Council-ready Development Application cost plans, lender-accepted cost to complete reports, preliminary cost plans, progress claim certifications, and indicative elemental estimates. Signed by registered quantity surveyors. AIQS-compliant. Standard 5 to 10 business day turnaround.
MCG provides the full range of quantity surveyor construction cost estimating reports needed across the development lifecycle: from concept-stage feasibility checks, through council Development Application lodgement, lender drawdown certifications, and partial-build cost reviews.
Every report is prepared and signed by a registered quantity surveyor, follows Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS) cost reporting standards, and is accepted by all Australian councils, the four major banks, and second-tier construction lenders.
Whether you are a developer, architect, builder, lender, accountant, insolvency practitioner, or property investor, MCG has a cost report that supports your decision. Use the navigator below to jump to the report you need.
Lodging a DA? Development Application Cost Plan.
Drawing on a construction loan? Progress Claim Certification.
Project paused or in receivership? Cost To Complete Report.
Testing feasibility? Preliminary Cost Plan.
Comparing concept options? Indicative Elemental Estimate.
A Development Application (DA) cost plan is a quantity surveyor report estimating the total construction cost of a proposed development, signed by a registered QS for lodgement with council. Most Australian councils require a DA cost plan when the estimated construction value exceeds a set threshold — typically used to calculate developer contributions (such as Section 7.11 and 7.12 levies in NSW), set the DA fee, and confirm the project description matches the lodged drawings.
MCG prepares DA cost summary reports for residential, commercial, mixed-use, industrial, retail, hospitality, and infrastructure projects across all Australian states and territories. Each report is signed by a registered quantity surveyor and accepted by all Australian councils.
Typical use cases:
Each MCG DA cost plan includes: total estimated construction cost, elemental cost breakdown (substructure, superstructure, finishes, services, external works, preliminaries), preliminaries and contingencies, signed QS declaration, and the council-prescribed cost summary form for your jurisdiction.
Back to report navigatorA cost to complete (CTC) report is a quantity surveyor's certified estimate of the remaining construction cost on a partially built project. MCG inspects the site, reviews completed works, examines existing contracts and any latent defects, then provides a signed report stating the additional funding required to finish the project.
Cost to complete reports are typically commissioned by construction lenders, receivers and insolvency practitioners, incoming developers acquiring stalled projects, and original owners after a builder has left site. The report supports loan top-up decisions, distressed asset acquisition pricing, and insurance and warranty claims.
What MCG assesses:
Each CTC report includes: certified cost to complete figure, breakdown by trade, photographic evidence of works in place, latent defect notes, contingency recommendation, and a signed QS declaration. Accepted by all major Australian construction lenders and insolvency firms.
Back to report navigatorA preliminary cost plan is an early-stage construction cost estimate prepared from concept drawings and a brief design narrative. Used by developers, architects and investors to test feasibility before significant design fees are committed, and to set a realistic budget for the design team to work to.
Preliminary cost plans are prepared on a $/sqm or elemental basis using rates from comparable recently-completed projects, with explicit allowances for unknowns. As the design progresses, the preliminary cost plan is refined into a full cost plan and ultimately a tender estimate.
Best used when:
Each preliminary cost plan includes: $/sqm and elemental cost summary, scope and assumptions schedule, exclusions list, contingency recommendation (typically 10 to 15% at this stage), and a signed QS report. Refined cost plans available as documentation progresses.
Back to report navigatorA progress claim certification is an independent quantity surveyor's review of a builder's monthly progress claim against the actual works completed on site. Construction lenders use these reports to release loan drawdowns in line with completed value, protecting both lender and borrower from over-payment.
Each month MCG visits the site, inspects work in place, reviews the builder's claim and any approved variations, then certifies the percentage complete and dollar value of works claimed. The signed report is provided to the lender, who uses it to release the next loan tranche.
What a progress claim certification covers:
Each progress claim report includes: certified percentage complete, certified dollar value of works in place, recommended drawdown amount, variation summary, defects schedule, photographic evidence, and a signed QS declaration. Format accepted by all major Australian construction lenders.
Back to report navigatorAn indicative elemental estimate breaks a project's cost into elements (substructure, superstructure, internal finishes, services, external works, preliminaries) using rates from comparable projects. Architects, developers, and investors use elemental estimates at concept stage to compare design options and confirm budget alignment before detailed documentation begins.
Unlike a $/sqm preliminary cost plan, the elemental format lets the design team see exactly which parts of the building are driving cost — and where design changes would yield the biggest savings. Especially valuable on commercial, hotel, aged care, and bespoke residential projects where finishes and services costs can vary widely.
Best used for:
Each elemental estimate includes: cost broken down by element using ARCADIS or AIQS-aligned codes, $/sqm and $/total figures, source rate references, scope and assumptions schedule, exclusions list, and contingency recommendation. Refined as design progresses through DA, tender, and construction stages.
Back to report navigatorStandard MCG process for any of the five report types above. Bespoke timelines available for urgent council deadlines or lender milestone dates.
Questions developers, architects, builders, lenders and accountants ask MCG most often.
Talk to MCG on 1300 795 170. Registered quantity surveyors, AIQS-compliant reports, council and lender accepted across Australia.