The following handbook of information relating to the
construction industry has been compiled by:
Davis Langdon & Seah Hong Kong Limited
2101 Leighton Centre
77 Leighton Road
Hong Kong
Telephone : (852) 2830 3500
Fax : (852) 2576 0416
Email : dlshk@dlshk
Website : www.dlsqs
Davis Langdon & Seah Hong Kong Limited
2009
All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be
re-produced or copied in any form without prior written
permission from Davis Langdon & Seah Hong Kong
Limited.
The information contained herein should be regarded
as indicative and for general guidance only.Whilst
every effort has been made to ensure accuracy,
no responsibility can be accepted for errors and
omissions, however caused.
If advice concerning individual projects is required, we
would be happy to assist.
Unless otherwise stated, costs refected in this handbook
are Hong Kong costs at 4th Quarter 2008.
Davis Langdon & Seah Hong Kong Limited would like to
acknowledge the assistance of Knight Frank and Baker
& McKenzie in providing additional data and information
for this publication.
ISO 9001 : 2000Certifcate No. : CC271Published by Davis Langdon & Seah Hong Kong LimitedPrinted : March 2009 by R&R Publishing Limited
For private circulation to staff
and business associates only
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 2
Table of Contents 1
About Us 3
Calendars 5
1.CONSTRUCTION COST DATA
Construction Costs for Hong Kong9
M&E Services Costs for Hong Kong 11
ACMV Costs for Various Designs
and Developments in Hong Kong 13
Construction Cost Specifcation 15
Fit-out Costs for Hong Kong 17
Unit Costs for Ancillary Facilities
for Hong Kong 19
Construction Costs for Selected Asian Cities21
M&E Costs for Selected Asian Cities 25
Major Rates for Selected Asian Cities 29
Construction Costs for Selected International
Cities 33
2.GENERAL CONSTRUCTION DATA
2009 Outlook 37
Building Cost Trends in Hong Kong 40
Labour Index in Hong Kong 43
Material Prices in Hong Kong 44
Estimating Rules of Thumb 47
Construction Activity in Hong Kong 49
Construction Value in Hong Kong 50
China's Buildings Going Green 51
Hong Kong General Construction Insurance 53
Specifed Forms for Buildings Ordinance
or Regulations for Hong Kong 55
Summary of Building Regulations for
Hong Kong 57
Percentage Site Coverage and Plot Ratios
for Hong Kong 58
Progress Payments 61
3.PROPERTY
Property Commentary 63
Property Indicators 65
Gross Floor Area (GFA) Calculations
in Hong Kong 67
Gross Floor Area (GFA) Calculations
in PRC 69
Construction Floor Area (CFA) Defnition 71
4.FINANCIAL
Financial Defnitions 73
Financial Formulae 74
Mortgage Repayment Table 75
Composite CPI 76
Exchange Rates 77
Currency Charts 79
Prime Rates 81
Hang Seng Index 83
5.OTHER INFORMATION
Fung Shui 85
Quality Management System 88
Utility Costs for Selected Asian Cities 89
Conversion Factors 91
IDD Codes and Time Differences 93
Public Holidays 95
Davis Langdon & Seah Professional Services 105
China Map 115
International Directory of Offces 117
Telephone Directory 136
DAVIS LANGDON & SEAH
ABOUT US
First established in 1934 in Singapore under
the name Waters and Watson we survived the
Second World War to become the pre-eminent
Quantity Surveying and Construction Cost
Management frm in Asia - operating for many
years as Langdon Every and Seah.One of our
early partners, Mr. Seah Mong Hee, was the frst
Asian Chartered Surveyor (RICS) in the world.
Our Hong Kong offce opened in 1949 and we
quickly established ourselves as the leading frm
in the profession.This year, we celebrate our 60th
anniversary in Hong Kong.
Following a series of global mergers, Davis
Langdon & Seah International was founded in
1990.Today we operate in Asia, Europe and the
Middle East, USA, Australasia and Africa with over
5,000 staff in 100 offces across 23 countries.
We entered the China market in 1984, introducing
modern cost management techniques to its
newly evolving construction market.Our initial
commissions were from Hong Kong and foreign
developers investing in China, although we have
since then further developed our client base to
include state owned enterprises and local private
developers. We now have 12 offices across
China located in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing,
Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macau, Chongqing,
Wuhan, Tianjin, Shenyang, Chengdu and Foshan
with a total staff count approaching 1,000.
For 60 years, DLS Hong Kong/China has been
proactively providing world-class construction
consulting services for all types of building and
infrastructure projects. We are committed to further
extending our professional expertise to related
felds and further expanding our activities in China
to support the needs of our clients as they explore
one of the world's largest and fastest growing
markets.
3 4
2 0 1 1
2 0 1 0
2 0 0 9
2 0 0 8
2008 JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 51 2 1
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 2923/30 24/31 25 26 27 28 29
APRIL MAY JUNE S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
27 28 29 3025 26 27 28 29 30 31
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 51 21 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
27 28 29 30 31 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 11 2 3 4 5 6 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
26 27 28 29 30 3123/30 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31
2009JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 25 26 27 28 29 30 3129
APRIL MAY JUNE S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 41 21 2 3 4 5 6 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
26 27 28 29 30 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 1 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
26 27 28 29 30 3123/30 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 3027 28 29 30 31
2010 JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S1 21 2 3 4 5 61 2 3 4 5 6
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
17 18 19 20 21 22 23