In this article on estimating concrete work, we will discuss the recapitulation and pricing of the finishing operation and the excavation. The first item to list under the finishing category is screed material. This is determined by taking the total finishing area of all building slabs for the entire job, as added up form the takeoff sheets. As the job was taken off, the finishing for all slabs should have been listed. So from the takeoff sheets add up all of the finishing areas and that is the area that needs screed material. The second item to list of the recap sheet is the float finish. The roof slab in most cases will be the biggest part of t e float finish area since ti will be covered by roof insulation or roofing. There are other float finish surfaces, in the room schedules for example, theat will have to be figures in the recap. The second item, therefore, is the total float finish area as required by the drawings and specifications. Another item that belongs under finishing is hand rubbing of exposed walls, columns, beams and ceilings in accordance with the specifications or notes on the drawings. In residences, the specification usually call for only a brush coat on the interior walls. This type of job can be proceed more by the item than anything else. But if I get into a real hand-rubbing problem, such as exposed beams and ceilings, then I break the job done into the areas for they type of work, and the degree of difficulty involved in doing the work. Hand excavation or hand grading of the earth before placing concrete on the ground is the next item that should be listed on the recap sheet. The quantities should be taken directly from the quantity takeoff sheets, since these areas are easy to obtain when taking off the concrete and formwork quantities. Now, what do I mean by hand excavation? After the machine excavation is finished, the surface of the ground usually too rough and too high and must be cut down another 1 or 2 inches. This is hand excavation work.