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Home > Design Guidance > Design Disciplines > Cost Estimating

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by Bill Manfredonia, CPE, Cost Calculations, Inc. / Joseph P. Majewski, FCPE, P.E., JPM Construction Consultants, Inc. / Joseph J. Perryman, Donnell Consultants, Inc. Last updated: 05-28-2010

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BO O KMARK AND SHARE

Cost Estimating

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Within This Page Introduction

Accurately fo recasting the co st o f future pro jects is vital to the survival o f any business o r o rganizatio n co ntemplating future Description co nstructio n. Co st estimato rs develo p the co st info rmatio n that Emerging Issues business o wners o r managers, pro fessio nal design team Relevant Codes and members, and co nstructio n co ntracto rs need to make budgetary Standards and feasibility determinatio ns. Fro m an Owner's perspective the Major Resources co st estimate may be used to determine the pro ject sco pe o r whether the pro ject sho uld pro ceed. The co nstructio n co ntracto r's co st estimate will determine the co nstructio n bid o r whether the co mpany will bid o n the co nstructio n co ntract.

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There were abo ut 19 8 ,0 0 0 co st estimato rs in 19 9 4 acco rding to the U.S. Department o f Labo r, Bureau o f Labo r Statistics, 20 0 6 -20 0 7 Occupatio nal Outlo o k Handbo o k, Co st Estimato rs , o f which 58 % wo rk in the co nstructio n industry, 17% are emplo yed in manufacturing industries, and the remaining 25% elsewhere. Mo st co nstructio n estimato rs have co nsiderable experience gained thro ugh wo rking in the building co nstructio n industry. This guide will be co nfined to co st estimating in the building co nstructio n industry.

Co nstructio n co st estimato rs can be co ntractually hired in many different ways. They may be emplo yed by the o wner's representative/pro ject manager, emplo yed by the co nstructio n manager, emplo yed as a member o f a pro fessio nal design team, o r separately hired by the o wner. They estimate building co sts thro ugh all the stages o f design and the co nstructio n o f the pro ject. On large pro jects it is co mmo n fo r estimato rs to specialize in disciplines that parallel design discipline specializatio n.

It is very impo rtant to have the co st estimato r invo lved right fro m the start o f the pro ject to ensure that the pro ject budget reflects the decisio ns made by the rest o f the pro ject team thro ugho ut the integrated design pro cess.

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DESCRIPT ION A. Prof essional Behavior Expect ed of t he Cost Est imat or Ethics: The practice o f co nstructio n estimating is a highly technical and pro fessio nal discipline. It also invo lves abiding by certain standards o f ethical co nduct and mo ral judgment that go beyo nd the technical aspects o f the discipline. Estimato rs are o ften the mo st familiar with the co mplete pro ject. They must exercise so und mo ral and pro fessio nal judgment at all times when preparing the pro ject estimate. Estimato rs so metime receive pressure fro m o ther members o f the co nstructio n team to make expedient sho rt-term decisio ns that can result in an unso und bid. Resistance to this type o f pressure is a part o f the estimato r's jo b. Examples o f expedient behavio r litter the histo ry o f inaccurate co nstructio n estimating. Deficient estimates can also cause strife and litigatio n between members o f the co nstructio n team. The American So ciety o f Pro fessio nal Estimato rs (ASPE) has stated the fo llo wing ethical, mo ral and technical precepts as basic to the practice o f estimating. See the ASPE Co de o f Ethics (PDF 510 KB, 4 p g s ) .

Integrity: Estimato rs are expected to use standards o f co nfidentiality in a manner at least equal to that o f o ther pro fessio nal so cieties. The estimato r shall keep in strictest co nfidence info rmatio n received fro m o utside so urces. The practice, co mmo nly called "bid peddling", is a breach o f ethics and is co ndemned by the ASPE and that o f o ther so cieties and co nstructio n o rganizatio ns.

Judgment: Judgment is a skill o btained by estimato rs thro ugh pro per training and extensive experience. Estimato rs sho uld always use so und judgment and co mmo n sense when preparing estimates. Pro per use o f judgment may mean the difference between pro fit and lo ss fo r the co mpany o r client.

