| Area (m²) | Waste (%) | Panel (m²) | Crew | Prod. (m²/person-hr) | Factors | Panels | Person-hours | Crew days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 7 | 2.88 | 4 | 0.30 | 1.10 × 1.05 | 94 | ~1,079 | ~33.7 |
| 120 | 5 | 1.50 | 3 | 0.28 | 1.15 × 1.05 | 84 | ~519 | ~20.6 |
| 60 | 8 | 2.00 | 2 | 0.25 | 1.20 × 1.08 | 33 | ~336 | ~21.0 |
- Adjusted area: Area × (1 + Waste%/100)
- Panel count: ceil(Adjusted area ÷ Panel area)
- Base person-hours: (Adjusted area ÷ Productivity) × Complexity × Safety
- Total person-hours: Base person-hours + Setup person-hours + Mobilization person-hours
- Crew duration (hours): Total person-hours ÷ Crew size
- Crew duration (days): Crew duration (hours) ÷ Work hours per day
- Labor cost: Regular person-hours × Rate + Overtime person-hours × Rate × Overtime multiplier
- Enter the total façade area to be cladded in square meters.
- Set a waste percentage to cover offcuts and replacements.
- Provide panel size by entering panel area, or width and height.
- Input crew size and productivity based on your site history.
- Add setup and mobilization person-hours for fixed activities.
- Use complexity and safety factors to reflect real constraints.
- If overtime applies, enter the share and multiplier.
- Click Calculate, then download CSV or PDF if needed.
1) Why labor modeling matters for cladding
Cladding installation is labor-driven: access, alignment checks, lift cycles, and sealant detailing often dominate cost. This calculator converts area into person-hours, then translates hours into crew days and budget. Use it early for tender pricing, and again during planning to validate manpower against the programme.
2) Area, waste, and panel count
Measured façade area rarely equals installed area. Waste covers offcuts, damaged panels, and rework. A 5–10% waste allowance is common on façades with openings, corners, and custom trims. Panel count is estimated from adjusted area divided by panel area, then rounded up to the next whole panel.
3) Productivity is the main sensitivity
Productivity is entered as m² per person-hour. Small changes have large effects: increasing productivity from 0.25 to 0.30 m²/person-hour reduces base person-hours by about 17% for the same scope. Calibrate productivity using pilot bays, daily reports, and crew experience with your panel system and fixing method. Document crew makeup, lifts used, and fixation type for context.
4) Factors reflect real site constraints
Complexity and safety factors convert “ideal” installation into site reality. Complexity rises with façade height, irregular geometry, restricted staging, frequent setting-out, and heavy lifting. Safety factor accounts for inspections, controlled lifting, edge protection, and permit-to-work pacing. Keep factors transparent for approvals and audits.
5) Cost, overtime, and schedule control
Total labor cost is calculated from regular hours plus overtime hours multiplied by an overtime rate factor. Use overtime sparingly: it may shorten calendar duration but can reduce output quality if fatigue increases defects. Track actual person-hours weekly; update productivity and factors to keep forecasts aligned with site performance. For example, 1,000 person-hours with a 5-person crew equals 200 crew-hours, or 25 eight-hour days. Add float for weather, crane windows, and interface trades. Recording daily installed m² improves future estimates and supports claims.
1) What does “m² per person-hour” mean?
It is the installed area a single worker completes in one hour. A crew’s hourly output equals productivity multiplied by crew size, before applying complexity and safety factors.
2) Should I enter panel area or panel dimensions?
Either works. If you enter panel area, width and height are optional. If panel area is blank, the calculator uses width × height to compute it.
3) How do I choose a waste percentage?
Use higher waste for façades with many openings, corners, and custom trims. Start with 5–10% and adjust using procurement records and cutting plans from similar projects.
4) What are setup and mobilization person-hours?
They cover fixed activities such as staging, tool setup, access preparation, permits, and initial setting-out. These hours are added once, regardless of area.
5) How do complexity and safety factors affect results?
They multiply the base labor demand. Increasing either factor increases total person-hours and cost. Use them to represent height, geometry, lifting constraints, and required inspections.
6) How is overtime calculated?
You set the overtime share as a percentage of total person-hours. Those hours are priced using the labor rate times the overtime multiplier, while remaining hours are priced at the base rate.
7) Can I use this for schedule forecasting?
Yes. Crew duration hours equals total person-hours divided by crew size. Divide by work hours per day for crew days, then compare with your programme and adjust inputs as actual rates are confirmed.