliverables that include material takeoffs, Bills of Quantities, erection cost breakdowns, and detailed cost plans prepared following UK construction standards.
At Blaze Estimating, we work as a third-party estimating firm, which means we have no timber frame product to sell and no supplier relationship to protect. What we produce is straightforward cost intelligence: the kind that lets contractors, developers, and self-builders understand the real whole-project figure before they commit to a system or sign off a tender. We cover residential and commercial schemes, housing developments, and one-off self-build projects from our London office, with UK-wide project coverage and a standard turnaround of 24 to 48 hours.
If you have been comparing quotes from timber frame manufacturers and found they don't quite line up, that's usually because kit supply, erection, insulation, and floor cassettes are often priced separately. An independent estimate brings all of it together in one document.
A supplier quote covers the kit. An independent estimate covers the project. The two figures are rarely the same, and knowing the difference before you commit is what our service exists to provide.
list_alt Timber Frame Systems We Estimate
Open Panel Platform Frame
The most widely used UK method. Panels arrive with OSB sheathing and breather membrane. Insulation and lining added on site. Measured panel by panel, not by floor area rate.
Closed Panel Timber Frame
Factory-insulated and lined panels, sometimes with windows and service ducts fitted. Pre-manufactured value assessment included, relevant for MMC housing and Homes England conditions.
SIP Panel Construction
Structural insulated panels with rigid insulation core bonded between OSB faces. Panel areas, junction details, spline connections, and U-value targets all factored into the estimate.
Engineered Timber: Glulam and CLT
Glulam beam estimating for long-span residential and commercial projects. CLT panel estimating for medium-rise construction. Both require specialist measurement methodology.
What a Timber Frame Estimate Actually Covers
The scope of a timber frame estimate is broader than most people expect, especially clients who have only seen a kit supply quotation from a manufacturer.
Panel Configurations and Structural Elements
Individual panel configurations are taken off directly from your drawings. Studwork configurations, lintel schedules, and sheathing board areas are all measured separately, not bundled into a rate.
Insulation, Membranes, and Vapour Control
Insulation volumes calculated by zone and specification. Breather membrane fixing and vapour control layer installation are included as separate cost items, not absorbed into the kit price.
Erection Labour and Temporary Works
Erection sequences costed using current UK labour rates. Temporary works included as a separate element. These items rarely appear in a manufacturer's kit quotation.
Floor and Roof Cassettes
Cassette floors and roof structures treated as separate elements with their own quantities. The output reflects the actual build, not just the factory package.
NRM2 Bills of Quantities
Full NRM2-format BoQ for contractor tender, or a cost plan broken down by element if that is more useful at your project stage. The deliverable format is agreed before we start.
Preliminary Cost Plans for RIBA Stage 2 and 3
Budget cost plans produced before structural drawings are complete. Used for self-build mortgage applications, planning submissions, and developer appraisals where a per m2 figure is insufficient.
Need a full BoQ or just a preliminary cost plan?
Send your drawings and a brief project description. We'll confirm what format works best and get started.
Timber Frame Systems We Estimate
Timber frame construction in the UK is not a single method. The system you choose has a significant effect on both the measurement approach and overall project cost. Each one requires a different estimating methodology.
Open Panel Platform Frame
Open panel is still the most widely used timber frame method in UK residential construction. Panels arrive on site with OSB sheathing and a breather membrane fixed to the external face, with insulation and internal lining added on site after erection. Cost estimating for open panel work covers panel quantities, studwork configurations, lintel schedules, sheathing board areas, and the subsequent insulation and boarding packages. The measurement is panel by panel, not just a floor area rate.
Closed Panel Timber Frame
Closed panel systems leave the factory already insulated and lined, sometimes with windows and service ducts fitted. The reduction in on-site labour is real and it shows in the erection programme, but the material value is higher and the procurement schedule is tighter. Our estimates for closed panel work include the pre-manufactured value assessment, which is increasingly relevant for housing developers working under MMC guidelines and Homes England grant conditions.
SIP Panel Construction
Structural insulated panels use a rigid insulation core bonded between two OSB faces. They are often chosen for self-build projects where airtightness and thermal performance are priorities. Estimating SIP construction involves calculating panel areas, junction details, spline connections, and the interface with roof and foundation elements. U-value performance targets are factored into the specification from the outset.
Engineered Timber: Glulam and CLT
Glulam beams and cross laminated timber panels represent a different discipline. Glulam is commonly specified for long-span residential projects and commercial buildings where the exposed timber finish is part of the architectural intent. CLT has moved well beyond niche status and now features regularly in medium-rise residential, student accommodation, and commercial office buildings. Both require specialist measurement, and both have dedicated sub-pages within our timber silo.
