Book excerpt: Spon's European Construction Costs Handbook is the only book of its kind - a unique compilation of cost data on the single most important construction market in the world. This updated edition expands its coverage of countries and once again gives details of select difficult-to-research markets in Eastern Europe as well as Western Europe, North and South. The book includes: * key data on the main economic and construction indicators as well as on geography and population * an outline of the national construction industry covering structure, tendering and contract procedures, liability and insurance and regulation and standards. * labour and materials cost data * measured rates (in local currency) for up to 60 or so construction work items * approximate estimating costs for a range of building types * regional variation percentages, tax details, construction cost and retail price indices. Exchange rates with £ sterling, euro and US$ * addresses of authorities, professional institutions, trade associations etc. To facilitate country to country comparisons the book also includes a Comparative Data section, where figures from the individual country chapters are grouped in tables on economy, geography, construction output, input costs per square metre for offices, warehouses and housing. Figures here are given in national currency, sterling, US dollars and Euros.