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In this approach, we would be using two DIY methods in tackling the question of how many blocks, etc. A sample floor plan would also be used as a guide to helping us understand the smallest bit of the calculation.
The first Approach is the Square Meter Method and the second is the Length in Meter Approach.
Since all architectural and structural drawings would come in meters and millimetres, which are the standards in Nigeria, this study would also be done in meters(m) and millimetres(mm).
NB: 1,000mm = 1m : 3m = 3,000mm
Also note, the size of block be it 4”, 6” or 9” has nothing to do with the quantity that would be needed.

How To Calculate The Numbers Of Blocks And Cements Needed To Build Your House.
Building a house is the dream of most Nigerians both home and abroad, and one of the fundamental challenges majority of these people are faced with is planning ahead and knowing the quantity of various materials that would be needed to put their dream house to reality. This thread would be dedicated to treating extensively a DIY approach on HOW TO CALCULATE THE NUMBERS OF BLOCKS AND CEMENTS NEEDED TO BUILD YOUR HOUSE.

This DIY(Do It Yourself) approach is not aimed at stopping you from hiring a professional to have a perfect work done, but just to give you an insight on how individual professionals arrives at concluding numbers of quantity of materials required or requested for. This will also help you to know when a particular Engineer, Architect, Builder, Manson, etc are been realistic and not only trying to rip you off your hard earn money.
NB: This is just an eyes opening thread. You might eventually need the help of a professional at the long run for more complex aspects that can’t be treated on this thread.
The First section would be dealing with the block aspect and the numbers of contribution from people and their interest would show how soon the cement aspect would be treated.
We have different types of blocks in vogue in Nigeria and in diverse sizes. We have the solid block (no hole in-between) and we equally have the hollow blocks(the common type you get from block industries in Nigeria with holes in between).
They come in various sizes, 4” or 4inches, 6” or 6inches, 9” or 9inches. We would be treating extensively the 6inches and 9inches because they are in vogue and are majorly used as partitioning walls and external walls respectively. This thread won’t be breaking down the use or importance of individual types of block and sizes but only aimed at addressing quantity.
What does 9”, 6”, and 4” means?
The only physical difference seen in the above sizes of blocks is in their thickness. From experience, the 4”, 6”, and 9” blocks have the same height, and same length.
Check The Free Hand Sketch Picture Below To Get An Idea Of What Am Talking About

Picture 1.

How To Calculate The Numbers Of Blocks And Cements Needed To Build Your House.
Building a house is the dream of most Nigerians both home and abroad, and one of the fundamental challenges majority of these people are faced with is planning ahead and knowing the quantity of various materials that would be needed to put their dream house to reality. This thread would be dedicated to treating extensively a DIY approach on HOW TO CALCULATE THE NUMBERS OF BLOCKS AND CEMENTS NEEDED TO BUILD YOUR HOUSE.

This DIY(Do It Yourself) approach is not aimed at stopping you from hiring a professional to have a perfect work done, but just to give you an insight on how individual professionals arrives at concluding numbers of quantity of materials required or requested for. This will also help you to know when a particular Engineer, Architect, Builder, Manson, etc are been realistic and not only trying to rip you off your hard earn money.
NB: This is just an eyes opening thread. You might eventually need the help of a professional at the long run for more complex aspects that can’t be treated on this thread.
The First section would be dealing with the block aspect and the numbers of contribution from people and their interest would show how soon the cement aspect would be treated.
We have different types of blocks in vogue in Nigeria and in diverse sizes. We have the solid block (no hole in-between) and we equally have the hollow blocks(the common type you get from block industries in Nigeria with holes in between).
They come in various sizes, 4” or 4inches, 6” or 6inches, 9” or 9inches. We would be treating extensively the 6inches and 9inches because they are in vogue and are majorly used as partitioning walls and external walls respectively. This thread won’t be breaking down the use or importance of individual types of block and sizes but only aimed at addressing quantity.
What does 9”, 6”, and 4” means?
The only physical difference seen in the above sizes of blocks is in their thickness. From experience, the 4”, 6”, and 9” blocks have the same height, and same length.
Check The Free Hand Sketch Picture Below To Get An Idea Of What Am Talking About

You can also read about counting your cost and things needed to be known before building in Nigeria: https://www.nairaland.com/4486400/counting-cost-things-consider-before#67343892

Design Stage.
The design stage of any building or structure is the most important aspect to consider when counting your cost and cutting your cloth not only according to your size but according to your materials available (money). The design stage is the immediate stage after buying your land and ensuring all documentations done. In the design stage, your Architect or Engineer, spend quality time with you, understanding your choice, the type of your dream house, size, finishing type etc. It is important to let your Architect or Engineer know your budget so you dont end up with a killer design. I often time advice potential clients to declare their budget earlier enough before the architectural design is done to avoid running out of cash while trying to effect some of the aesthetics embedded within the design by the architect. The design stage addresses so many things from aesthetics, functionalities, safety, serviceability etc. The architectural, structural, MEP are the very important drawing/designs that are been prepared during the design stage and must be made realistic. Read more about the various drawings needed for building approval in Nigeria: https://www.nairaland.com/4485423/various-drawings-needed-building-approval

The availability of architectural drawings, structural drawings, MEP etc. makes the bill of quantity (BOQ) possible by the Quantity Surveyor. The BOQ addresses the cost implication of building a particular house or structure from the design and all drawings made available. It addresses the cost of building a house bit by bit without leaving any stone unturned.
With the help of Computer Aided Designs -(CAD), it is possible for the prospective house owners to know exactly what their proposed house(s) would look like even before raising any stone on site or engaging any building professionals.

Planning Stage/Pre-Design Stage
The planning stage involved in building construction and home deliveries can also be referred to as pre-design stage. Some of the planning involved in building a house includes realizing the need to build, location, securing a land, getting the necessary professionals, etc. The rate of incessant increase of house rent and poor treatment from some house owners or landlords is evidence in Lagos and many other major cities in Nigeria and directly proportional to the rate at which people decides to have their own personal house. It is no longer news that some people due to frustrations and many other challenges moves into their own houses even before the house has been well completed or furnished.

Realizing The Need To Build: Realizing the need to build a house is the first thing involved in the successful delivery of a house regardless of the type of house in question. Nobody starts the building of a house without been convinced or seeing a reason to build. The reason to build could be numerous, ranging from relocation, increase in family size, need for comfort, incessant increase in house rent, business purpose, etc.
An increase in the number of family member is one of the most challenging and triggering factor to consider when building a new house or first house. In Lagos for example, some young men are in position of responsibility to cater for themselves, immediate family and a times extended family member. The more the numbers of family members, the more the need for a bigger apartment and this can also trigger the need to build a bigger apartment as comfortability is key.

Location: Location is one of the most important things to consider when planning to build a house. The location of the proposed building has a massive effect on the cost implication of land, type of house to build, building cost, type of professionals to carry along, lifestyle of people living in the house, etc.
It is a wise decision to sit down and think well on the pros and cons of a particular area before considering buying a house or putting up a structure. It is important to consider nearness to work or office, and also consider its closeness to or availability of some social amenities like electricity, accessible road, water, school, hospitals, banks etc. to avoid some regrets before or after parking into the house, do your necessary findings well before paying for the proposed land.

Getting Necessary Professional: The importance of professional in the delivery of houses can never be overlooked. The help of professionals are needed from the first stage of the building construction to the last stage of house delivery. Buying a land, perfecting all the documents, primary consultations, architectural drawings, structural drawings, MEP, building supervision, etc. are all the roles played by different professionals in the built environment. Follow the link to read more about the Roles Of Individual Professionals In Building Construction And House Deliveries: https://www.nairaland.com/4482238/roles-individual-professionals-building-construction

For a concise understanding of various drawings needed for building approval, follow this link:
https://www.nairaland.com/4485423/understanding-various-drawings-needed-building

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MEP Drawing like I earlier said shows the Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing network of a house.

Below is a sample Design of an Electrical Drawing of a 10Bedroom King Size Duplex.

Counting Your Cost And Things To Be Considered Before Building A House In Nigeria.
A House: A house is a building or structure whose main purpose is to be occupied for habitation by humans and animals (pets).
A Home: A home can be referred to as a building or a place of shelter that a person lives with a personal sense of belonging.
In the context of these articles, the word home and houses would be used interchangeably and would actually represent the same thing.
What Does Counting Your Cost Means?
Counting your cost about something is to consider the consequences of that action on you, your finance, family, friends, lifestyle, environment, etc.
''…For which of you, intending to build a house, sit not down first, and COUNTS THE COST, whether have sufficient to finish it?’'
Building a house in Nigeria is the dream of so many people and it ends up as the largest bulky investment majority of these people will make in their lifetime, so it is important to get it right and avoid costly mistakes.
Many of my clients both home and abroad keep asking me on our first meeting/conversation "What does it cost to build a house?''
As easy as the question seems to be, it’s not an easy question to answer. But we will do justice to it and everyone would smile with the quality of information that would be made available.

This article will take you through the step-by-step complex but made simple process of understanding what goes into designing and building your dream home, impact of the cost on the design, and also making sure that you and your Architect/Engineer are on the same page with you for a realistic design and construction considering a pocket friendly budget.

The anxiety of when and how to start would be a thing of the past when you are well informed and have a comprehensive idea of what you are about doing. As you go through each step along the journey to your proposed house, you may not need to hire a whole lots of experts or professionals from several disciplines, but just one or two who will have to work together to ensure that your new home come together as a whole and as expected. You can also read Roles of Individual Professionals in Building Construction - https://www.nairaland.com/4482238/roles-individual-professionals-building-construction

By having a comprehensive knowledge of what to expect, you will be able to develop a budget that will cover all contingencies and ensure a relatively stress-free and smooth sailing all through the delivery period.