Attitude: Estimato rs sho uld appro ach each estimate with a pro fessio nal attitude and examine in tho ro ugh detail all areas o f the wo rk. They will set aside specific times each day fo r entry o f estimate quantities and data witho ut interruptio n. To tal mental co ncentratio n is a basic requirement fo r preparing accurate co st estimates.

Thoroughness: An estimato r will allo w eno ugh time to research and beco me familiar with the backgro und and details o f the pro ject and then pro mptly co mplete the quantity survey. They will review the vario us aspects o f the pro ject with the o ther disciplines invo lved. The estimato r with the mo st tho ro ugh kno wledge o f a pro ject best serves the o wner and pro ject team, and has the best co mpetitive advantage when preparing a bid.

B. Common Cost Est imat or Pract ice Trait s Awareness: The estimato r sho uld firstly co nsider the pro ject sco pe and the level o f effo rt and reso urces needed to co mplete the task ahead; the o rganizatio n's financial capability, staff, and plant capacity (if wo rking as an estimato r fo r a co nstructio n co mpany) to co mplete the pro ject.

Co nsider the time allo tted fo r the co nstructio n o f the pro ject in co o rdinatio n with the o wner's schedule needs.

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Examine the general and special co nditio ns o f the co ntract and determine the effect these requirements have o n indirect co sts.

Co nsider alternate metho ds o f co nstructio n fo r the pro jects.

Review all sectio ns o f the drawings and divisio n specificatio ns to ascertain an accurate perspective o f the to tal pro ject sco pe, level o f design discipline co o rdinatio n, adequacy o f details, and pro ject co nstructability.

Make o ther members o f the pro ject team aware o f any pro blems with the pro ject do cuments.

Co mmunicate and co o rdinate info rmatio n to o ther pro ject team members in a timely manner.

Uniformity: The estimato r sho uld develo p a go o d system o f estimating fo rms and pro cedures that exactly meet the requirements o f the pro ject, and that is understo o d and accessible by all team members. This system sho uld pro vide the ability to define material, labo r ho ur and equipment ho ur quantities required fo r the pro ject. Material, labo r, and equipment unit co sts are then applied to the quantities as develo ped in the quantity survey.

Apply amo unts fo r o verhead and pro fit, escalatio n, and co ntingency in the final summaries.

Consistency: Use metho ds fo r quantity surveys that are in lo gical o rder and co nsistent with industry standard classificatio n systems such as the UniFo rmat™ o r CSI MasterFo rmat™ systems. These metho ds also must meet the specific need o f the co mpany o r client. Use o f co nsistent metho ds allo ws several estimato rs to co mplete vario us parts o f the quantity survey, o r be co ntinued later by ano ther estimato r. Co nsistency also aids the identificatio n o f co st increases and decreases in certain areas as the pro ject pro gresses thro ugh the design stages. Co mbine these surveys into the final acco unt summaries.

Verification: The metho d and lo gic emplo yed in the quantity survey must be in a fo rm, which can pro vide independent metho d o f pro o f o f the accuracy o f any po rtio n o f the survey.

Documentation: Do cument all po rtio ns o f the estimate in a lo gical, co nsistent, and legible manner. Estimato rs and o ther perso nnel may need to review the o riginal estimate when the specific details are vague. The do cumentatio n must be clear and lo gical o r it will be o f little value to the reader. Such instances may o ccur in change o rder preparatio n, settlements o f claims, and review o f past estimates as preparatio n fo r new estimates o n similar pro jects.

Evaluation: When the estimate invo lves the use o f bids fro m subco ntracto rs, check the bids fo r sco pe and respo nsiveness to the pro ject. Investigate the past perfo rmance reco rds o f subco ntracto rs submitting bids. Determine the level o f co mpetence and quality o f perfo rmance.

