Comparison
Spon's vs RSMeans vs DSR cost databases
Spon's price books are UK construction cost references, RSMeans is a US cost database organised around CSI MasterFormat, and the DSR is the Delhi Schedule of Rates published by India's CPWD. They serve different countries and different purposes, so choose by project location and by whether you need market prices or a scheduled rate.
Comparison at a glance
| Spon's price books | RSMeans | CPWD DSR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom, with international editions | United States and Canada | India |
| Publisher | Compiled by AECOM, published by Taylor and Francis | Gordian | Central Public Works Department |
| Nature of the rate | Published price-book rates for the year of the edition | Cost data with location factors | Scheduled rates built from an analysis of rates |
| Organised by | Work section and trade | CSI MasterFormat | Item number within civil and electrical volumes |
| Typical user | UK cost consultants and contractors | US estimators and owners | CPWD, other public bodies and their contractors |
| Show the build-up? | Rates are built up from labour, materials and plant in the books | Unit costs are broken into components | Yes, in the companion Analysis of Rates |
Check each publisher for the current edition, format and licence before you rely on a rate. Prices and editions change.
Spon's price books
Spon's publishes annual price books for UK work, including books for architects and builders and for civil engineering and highway works. They give priced items with the make-up of labour, material and plant, which makes them useful as a cross-check on a contractor's own rates. They are priced to the year of the edition, so a rate needs updating for inflation and for the region before use.
RSMeans
RSMeans is published by Gordian and covers US construction costs. Its data is structured to CSI MasterFormat, the division system American estimators already use, and it carries location factors so a national figure can be adjusted to a city. It is a commercial product, available by subscription or edition.
CPWD DSR
The Delhi Schedule of Rates is a government schedule. Its rates are produced from an analysis of rates, with material coefficients, labour constants and plant charges, plus an allowance for contractor's profit and overheads. It is the common basis for CPWD estimates, and many tenders are quoted as a percentage above or below an estimate built on it. It gives Delhi rates, so location adjustment matters. See our guide to pricing a BOQ with the DSR.
What none of them is
- A quotation. No cost database commits a supplier to a price.
- Current by default. Every edition has a price date, and market movement after that date is your problem.
- Portable. A UK rate cannot be applied to a US job, or an Indian rate to a UK job, without rebuilding it locally.
- A substitute for your own history. Rates from your last tenders reflect your crews, suppliers and region.
How to choose
| Situation | Reference to start from |
|---|---|
| UK project | Spon's, then adjust for date and region |
| US project | RSMeans with the location factor for the city |
| Indian public-sector project | The DSR or the state Schedule of Rates the department uses |
| Rate you have priced before | Your own historical rate, checked against one of the above |
A short test before you trust a rate
- Check the price date and edition.
- Check the country and the region factor.
- Check that the unit and the specification match your line.
- Compare the result with one rate you have priced yourself recently. A large gap means one of the two is wrong, and it is worth finding out which.
How EstimateNext uses reference rates
EstimateNext does not ask you to choose one book. It tags each rate by source tier: your actuals, your bids, published schedules, derived and AI-inferred. It weights your own history above published rates. For India the library includes the CPWD DSR and state Schedules of Rates. For the UK the rates are held in NRM2 structure. For the US it uses CSI references and public-agency award data. Each priced line shows its source and a confidence badge. Rates are indicative and should be verified before tender.
Send one BOQ. Get it priced in 24 hours. Free.
No card and no sales call first. Any format, any trade.
Price my BOQRelated