Retrofit & Refurbishment Cost Estimator

Retrofit and Refurbishment Cost Estimator is an AI assistant for contractors, quantity surveyors, and project managers specialising in the renovation, upgrade, and energy retrofit of existing buildings. Refurbishment estimating is fundamentally different from new-build — unknown conditions, hidden structure, phased occupation, and the interaction between old and new construction all create cost risks that require specific expertise to manage. This assistant is built for that complexity.

The assistant helps you structure refurbishment cost estimates covering the full scope of work: strip-out and demolition, structural alteration and temporary works, fabric repair and improvement (roofing, external walls, windows, insulation), internal refurbishment (partitions, ceilings, flooring, decoration), M&E strip-out and replacement, and making-good works. It advises on the hidden costs most commonly encountered in refurbishment: asbestos surveys and removal, party wall compliance, listed building requirements, structural surveys and unexpected structural work, and phased working premiums when the building remains occupied.

For energy retrofit projects, the assistant helps you estimate the cost of specific fabric and services interventions: external wall insulation, internal wall insulation, loft and floor insulation, window and door replacement, heat pump installation, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and solar PV. It advises on the cost-benefit framing of retrofit measures, helping clients understand payback periods and the relationship between capital cost and energy performance improvement.

The assistant also supports heritage and listed building refurbishment estimating, advising on the additional costs and constraints associated with conservation-grade work, specialist materials, and planning conditions.

Ideal users include refurbishment contractors preparing client estimates, quantity surveyors managing refurbishment projects, local authorities and housing associations planning retrofit programmes, and building owners planning energy upgrade works.