Labor Hours: The detailed applicatio n o f labo r ho urs to a quantity is primary in go verning the accuracy and sufficiency o f an estimate. The accuracy o f the pro ject's schedule and wo rk fo rce requirements are dependent o n the evaluatio n and definitio n o f the ho urs. The co mbined co sts fo r wo rker's co mpensatio n, unemplo yment insurance and so cial security taxes are significant facto rs in the pro ject co sts. The mo st accurate metho d fo r including these co sts is to define labo r ho urs and wage rates; then apply percentages to the labo r co sts.

Value Engineering: Structure the estimate to aid in researching and develo ping alternative metho ds that will result in co st o ptimizatio n. These alternative metho ds can include different co nstructio n metho do lo gy, replacement materials, etc. Using the same level o f detail in bo th PDFmyURL.com

co nstructio n metho do lo gy, replacement materials, etc. Using the same level o f detail in bo th the value engineering studies and the base estimate is extremely impo rtant. This pro vides a mo re precise co mpariso n o f co sts fo r pro po sed alternate metho ds.

Final Summaries: Pro vide metho ds fo r listing and calculating indirect co sts. Pro ject sco pe go verns the co sts o f o verhead items such as insurance, ho me o ffice plant, and administrative perso nnel. Determine these co sts in a manner co nsistent with quantity survey applicatio ns. Co nsider o ther wo rk in pro gress, and/o r o wner o ccupancy o f existing space that may have a bearing o n pro jected o verhead co sts. Determine amo unts fo r perfo rmance bo nding, pro fits, escalatio n, and co ntingencies.

Analysis: Develo p metho ds fo r analyzing co mpleted estimates to ascertain if they are reaso nable.

When the estimate is beyo nd the no rmal range o f co sts fo r similar pro jects, research the detail causes fo r po ssible erro rs.

Develo p metho ds o f analysis o f po st-bid estimates to find the reaso ns fo r the lack o f success in the bidding pro cess.

Calculate the variatio n o f the estimate fro m the lo w bid and lo w average bids.

Determine fro m an o utside so urce if there were subco ntract o r material bids pro vided o nly to certain bidders.

Determine if bids were submitted by a representative number o f co ntracto rs fo r the level o f co nstructio n quality expected.

Determine if the lo w bidder may have made o missio ns in the estimate.

Pro perly do cument this info rmatio n fo r future use and guidance.

Conversion: Sho w estimating pro cedures that allo w co nversio n o f the estimate to field co st systems so management can mo nito r and co ntro l field activities. These pro cedures include metho ds o f repo rting field co sts fo r pro blem areas. Make repo rts daily o r weekly rather than at so me po int in time after the pro ject is co mplete. Field co st repo rting, when co nsistent with estimating pro cedures, enables estimato rs to apply the kno wledge gained fro m these histo rical co sts to future estimates, and help train field perso nnel in labo r ho ur and co st repo rting that pro vide the level o f accuracy required.

Change Orders: Apply the highest level o f detail fro m info rmatio n pro vided o r available to the estimato r. State quantities and co sts fo r all material, labo r, equipment, and subco ntract items o f wo rk. Define amo unt fo r o verhead, pro fit, taxes, and bo nd. Specific itemizatio n o f change o rder pro po sals is essential in allo wing the client to determine acceptability. Upo n appro val, use the estimate detail as the definitio n o f sco pe o f the change o rder.

C. Levels of Est imat e As a pro ject is pro po sed and then develo ped, the estimate preparatio n and info rmatio n will change based o n the needs o f the Owner/Client/Designer. These changes will require estimates to be prepared at different levels during the design pro cess with increasing degrees o f info rmatio n pro vided. It sho uld also be no ted that within each level o f estimate preparatio n, no t all po rtio ns o f the design wo uld be at the same level o f co mpleteness. Fo r example, the architectural design may be at 8 0 % co mplete while the mechanical design is o nly 50 % co mplete.

This is co mmo n thro ugh the design pro cess, but sho uld always be no ted in the estimate narrative.

