Formwork Cost Calculator
Amortisation, labour, support and the all-in rate per m².
Quick answer
With the default inputs: Contact area 1000 m² · Formwork material rate 55 CNY/m² · Reuse cycles 6 cycles etc.All-in formwork rate 52.90 CNY/m²
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Result
All-in formwork rate
52.90CNY/m²
| Material amortisation | 9.17CNY/m² |
| With waste | 9.90CNY/m² |
| Erection labour | 28.00CNY/m² |
| Support and bracing | 15.00CNY/m² |
| Total cost | 5.2910k CNY |
| One-off material spend | 5.9410k CNY |
| Labour share | 52.9% |
| Rate at 4 cycles | 57.85CNY/m² |
| Rate at 10 cycles | 48.94CNY/m² |
Labour, not material, dominates formwork cost. At six cycles the material amortises to 9.9 per m² against 28 for labour — nearly three times as much. So the route to cheaper formwork is more cycles and better setting out to reduce joints, not buying cheap panels: a cheap sheet dies after three cycles and costs more per use.
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Formula
| Amortisation | material rate ÷ cycles |
| With waste | amortisation × (1 + waste%) |
| All-in rate | amortisation + labour + support |
| Total | rate × area |
| One-off spend | rate × area × (1 + waste) |
| Doubling cycles | halves amortisation only |
1000 m² at 55 per m² over six cycles, 8% waste, 28 labour and 15 support: 9.17 amortisation, a 52.90 all-in rate and 52,900 in total; ten cycles brings the rate down to 48.94.
How to work it out
- Compute the amortised material cost A = panel price ÷ number of reuses. Timber formwork at 55 CNY/m² over six uses amortises to 9.2; over ten uses it drops to 5.5.
- Add waste: A × (1 + waste rate). Timber loses 5-10% per cycle to edge damage, holes cut for ties, and deformation.
- Add labour: 25-35 CNY/m² for erection, striking, cleaning and release agent, at the upper end for high storeys.
- Add props and bracing: 15-25 CNY/m² for steel tubes, couplers, tie rods and adjustable jacks — a higher share for aluminium and climbing systems.
- All-in rate = amortisation + labour + propping; total cost = rate × contact area.
- Work out the upfront outlay separately: panel price × area × (1 + waste). Aluminium formwork needs 800-1000 CNY/m² upfront and only pays back beyond about 200 reuses, which is why it suits repetitive high-rise floors.
Where it goes wrong
- Using floor area as contact area. Contact area is the concrete-to-formwork surface, typically 2.2-2.8 times floor area in residential work — using floor area understates it by more than half.
- Taking the maker's reuse figure. Timber is marketed at 8-10 uses but rarely exceeds 5-6 on site; assuming ten understates amortisation by 40%.
- Costing panels without props. Propping and bracing at 15-25 CNY/m² is 25-35% of the all-in rate, and leaving it out guarantees a loss.
- Ignoring non-standard geometry. Stairs, balconies, bay windows and mouldings cost two to three times the standard floor in both amortisation and labour, so an average rate understates them.
Material and cost
Film-faced plywood panels run 45-70 CNY/m² with 5-8 reuses, giving an all-in rate of 55-85 CNY/m² including labour and propping. Aluminium formwork needs 800-1200 CNY/m² upfront with 200-300 reuses, landing at 35-55 CNY/m² on repetitive floors but only viable above roughly 20 storeys. Steel and climbing systems are project-specific at 60-120 CNY/m².
On site
- The economics of aluminium formwork rest entirely on the number of repetitive floors. Below about 15 it costs more than timber; above 25 with a uniform layout it saves 20-30%.
- Measure contact area by element — wall, slab, beam, column, stair — because labour rates differ sharply. Columns and stairs take 1.5-2 times the labour of slabs.
- Release agent is not optional. Stripping without it tears the surface and spalls arrises, and the repair costs far more than the agent.
- Early-striking systems raise the reuse rate to a three-day cycle, but props must stay in place long enough. Failing the check is a safety incident, not a cost saving.
Basis
- GB 50500-2013 Code of bills of quantities and valuation for construction works, formwork
- GB 50666-2011 Code for construction of concrete structures, formwork
- JGJ 162-2008 Technical code for safety of formwork engineering in construction
FAQ
Why is formwork labour dearer than material?
Because it is labour-intensive throughout: setting out, cutting, assembling, bracing, plumbing, release agent, striking, cleaning, patching and handling. One man erects only 12-20 m² a day, which is 25-35 per m². Material is reused, labour is not, so labour's share grows with the cycle count.
Why has aluminium formwork replaced timber?
Cycles. Aluminium costs 800-1200 per m² to buy, twenty times timber, but lasts 200-300 uses so amortises to 3-5 per m², with better finishes, no plastering and a faster programme. It pays above about 20 repetitive floors and does not below, which is exactly why it dominates high-rise housing and is rare on low-rise or irregular work.
How many cycles are realistic?
It depends on management and material: film-faced ply can reach 8-10, sites typically get 5-6, and poorly run jobs scrap it at 3. The gap comes from how it is struck (levered, thrown), stored (out in the weather) and cleaned (grout left on). All are one-off management actions that can lift cycles by 50%, cutting amortisation by a third.
Cite this page
Use this format in reports, method statements or coursework. The link is permanent.
Building Calculator. Formwork Cost Calculator. 2026-10-25. https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/formwork-cost
Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.