113 Architecture questions - What are life cycle costs?
What are life cycle costs?
The term life cycle costs describes all the costs of a product or building that are incurred from the initial idea to its final disposal - from the cradle to the grave, so to speak.
On closer inspection, these are the costs for planning, development, production, sales, utilisation, maintenance, operating costs and disposal. These total costs in the property sector are of great interest, especially for investors who keep their buildings in their portfolio or for owner-occupiers. Initial additional costs in planning and construction are often more economical in the long run after the end of serviceability. The basic principle here is a long-term perspective rather than quick profits.
Against this background, each project phase can be costed after considering the service life in order to be able to determine investment and planning decisions at the beginning. Sustainable investments are often more economically viable in this way, as they only become effective after years of use. This means that cost planning does not end with the request for quotations for the planning and construction measures.
ÖNORM B 1801-2 and BIM planning provide assistance in taking life cycle costs into account. Further key figures in the calculation should show the relationship between construction costs and follow-up costs, as the latter usually exceed the initial investment over the period under consideration.
The life cycle costs are therefore made up of the construction costs and follow-up costs, which are itemised here:
Cost group according to B 1801-01:Consequential costs according to ÖNORM B 1801-2:
