About us
Laxton's Building Price Book was first published at the beginning of the 19th Century by William Laxton and has been published most years ever since. It is kept up to date by qualified Quantity Surveyors.
The current Laxton’s pricing data is prepared in both SMM and NRM formats, with detailed breakdowns of costs (labour, materials, waste, profit) from "first principles" covering thousands of building items.
What is the Laxton's Book?
Laxton's is produced in both methods of measurement used within the industry, for
the convenience of its users.
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SMM – Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works (SMM7)
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NRM – New Rules of Measurement (NRM2)
The information detailed will be of interest to Cost Estimators, Quantity Surveyors, Contractors, Sub-contractors, Self Builders, Architects, Developers, Students, Government and Public Authorities and those interested in the cost of building works.
SMM vs NRM
What is the difference?
SMM and NRM are different Standard Methods of Measurement that have evolved to meet changing industry requirements. While NRM2 has been introduced by the RICS as an alternative framework, SMM7 remains in use and has not been formally replaced.
For those using Laxton’s for the first time when working with Architects or Engineers, SMM is often the preferred and more familiar choice. The Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works (SMM7) follows the format of the Common Arrangement of Work Sections for Building Works (CAWS), 2nd edition. Architects, Engineers, and Specifiers typically write their specifications in accordance with these rules, which were developed by the Construction Project Information Committee (CPIC) and are suitable for professionals working to CPI or Uniclass standards.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) introduced the New Rules of Measurement (NRM) to provide a more flexible measurement framework. NRM moves away from CAWS and adopts its own numerical indexing system, replacing the lettering used in SMM7. NRM does not directly reference Co-ordinated Project Information.
Quantity Surveyors are encouraged by RICS to prepare Bills of Quantities in accordance with NRM, unless instructed otherwise. RICS states “The main benefit of NRM is that it uses a general protocol that should allow any surveyor to measure any type of construction from any era.”
In practice, documentation produced by Quantity Surveyors is more likely to follow NRM, whereas Architects and Engineers commonly continue to work to SMM7/CAWS. For those new to Laxton’s and working closely with Architects or Engineers, SMM may therefore be the most appropriate choice.
