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What the hourly rate is

Every cost-side figure in the Valuation tab rests on one number: a blended rate of €85 per hour, excluding VAT. The measured hours for a file are priced at this rate to give reproduction cost; depreciated replacement cost and transfer value build on that.

The rate is a single, market-level price for an hour of BIM modelling work. It is converted at a fixed rate when a user picks another currency (for example $1.08 per €1). It does not reflect local rates, VAT or contract terms, as the tab's caveats already say.

Whether €85 is the right number depends on the question being asked. Each accounting standard in the tab allows different cost components into "cost", so the same hour can be worth a different amount under IAS 38 than under IFRS 13 or Dutch RJ. This explainer sets out what each standard lets in.

The building blocks of an hourly rate

The €85 rate is a fully loaded cost rate, not a charge-out price. The platform defines it as covering direct BIM specialist labour, company overhead, authoring software licences, hardware, office facilities and insurances. It includes no supplier profit margin and no VAT. Pro users can replace it with their own rate, in their own currency.

#	Component	What it covers	In the €85?
1	Direct salary	Gross pay of the modeller, information specialist or coordinator for hours spent on the model	Yes
2	Employer on-costs	Social charges, pension, holiday pay and other employee benefits	Yes
3	Productive-hours loading	Salary spread over billable hours only, not over holidays, sick leave or idle time	Yes
4	Direct tools	BIM authoring and checking software licences and hardware, per hour of use	Yes
5	Production overhead	Project coordination, CAD/BIM management, templates and libraries used in production	Yes
6	General overhead	Office facilities, insurances, management, finance, HR, sales and marketing	Yes
7	Profit margin	The supplier's profit and risk mark-up	No
8	VAT	Sales tax on the invoice	No

Layers 1–4 are direct costs, 5 is attributable overhead, and 6–7 are costs that an asset built in-house may not carry.

What each standard counts as cost

The Valuation tab cites ten standards and frameworks. They fall into six groups, each tied to a rung of the value ladder.

IAS 38, IPSAS 31 and RJ 210 Carrying Amount

These set the historical cost of an intangible asset, the only figure that goes into the accounts.

Bought from a supplier: cost is the purchase price plus directly attributable costs (IAS 38.27). The supplier's invoice already contains their overhead and margin, so the full external rate counts. Layers 1–7 are in.
Built in-house: cost is "all directly attributable costs necessary to create, produce, and prepare the asset" (IAS 38.66), such as employee benefits and materials. Selling, administrative and general overhead, inefficiencies and staff training are excluded (IAS 38.67; IPSAS 31.65 says the same). Layers 1–4 are in, 5 only where directly attributable, 6–7 out.
RJ 210 (Dutch GAAP): follows BW 2:388: production cost is direct costs, and may include "a reasonable share of indirect costs" and interest during production. That lets more of layer 5 in than IAS 38. A capitalised development cost also requires a legal reserve (wettelijke reserve) in equity.
IPSAS 31, received for free: a model obtained in a non-exchange transaction is measured at fair value on receipt (IPSAS 31.43), so the IFRS 13 logic below applies.

Verdict: For purchased models €85 is slightly low, because a supplier's invoice also carries their margin. For in-house models it overstates cost; strip out general overhead.

IFRS Conceptual Framework, Chapter 6 Current Cost

Current cost is what an equivalent asset would cost at the measurement date, including the transaction costs of acquiring it. It is an entry price, from the holder's side.

Verdict: This calls for a full market price, layers 1–7, with VAT only if it can't be reclaimed. €85 has no margin, so it sits on the low side.

IFRS 13 Fair Value & Net Realisable Value

Under the cost approach, fair value is "the sum that would presently be required to replace the service capacity of an asset, adjusted for obsolescence" (IFRS 13.B8–B9), seen through the eyes of a market participant buyer. A buyer would pay a supplier's market price, which includes the supplier's margin (approximate: standard valuation practice, not spelt out in the standard). Costs to sell are deducted separately, never added to the rate.

Verdict: Layers 1–7 are in, priced at a market rate rather than the owner's own cost. €85 has no margin, so it sits on the low side.