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In additio n to co nstructio n co sts, estimates fo r pro cess o r manufacturing areas require info rmatio n related to the invo lved pro cesses such as pro duct line capacity, pro cess layo ut, handling requirements, utility requirements, materials and sto rage required, service requirements, flo w diagrams, and raw materials access.

The fo llo wing descriptio ns co nstitute the different levels o f an estimate. Estimates within each o f these levels may be prepared multiple times during the design pro cess as mo re info rmatio n beco mes available o r changes are made to the sco pe. As the level o f the estimate increases it will beco me mo re detailed as mo re info rmatio n is pro vided; "unkno wns" are eliminated; fewer assumptio ns are made; and the pricing o f the quantities beco me mo re detailed. Co ntingencies fo r the afo rementio ned will be reduced as mo re design do cumentatio n is pro duced.

The levels o f the co nstructio n co st estimate co rrespo nd to the typical phases o f the building design and develo pment pro cess and are co nsidered standards within the industry. These levels are as fo llo ws: Level 1 - Order of Magnitude The purpo se o f the Level 1 estimate is to facilitate budgetary and feasibility determinatio ns. It is prepared to develo p a pro ject budget and is based o n histo rical info rmatio n with adjustments made fo r specific pro ject co nditio ns. Estimates are based o n co sts per square fo o t, number o f cars/ro o ms/seats, etc.

Pro ject info rmatio n required fo r estimates at this level usually might include a general functio nal descriptio n, schematic layo ut, geo graphic lo catio n, size expressed as building area, numbers o f peo ple, seats, cars, etc., and intended use.

Level 2 - Conceptual/Schematic Design The purpo se o f the Level 2 estimate level is to pro vide a mo re co mprehensive co st estimate to co mpare to the budgetary and feasibility determinatio ns made at Level 1 and will be typically based o n a better definitio n o f the sco pe o f wo rk. An estimate at this level may be used to price vario us design schemes in o rder to see which scheme best fits the budget, o r it may be used to price vario us design alternatives, o r co nstructio n materials and metho ds fo r co mpariso n. The go al at the end o f schematic design is to have a design scheme, pro gram, and estimate that can be co ntained within budget. This estimate is o ften prepared in the UniFo rmat™ estimating system rather than the MasterFo rmat™ system, which allo ws the design team to easily and quickly evaluate alternative building systems and assemblies in o rder to make info rmed alternatives analysis decisio ns to advance the design pro gress. The Level 2 estimate is based o n the previo us level o f info rmatio n available at Level 1, in additio n to mo re develo ped schematic design criteria such as a detailed building pro gram, schematic drawings, sketches, renderings, diagrams, co nceptual plans, elevatio ns, sectio ns and preliminary specificatio ns. Info rmatio n is typically supplemented with descriptio ns o f so il and geo technical co nditio ns, utility requirements, fo undatio n requirements, co nstructio n type/size determinatio ns, and any o ther info rmatio n that may have an impact o n the estimated co nstructio n co st.

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Level 3 - Design Development Estimates prepared at Level 3 are used to verify budget co nfo rmance as the sco pe and design are finalized and final materials are selected. Info rmatio n required fo r this level typically includes no t less than 25% co mplete drawings sho wing flo o r plans, elevatio ns, sectio ns, typical details, preliminary schedules (finishes, partitio ns, do o rs, and hardware etc.), engineering design criteria, system single line diagrams, equipment layo uts, and o utline specificatio ns.

The Level 3 estimate pro vides a greater amo unt o f accuracy, made po ssible by better defined and detailed design do cumentatio n. Estimates at this phase may be used fo r value engineering applicatio ns befo re the co mpletio n o f specificatio ns and design drawings.

Level 4 - Construction Documents Level 4 estimates are used to co nfirm funding allo catio ns, to again verify the co nstructio n co st as design is being co mpleted, fo r assessment o f po tential value engineering o ppo rtunities befo re publicatio n o f the final pro ject design do cumentatio n fo r bids, and to identify any po ssible "design creep" items, and their co sts, caused by mo dificatio ns during the co mpletio n o f the co nstructio n do cuments. This final co nstructio n do cument co st estimate will be used to evaluate the subco ntract pricing during the bid phase. Level 4 estimates are typically based o n co nstructio n do cuments no t less than 9 0 % co mplete.

