Course Title:
NRM 3 – Order of Cost Estimating & Cost Planning for Maintenance Works
Duration & Access:
This self-paced online course runs over 265 days, giving you ample time to absorb each topic, apply it to real projects and return to the material as needed. Once enrolled, you’ll have 265 days of continuous access to all lessons, case studies and downloadable resources.
1. Who This Course Is For
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Quantity Surveyors refining maintenance cost skills on Saudi projects
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Estimators who prepare early budgets and detailed cost plans for upkeep works
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Civil & MEP Engineers responsible for specifying, scheduling and controlling maintenance…
…all working on construction and facilities in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam or elsewhere in Saudi Arabia.
2. Course Overview
This course guides you through the NRM 3 framework—from high-level order-of-cost techniques to detailed Part B cost plans—tailored for maintenance scopes such as roof renewal, MEP servicing, façade repairs and heritage conservation. You’ll learn to:
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Interpret condition surveys and turn defects into quantified work items
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Build or adapt local cost databases for labour, materials and plant
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Apply analogous, elemental and factor estimating methods at the right stage
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Structure and report cost plans that match your client’s budget cycles
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Embed risk, contingency and inflation allowances transparently
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Procure, analyse and award maintenance contracts aligned with NRM 3 plans
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Control costs with thresholds, dashboards, forecasts and change procedures
All examples draw on real Saudi Arabia projects—university campuses, hospitals, schools, heritage sites—and come with practical tables you can adapt directly.
3. Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
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Map Condition Defects to Cost Work Packages
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Choose and Apply Estimating Techniques for order-of-cost and detailed budgets
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Develop a Maintenance Rate Library suited to local labour, plant and materials
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Quantify and Measure typical maintenance items per NRM 3 rules
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Prepare Part A Strategy Plans and Part B Detailed Cost Plans
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Integrate Risk, Contingency & Inflation into forecasts
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Design Procurement & Tender Documents aligned with your cost plan
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Analyse Bids, Make Award Recommendations and negotiate final terms
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Set Up Cost Control Regimes with triggers, dashboards and forecasts
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Apply Lessons via Case Studies of hospitals, schools and heritage works
4. Course Structure & Modules
Below is a high-level view of the 15 modules, each with four focused sub-modules. You can work through in order or jump to the topics most relevant to your current project.
| Module | Title | Sub-Modules |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to NRM 3 & Maintenance Cost Planning | 1.1 Scope & structure of NRM 3 1.2 Key terminology 1.3 Interfaces with NRM 1 & NRM 2 1.4 Benefits for maintenance |
| 2 | Classification of Maintenance Works | 2.1 Planned vs reactive 2.2 Routine inspections 2.3 Refurbishment & overhaul 2.4 Lifecycle vs day-to-day |
| 3 | Lifecycle Costing & Whole-Life Value | 3.1 Lifecycle principles 3.2 Predictive cycles 3.3 Balancing short- vs long-term costs 3.4 Sustainability & resilience |
| 4 | Data Collection & Condition Surveys | 4.1 Survey methods 4.2 Coding defects 4.3 Historic records 4.4 Remaining life assessment |
| 5 | Quantification & Measurement for Maintenance | 5.1 Measurement rules 5.2 Units & conventions 5.3 Allowances for access & protection 5.4 NRM 3 measurement checklist |
| 6 | Rate Building & Cost Databases | 6.1 Maintenance rate components 6.2 Labour/plant/material breakdown 6.3 Location & site adjustments 6.4 Building a cost database |
| 7 | Order of Cost Estimating (Analogous & Unit-Rate) | 7.1 Historical analogies 7.2 Elemental unit-rates 7.3 Factor estimating 7.4 Accuracy & confidence levels |
| 8 | Cost Planning Process & Stages | 8.1 Setting objectives & tolerances 8.2 Part A strategy plan 8.3 Part B detailed estimates 8.4 Reporting & sign-off |
| 9 | Risk, Contingency & Inflation | 9.1 Identifying risks 9.2 Quantifying contingency 9.3 Inflation allowances 9.4 Risk-based cost options |
| 10 | Budgeting & Funding Strategies | 10.1 Aligning with budgets 10.2 Phasing works for cash-flow 10.3 Grants & external finance considerations 10.4 Prioritisation frameworks |
| 11 | Contract Strategies for Maintenance | 11.1 Traditional vs frameworks 11.2 Provisional sums & dayworks 11.3 Performance & target cost contracts 11.4 Measurement & remeasurement |
| 12 | Cost Control & Monitoring | 12.1 Control thresholds 12.2 Reporting cycles & dashboards 12.3 Change control procedures 12.4 Forecasting final cost |
| 13 | Procurement & Tendering for Maintenance | 13.1 Pre-qualification 13.2 Tender docs aligned with NRM 3 13.3 Tender analysis 13.4 Award recommendations & negotiation |
| 14 | Technology & Data Management | 14.1 Digital asset registers 14.2 BIM for maintenance (optional) 14.3 Mobile data capture 14.4 Database maintenance |
| 15 | Case Studies & Practical Application | 15.1 Hospital cost plan 15.2 School cyclic budgeting 15.3 Heritage conservation estimate 15.4 Mini cost plan workshop |
5. Delivery Format & Resources
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Video Lectures: Short, conversational videos with on-screen tables and Saudi examples
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Downloadable Tables & Templates: Pre-formatted measurement, risk register, BOQ and phasing worksheets you can adapt
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Quizzes & Exercises: Test your understanding after each module—quantify sample defects, build simple rate tables, draft BOQ extracts
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Case Study Walk-throughs: Detailed narrated plans for a Jeddah hospital, Dammam school and Diriyah heritage site
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Discussion Forums: Share questions and local experiences with fellow professionals
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Final Workshop: Guided mini cost-plan exercise from a brief survey, with peer-review feedback
6. Suggested Study Plan
Although you have 265 days, a paced plan might look like:
| Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Module 1: Introduction & terminology |
| 3–4 | Module 2 & 3: Classification & lifecycle |
| 5–6 | Module 4 & 5: Surveys & measurement |
| 7–8 | Module 6 & 7: Rates & order-of-cost |
| 9–10 | Module 8: Cost planning stages |
| 11–12 | Module 9 & 10: Risk & budgeting |
| 13–14 | Module 11 & 12: Contracts & control |
| 15–16 | Module 13: Procurement & tendering |
| 17 | Module 14: Technology & databases |
| 18–19 | Module 15: Case studies & workshop |
| 20+ | Review, quizzes, apply to live project |
Feel free to slow down or speed up—access remains open for 265 days.
7. Why Enrol?
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Saudi-Focused Examples: All case studies reference Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam or Diriyah projects.
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NRM 3 Expertise: Deep dive into the Royal Institution’s maintenance guidance—rarely covered in other courses.
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Practical Tools: Walk away with ready-to-use tables, BOQ templates and risk registers.
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Flexible Access: 265 days lets you fit the learning around live projects and busy client schedules.
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Peer Learning: Compare approaches with other QS, estimators and engineers in your region.
8. Next Steps
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Register Today: Secure your spot and get immediate access to Module 1.
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Gather Your Project Data: Have a recent condition survey or maintenance scope ready to apply.
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Set Milestones: Block out study sessions in your calendar over the next 4–6 months.
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Engage & Apply: Use the discussion forums to test your ideas and share Saudi-specific insights.
We look forward to helping you master NRM 3 and deliver maintenance cost plans that are accurate, defensible and perfectly tuned for Saudi Arabia’s unique construction and facilities landscape. See you inside!
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