This article will treat the 3 major stages involved for/in the successful delivery of a house in Nigeria:
Stage 1: Planning Stage/Pre-Design Stage.
Stage 2: Design Stage.
Stage 3: Construction Stage.

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP)
MEP refers to the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems that are being implemented in a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Every building structure mandatorily requires mechanical, electrical & plumbing systems for the overall functioning as to acquire sustainability. MEP drafting services enable the creation of detailed coordination drawings of various systems.
In Lagos state, one of the requirements for building approval of multi-storey buildings or public building is MEP drawing. It shows comprehensive details of Mechanical aspect like lift, electrical aspect like conduits, wiring, control switch, rapid alert response system should in case of emergency, the plumbing aspect that deals with sanitary network, etc.

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Structural Drawings
Structural Drawing is a type of engineering drawing, plan or set of plans showing how a building or other structure would be built. Structural drawings are generally prepared by registered professional structural engineers, and informed by a functional architectural drawing. They are primarily concerned with the load-carrying members of a structure. They outline the size and types of materials to be used, as well as the general demands for connections. They do not address architectural details like surface finishes, partition walls, or mechanical systems. The structural drawings communicate the design of the building's structure to the building authority to review. They are also part of the contract documents which guide contractors in detailing, fabricating, and installing parts of the structure. The structural drawing deals mostly with the skeleton aspect of a building as it does almost the same thing as the human skeleton. The structural engineer determines the arrangement of beams and columns, sizes of beams and columns, arrangement of steel and determination of sizes, thickness of slabs or deck, determination of grades of concrete to be used, etc.

You can also read up on roles of individual professionals in building construction and house delivery to have a concise knowledge on who a Structural Engineer and other professionals are. https://www.nairaland.com/4482238/roles-individual-professionals-building-construction

Sample Structural Drawings Loading...

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Architectural Drawings
Architectural Drawing is an illustration of what the final product will look like plus an instructional tool on how to achieve it. They provide guidelines for how a structure should be built. They ensure a structure can operate as intended purpose. Without architectural drawings it would be up to the builders to decide how a building should be designed. This would inevitably lead to much rework in the building process if one method was later proven to be unsuccessful. Architectural drawings allow issues to be resolved prior to the start of actual construction. Architectural drawing is majorly concerned with functionality and aesthetics of a building.
A central benefit of architectural drawings is that a schedule and budget can be generated prior to the start of construction. Without architectural plans, much of the building's components would be up in the air until construction began. This would prove difficult for a general contractor to provide accurate pricing on the project or develop a realistic schedule. Architectural drawings show the majority of aspects involved in a project and allow a builder to plan accordingly.
A complete architectural drawing should include:
A Site plan (possible only if there is a Survey Plan).
Floor plan (the number of floor plan is dependent on the numbers of storeys)
Roof plan
Section(s),
Elevations (north, east, south, west),
Schedule (doors, windows, finishing, etc.).
Sanitary Details.
etc.

NB: Drawings made by Architects before the actual building process commence are termed as proposed design or proposed drawings.
As-built drawings are those drawings that were made during the construction process; they reflect changes made during that stage, showing differences between the original design and the completed structure. For already built structures in Lagos without approval, it is important to get an Architect to study the structure and come up with an as-built drawing to get a building approval.

Check pictures below for how an architectural drawing looks like.

Understanding Various Drawings Needed For Building Approval In Nigeria.

Ideally, there are so many pre-building preparations that should be involved before the building construction proper starts. Some of the preparation includes preparation of documents like survey plan, working drawings, bill of quantity, work schedule, etc.
This part of the article will do justice to explaining the importance of each drawings and their relevance in getting a successful built. Survey Plan, Architectural Drawings, Structural Drawings and MEP would extensively be treated here.

Survey Plan
Survey Plan is a document that measures the boundary of a parcel of land. It gives an accurate measurement, description of the piece of land, the size and the drawn out portion as mapped out on the survey plan document.
Other information that must be shown on The Survey Plan includes:
The title of the survey (Name of the rightful owner)
A well detailed location of the land
The area of the land (depending on the shape and size of the land.)
Consent no for lands under government acquisition.
The boundaries of land.
The Beacons.
Bearings.
The Survey Plan number
The Registered Surveyor’s address, signature and seal.
Stamp showing“Free from Acquisition”or not.

I would not be posting a sample Survey Plan on this public forum until I get permission/approval from our clients who considered it private and personal because of their respective detailed information well spelt on them. However, individuals who choose to can post theirs if they consider it safe for related questions, confirmation of authenticity(very very important) , general enlightenment, etc.