Level 5 - Bid Phase The purpo se o f this level estimate is to develo p pro bable co sts in the preparatio n and submittal o f bids fo r co ntract with an Owner. In the traditio nal "design-bid-build" delivery system, this wo uld be with 10 0 % co mpleted and co o rdinated do cuments. The Level 5 estimate will be used to evaluate sub-co ntracto r bids and change o rders during the co nstructio n pro cess.

In o ther delivery systems, beco ming mo re widely used, such as design-build o r guaranteed maximum price, the bid co uld actually be prepared at an earlier level, o ften Level 3 o r Level 4. In such an instance estimates are prepared as previo usly described alo ng with pro gressive estimates as the design is co mpleted. It sho uld be stressed that when preparing a bid at a prio r estimate level, it is very impo rtant to include a co mplete and tho ro ugh "Sco pe o f Estimate" statement that wo uld state clearly such items assumptio ns, allo wances, do cuments used fo r the estimate, and co ntingency amo unts included.

Fo r a discussio n o f pro ject delivery systems .

To explo re the impact o f vario us delivery systems o n a specific pro ject.

Vario us types o f co nstructio n co ntracts include: Stipulated sum Lump sum unit price Co st plus a fee PDFmyURL.com

Co st plus a fee Design-build Bridging Co st plus a fee with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) Turn Key The transfer o f the estimate info rmatio n to the field co st co ntro l system pro vides management the o ppo rtunity to clo sely mo nito r and co ntro l co nstructio n co sts as they o ccur. Co mputer estimating and co st co ntro l pro grams, whether industry-specific o r general spreadsheet type, are especially valuable fo r rapid and efficient generatio n o f bo th the estimate and actual co nstructio n co st info rmatio n.

It sho uld be no ted that it is always go o d co st co ntro l practice to review and evaluate the final co st estimate vs. the actual bid. This exercise is no t ano ther level o f estimate, but is a co st co ntro l mechanism and impo rtant data fo r estimating future pro jects.

D. Element s of a Cost Est imat e Quantity Takeoff: The fo undatio n fo r a successful estimate relies upo n reliable identificatio n (takeo ff) o f the quantities o f the vario us materials invo lved in the pro ject.

Labor Hours: Labo r ho ur amo unts can be develo ped by crew analysis o r applied o n a unit manho ur basis. The use o f a labo r do llar per unit o f wo rk (ex: $15 per cubic yard fo r grade beams o r $20 per cubic yard fo r walls) is o nly applicable when the co st histo ry suppo rts the data being used. The estimato r must make allo wance fo r the varying pro ductio n capability that will o ccur based upo n the co mplexity o f a pro ject.

Labor Rates: The labo r rate is the co st per ho ur fo r the craftsmen o n the pro ject. To determine any craft rate, whether unio n o r o pen sho p, the estimato r starts with the basic wages and fringe benefits.

To the wages and fringe benefits, the estimato r must add payro ll burdens. These are FICA (So cial Security), FUI (Federal Unemplo yment Insurance), SUI (State Unemplo yment Insurance), WC (Wo rker Co mpensatio n) and o thers mandated by legislatio n and/o r co mpany o peratio ns. These burdens, plus the base wages and fringe benefits, determine the ho urly co st o f a craft classificatio n (i.e., carpenter, pipefitter, etc.).

The ho urly rate can also invo lve a mixed crew where a mix o f different crafts fo r a wo rk crew fo r the perfo rmance o f the wo rk.

Overtime o r the lack o f o vertime is ano ther co nsideratio n in determining the calculatio n o f the ho urly rates. A pro ject that is scheduled fo r co mpletio n using a fo rty ho ur wo rk week (So me areas may have a standard 35 ho ur week) will have a mo dest amo unt o f o vertime co sts required in the estimate. A pro ject that is scheduled fo r extended 50 , 6 0 o r even 70 ho ur wo rk weeks will have a substantial amo unt included fo r o vertime and lo ss o f pro ductivity.

