🇨🇻 Cape Verde · Mapa de Quantidades · Work section
Internal & external finishes in a Cape Verde bill of quantities
In Cape Verde, the finishes section of a Bill of Quantities (Mapa de Quantidades) (Mapa de Quantidades / Mapa de Medições) is measured to Mapa de Quantidades (Portuguese-language practice). It covers 6 principal groups of work — plaster and render to walls, internal and external through to painting and decorating, including preparation — and is headed in the bill as "CAPÍTULO 03 — INTERNAL & EXTERNAL FINISHES".
Internal & external finishes is one of the sections every Bill of Quantities (Mapa de Quantidades) (Mapa de Quantidades / Mapa de Medições) in Cape Verde is built from. This page sets out what belongs in it, the unit each item is measured in under Mapa de Quantidades (Portuguese-language practice), the local conventions that change the quantities here, and a worked example for a 150 m² house — plus the errors in this section that actually cost money on site.
What this section covers
- Plaster and render to walls, internal and external
- Floor screeds and levelling
- Floor finishes — tiling, timber, vinyl, sealed concrete
- Wall tiling to wet areas
- Ceiling finishes and cornices
- Painting and decorating, including preparation
How each item is measured
| Item | Unit | Measurement rule |
|---|---|---|
| Plaster / render | m² | Measured on the net surface covered, stating thickness and mix. Internal walls are measured on both faces. |
| Screed | m² | Net floor area, stating thickness and mix. |
| Floor tiling | m² | Net area laid. Cutting and waste are deemed included in the rate, which is why the rate not the quantity carries the wastage. |
| Skirting | m | Measured on the room perimeter, less door openings. |
| Painting | m² | Net area painted, stating the number of coats and the substrate. |
Local conventions in Cape Verde
- —Plaster here is conventionally 15 mm externally and 12 mm internally, mixed 1:5.
- —Screed is taken at 40 mm, mixed 1:4.
- —A wastage allowance of about 5% applies to tiles and paint locally.
Worked example — 150 m² house in Cape Verde
Quantities for this section on a representative single-storey house, computed from Cape Verde construction conventions. Rates are deliberately not shown: they move constantly and are priced against your own drawings.
| Description | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|
Plaster / render area External face plus both faces of internal walls | 471.8 | m² |
Cement — plaster 15 mm external, 12 mm internal, 1:5 | 38 | bags (50 kg) |
Floor screed cement 40 mm screed at 1:4 | 46 | bags (50 kg) |
Floor tiles / finish Floor area × 1.05 wastage | 157.5 | m² |
Paint Two coats at 10 m² per litre per coat | 94 | litres |
What goes wrong in this section
- —Finishes is where specification, not quantity, drives cost. The same 150 m² of floor can vary threefold between a sealed screed and imported stone — always state the specification in the item, not just the area.
- —Internal wall plaster is measured on both faces. Measuring it once halves the section.
- —Preparation is most of the painting cost on new plaster. A rate for 'two coats emulsion' with no preparation item is an argument waiting to happen.
Get every section measured, not just this one
Upload your dimensioned drawings and get a complete bill of quantities (mapa de quantidades) in the Mapa de Quantidades format, priced in CVE (CVE), with every rate source-cited.
Generate my Cape Verde BoQInternal & external finishes — frequently asked
What goes into the finishes section of a bill of quantities in Cape Verde?
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Plaster and render to walls, internal and external; Floor screeds and levelling; Floor finishes — tiling, timber, vinyl, sealed concrete; Wall tiling to wet areas; and 2 further groups of work. Under Mapa de Quantidades each is described, measured in its own unit, and priced separately so the total is auditable line by line.
What units is internal & external finishes measured in?
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Plaster / render in m², Screed in m², Floor tiling in m², Skirting in m. Getting the unit right matters more than getting the quantity precisely right — a contractor can adjust a quantity, but cannot price an item measured in the wrong unit at all.
How is internal & external finishes different in Cape Verde from elsewhere?
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Plaster here is conventionally 15 mm externally and 12 mm internally, mixed 1:5.
What is the most common costly mistake in this section?
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Finishes is where specification, not quantity, drives cost. The same 150 m² of floor can vary threefold between a sealed screed and imported stone — always state the specification in the item, not just the area.
How do I get this section measured for my own project?
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Upload your dimensioned drawings to Enormous Buildings. The bill is produced in the Mapa de Quantidades format, grouped by section with internal & external finishes priced in CVE (CVE), and every unit rate carries a source so a Cape Verde quantity surveyor can check it.