IAS 36, IPSAS 21 and RJ bedrijfswaarde Value in Use & Depreciated Replacement Cost

IAS 36 and RJ (bedrijfswaarde): measure value in use as the present value of future cash flows. The rate matters only for hours the holder avoids, which are priced at what the holder would otherwise pay: an external rate if they would hire the work, internal cost if their own staff would do it.
IPSAS 21: covers public assets that earn no cash. Value in use is the remaining service potential, measured by depreciated replacement cost: the cost to replace the service potential, less depreciation and obsolescence. The replacement cost is what the entity would pay in the normal course, so the full rate applies.

Verdict: €85 is close for IPSAS 21 and DRC, but a little low where the work would be bought in, because it has no supplier margin. For IAS 36 and RJ, use the holder's own avoided cost; €85 is a reasonable proxy when their own staff would do the work.

IPSASB Framework & IPSAS 46 Deprival Value

Deprival value takes the lower of replacement cost and recoverable amount. Replacement cost here is the most economic cost for the entity to replace the service potential. IPSAS 46 (effective for periods from 1 January 2025) adds current operational value: what the entity would pay for the remaining service potential, including transaction costs, adjusted for deterioration and obsolescence.

Verdict: The entity's actual procurement price. For most public owners that is a supplier rate (layers 1–7), so €85 is slightly low.

Wet WOZ art. 17(3) (NL) Gecorrigeerde Vervangingswaarde

Not an accounting standard but a Dutch tax valuation rule for property without a market. It prices the full cost of creating a comparable object and corrects it for technical and functional obsolescence.

Verdict: A full market rate (layers 1–7), so €85 is slightly low. How VAT is treated depends on the owner's position; check this case by case.

Side by side comparison

€85 covers layers 1–6, which puts it between the two ways the standards count cost. It is too high for in-house historical cost and slightly low wherever a supplier's market price applies.

Standard	Ladder rung	Salary + on-costs (1–3)	Tools (4)	Production overhead (5)	General overhead (6)	Margin (7)	€85 vs. standard
IAS 38 / IPSAS 31 (purchased)	Carrying amount	In	In	In	In	In	Slightly low
IAS 38 / IPSAS 31 (in-house)	Carrying amount	In	In	Direct only	Out	Out	Too high
RJ 210 (in-house)	Carrying amount	In	In	Reasonable share	Out	Out	Too high
IFRS Framework ch. 6	Current cost	In	In	In	In	In	Slightly low
IFRS 13	Fair value, NRV	In	In	In	In	In	Slightly low
IAS 36 / RJ bedrijfswaarde	Value in use, recoverable	Holder's own avoided cost					Fair proxy if in-house
IPSAS 21	Depreciated replacement cost	In	In	In	In	In	Slightly low
IPSASB framework / IPSAS 46	Deprival value	In	In	In	In	In	Slightly low
Wet WOZ art. 17(3)	Depreciated replacement (NL)	In	In	In	In	In	Slightly low

VAT is excluded throughout; add it only where the holder cannot reclaim it.

Caveats

Not accounting advice: This maps cost components to standards. Whether a model can be recognised at all (identifiability, control, the IAS 38 development criteria) is a separate question for the owner's auditor.
One rate, many roles: €85 blends modelling, information and coordination work. Senior coordination hours cost more and pure modelling hours less.
Local rates differ: Currency conversion uses a fixed exchange rate, not local labour prices. A US or UK office may charge noticeably more per hour. Pro subscribers can set custom hourly rates for any report.
GASB is not yet in the tab: US public owners report under GASB, which has its own intangible-asset rules (GASB 51). It is not covered here.

Sources & References

IAS 38 Intangible Assets (IFRS) — paras 24, 27–29, 66–67, 74
IPSAS 31 Intangible Assets (IFAC) — paras 43, 64–65
IPSAS 46 Measurement (IFAC) — paras 23, 56, B7, B36–B37
IFRS 13 Valuation Techniques (IFRS Community) — paras B8–B9
BW 2:388 Verkrijgings- en vervaardigingsprijs
Activering van zelfontwikkelde software (Compact / KPMG) — RJ 210 and the legal reserve
IAS 36, IPSAS 21, the IFRS Conceptual Framework, the IPSASB framework and Wet WOZ art. 17(3) are summarised from general valuation knowledge and public statutory frameworks.