Material Prices: Material prices, especially in to day's current market, fluctuate up and do wn. The estimato r must bo th understand and anticipate the frequency and extent o f the price variatio ns PDFmyURL.com

and the timing o f the buying cycle. Material prices may be affected by: purchase at a peak o r slack time o f the year fo r the manufacturer material availability the size o f the o rder the delivery timeframe requirement physical requirements fo r delivery, such as distance, ro ad size, o r site access payment terms and histo ry o n previo us purchases so le-so urce items exchange rates (if the material will be impo rted into the U.S.) Equipment Costs: Equipment rates depend o n the pro ject co nditio ns to determine the co rrect size o r capacity o f equipment required to perfo rm the wo rk. When interfacing with o ther equipment, cycle times and equipment capacity co ntro l the co sts o n the pro ject. Co sts will also differ if the equipment is o wned by the co ntracto r as o ppo sed to rented.

Subcontractor Quotes: A subco ntracto r quo te, like the general estimate, co ntains labo r, material, equipment, indirect co sts, and pro fit. It is dependent upo n having the quantities, labo r ho urs, ho urly rate, etc., prepared in a reliable manner just like any o ther part o f an estimate. The amo unt o f the subco ntracto r quo te is also dependent upo n the payment terms o f the co ntract, and previo us payment histo ry between the subco ntracto r and general co ntracto r. Bo nding co sts sho uld also be co nsidered.

Indirect Costs: Indirect co sts co nsist o f labo r, material, and equipment items required to suppo rt the o verall pro ject.

For the owner: design fees, permits, land acquisitio n co sts, legal fees, administratio n co sts, etc.

For the contractor and subcontractor: mo bilizatio n, staffing, o n-site jo b o ffice, tempo rary co nstructio n, tempo rary heat/co o ling, and tempo rary utilities, equipment, small to o ls and co nsumables, etc.

Profit Amount: Apply appro priate o r co ntracted pro fit rate unifo rmly to all co ntracto rs and to o riginal bid and change o rders.

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EMERGING ISSUES Comput ers and Building Inf ormat ion Models (BIM) Co mputers have played an increasingly larger ro le in co st estimatio n fo r co mplex calculatio ns as the design and co nstructio n industry has beco me mo re co mputerized. Fo r example, to undertake a parametric analysis (a pro cess used to estimate pro ject co sts o n a per unit basis, subject to the specific requirements o f a pro ject), co st estimato rs will o ften use a co mputer database co ntaining info rmatio n o n co sts and co nditio ns o f many o ther similar pro jects and geo graphic lo catio ns.

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BIM is a simple co ncept—a master, intelligent data mo del, resulting in an as-built database that can be readily handed o ver to the building o perato r upo n co mpletio n o f co mmissio ning. The BIM standard co uld so meday integrate CAD data with pro duct specificatio ns, submittals, sho p drawings, pro ject reco rds, as-built do cumentatio n and o peratio ns info rmatio n, making printed O&M and Systems manuals virtually o bso lete. The techno lo gy has mo ved fo rward, but the industry's ability to abso rb these IT advances has yet to change. Clearly, if BIM o ffers a genuine so lutio n to reduce erro rs and rewo rk, while impro ving building o peratio ns, it will eventually change the way all pro ject team members develo p and share info rmatio n o ver facility life-cycle phases.

Sust ainable Design and LEED® Cert if icat ion The GSA LEED® Cost Study fo r the U.S. General Services Administratio n defines co sts asso ciated with the U.S. Green Building Co uncil's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) ratings. Two building types (new co nstructio n co urtho uses and Federal Building mo dernizatio n) are mo deled against two scenario s fo r each LEED® rating (Certificatio n, Silver, Go ld), identifying differential co sts o f co nstructio n, design, and do cumentatio n/submissio n requirements.