Not sure which system your project uses?
Send us your drawings and we'll confirm the system type, scope, and correct measurement approach before we start.
Projects We Work On
Our timber frame estimating services are used across a wide range of project types. The common thread is always the same: a client who needs an accurate, independent cost figure before making a financial commitment.
The range is fairly wide: residential, commercial, and everything in between.
On the residential side, we work with self-builders who need a cost plan for a mortgage application through to developers running multi-unit timber frame schemes who need NRM2-format Bills of Quantities for contractor tender. Commercial timber frame, including medium-rise CLT, is also within scope.
How the Timber Frame Estimating Process Works
The process is uncomplicated. Send your drawings, we confirm scope and timeline, and your estimate comes back within the agreed timeframe.
Submit Your Drawings
Send planning drawings, structural layouts, or architectural packages in PDF or CAD format. Sketch drawings with dimensions are also accepted for early-stage budgets.
Scope Confirmation
We confirm the timber frame system type, inclusions, exclusions, and turnaround time. If anything needs clarifying, we ask before pricing rather than making assumptions.
Measurement and Pricing
Panel-by-panel takeoff from your drawings. Erection costs, insulation volumes, cassette floors, and temporary works are all measured and priced using current UK rates.
Receive Your Estimate
BoQ, cost plan, or elemental estimate delivered in the agreed format within 24 to 48 hours for standard residential. Larger schemes confirmed at enquiry stage.
Why the Independence Matters
Timber frame manufacturers produce good products and most of their quotes are put together honestly. But a supplier quote is, by nature, a commercial document. It shows the cost of their system in the best possible light, and it is not designed to tell you the total project figure. That is not a criticism. It is just the nature of how the industry works.
An independent estimate from Blaze Estimating has a different purpose. It takes the supplier's kit scope and adds everything else: erection, cassette floors, roof structure, insulation, membranes, fixings, temporary works, and preliminary costs specific to your site. When the two documents sit side by side, clients consistently find that the total figure is higher than the kit quotation suggested. That is information worth having before contracts are signed.
The same logic applies when you are comparing quotes from two different manufacturers. The panel specifications are often different, the inclusions vary, and the erection arrangements are quoted in different ways. A consistent independent estimate applied to both schemes gives you a proper comparison.
No Product to Sell
No timber frame product, no supplier relationship, no commercial interest in the outcome. The figure we produce reflects what the work costs, not what a manufacturer wants to charge.
Consistent Comparison Basis
When you are comparing quotes from two manufacturers, our estimate applies a consistent methodology to both. That is something a supplier quote cannot give you.
Complete Scope Coverage
Kit supply, erection, insulation, cassette floors, temporary works, and site-specific preliminaries. The whole project, not just the factory package.
UK-Wide Coverage
Projects across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Regional labour rate variations reflected in the pricing for each location.
Specific Timber Frame Estimating Services
This page covers the full timber frame silo. For detailed scope information on each system and sub-trade, the following pages go into each area in depth.
Timber Frame Estimating: Frequently Asked Questions
Planning drawings or structural layouts in PDF or CAD format work well. We also accept sketch drawings with dimensions for preliminary budget work. The earlier in the design process you send drawings, the broader the estimate will be. As the design firms up, the estimate can be refined accordingly.
Yes. Open panel platform frame, closed panel systems, SIP panels, glulam, and CLT are all within scope. If your project uses a hybrid structure that combines timber frame with steel or concrete elements, we measure those together so the estimate reflects the actual build sequence.
Straightforward answer is yes. Budget cost plans are a standard deliverable we produce for self-build mortgage applications, and lenders generally accept them as part of the application pack. Let us know at enquiry stage if that is the specific purpose and we will format the document accordingly.
Standard residential projects come back in 24 to 48 hours. Larger commercial schemes or projects with complex structural details take longer, and we confirm the timeline before starting. We do not begin work without agreeing the scope and delivery date first.
Pre-manufactured value, or PMV, is the measure of how much of a building's construction was completed off-site rather than on it. It has become important for housing developers working under Homes England and MMC funding conditions, where higher PMV can attract better grant rates. We include PMV assessment in estimates for closed panel and volumetric timber frame projects where it is relevant to the scheme.
Send your drawings and a brief project summary to plans@blazeestimating.uk or call us on 020 3808 9398. We will review the drawings, confirm the scope and timeline, and come back to you within the same working day. There is no obligation at the enquiry stage.
Start Your Timber Frame Estimate
Accurate timber frame estimating is not about finding the cheapest number. It is about knowing the right number, with enough detail behind it to plan, procure, and build with confidence. Send your drawings to plans@blazeestimating.uk or call 020 3808 9398. Someone from our team will respond the same working day.