# Formwork Cost Calculator

Amortisation, labour, support and the all-in rate per m².

- Page: https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/formwork-cost
- Category: Costing (https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/c/costing)
- Chinese version: https://jianzhujisuan.com/zh/formwork-cost.md
- Data checked: 2026-10-25

## Quick result

With the default inputs (Contact area 1000 m², Formwork material rate 55 CNY/m², Reuse cycles 6 cycles, Waste 8%, Erection labour 28 CNY/m², Support and bracing 15 CNY/m²): **All-in formwork rate 52.90 CNY/m²**

## Inputs

| Parameter | Type | Default | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact area | number | 1000 | m² |  |
| Formwork material rate | number | 55 | CNY/m² | 15 mm film-faced ply around 50-60 |
| Reuse cycles | number | 6 | cycles |  |
| Waste | number | 8 | % | Extra edge waste beyond the cycle loss |
| Erection labour | number | 28 | CNY/m² |  |
| Support and bracing | number | 15 | CNY/m² |  |

## 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

## Worked example

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.

## Questions

### 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.

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