The newly issued GSA LEED® Applications Guide , a co mpanio n do cument to the GSA LEED® Cost Study, o utlines an evaluatio n pro cess in which the predicted first co st impacts o f the individual LEED® prerequisites and credits (develo ped fro m the Co st Study) are used as a basis fo r structuring an o verall LEED® pro ject appro ach. The pro cess also illustrates ho w LEED® criteria relate to existing GSA mandates, perfo rmance go als, and pro grammatic requirements.

Descriptio ns o f LEED® co st impacts o n private and no n-federal public secto r wo rk may be fo und in vario us perio dicals describing current pro jects. Co verage o f sustainable and LEED® issues is beco ming mo re frequent and is o ften the main fo cus o f many perio dical articles.

An article that discusses LEED® co st impacts and the participatio n o f the co st estimato r in the LEED® po int evaluatio n pro cess is The Cost of LEED Certification by Jo seph Perryman (Design Co st Data (DCD), No vember 15, 20 0 5). Mr. Perryman is Chairman o f the ASPE Sustainability Special Interest Gro up, and a member o f the Asso ciatio n fo r Pro ject Management, the USGBC, the Ro yal Institutio n o f Chartered Surveyo rs, SAVE Internatio nal, and the Asso ciatio n fo r the Advancement o f Co st Engineering.

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RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS The American So ciety o f Pro fessio nal Estimato rs (ASPE) reco gnizes the Certified Pro fessio nal Estimato r (CPE) as an individual trained in the estimating practices within the co nstructio n industry. Private and/o r public secto r o wners can ensure a certain level o f pro fessio nalism and ethics by stipulating that the co st estimato r be a member o f the ASPE. There are no legislative co des o r mandated standards applicable to the co st engineering o r co st estimating pro fessio n.

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MAJOR RESOURCES Publicat ions American So ciety o f Pro fessio nal Estimato rs Awards Guidelines Estimating Today Newsletter—Back Issues Inside Estimating Today Rate Card Gek Study Guide—Order Online Logosheet Recommended Bidding Procedures Standard Estimating Practice—Order Online Building News Internatio nal From Concept to Bid…Successful Estimating Methods by Jo hn D. Bledso e, PhD, PE. Kingsto n, MA: R.S. Means Co mpany, Inc., 19 9 2.

GCCRG—General Construction Cost Review Guide GSA Project Estimating Requirements R.S. Means

Prof essional Associat ions American So ciety o f Pro fessio nal Estimato rs (ASPE) Asso ciatio n fo r the Advancement o f Co st Engineering Internatio nal (AACEI) Internatio nal Co st Engineering Co uncil Ro yal Institutio n o f Chartered Surveyo rs (RICS UK) So ciety o f Co st Estimating and Analysis (SCEA)

WBDG Design Objectives Co st-Effective Branch Co st Est im at ing So f t ware Pro Est ProEst Estimating - General Construction Version, General Co ntracto rs, Residential Builders and any o ther co ntracto r that perfo rms general co nstructio n wo rk ProEst Estimating - Electrical Construction Version, Electrical Co ntracto rs including Residential, Co mmercial and VDV Co ntracto rs ProEst Estimating - Mechanical Construction Version, Mechanical Co ntracto rs including Piping, Plumbing and HVAC PDFmyURL.com

Pro Est Digitizer Takeo ff RS Means Databases, Natio nal pricing databases Co mputer Guidance Co rpo ratio n, Invitation to Bid Deneb So ftware, WinJob, Estimating & Accounting Quest So lutio ns Quest Estimator —Digitized takeo ff fo r pricing o ut all types o f co st items, and fo r printing o ut yo ur final bid Quest Earthwork —Cut-and-fill measuring so ftware Quest Roadwork —Cut and fill quantities fo r highway and ro adway pro jects Quest Trenchwork —Calculate cut and fill quantities fo r undergro und pro jects Quest Cross Sections —Calculate cut and fill quantities in cro ss-sectio n view Turtle Creek So ftware, Goldenseal , Estimating & Acco unting Vertigraph, Inc., BidPoint & BidScreen , Estimating BACK TO TO P

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