Learn the steps to create a professional estimate, from reviewing all the documents to developing the project durations. The article delves into the details of preparing a quantity takeoff, grouping pricing, and providing unit costs, among others.
Key Insights
- This process involves a comprehensive review of all relevant documents including plans, specifications, addendums, bid requirements, or supplemental instructions such as a bid form or an RFP.
- It requires preparing a quantity takeoff, which includes details of all items and assemblies needed to construct the project, and providing unit costs for all these items categorized under labor, material, equipment, and subcontractors.
- Estimating skills also necessitate the ability to develop project durations, provide added costs, and handle overhead markups to generate the total cost of the project.
Note: These materials offer prospective students a preview of how our classes are structured. Students enrolled in this course will receive access to the full set of materials, including video lectures, project-based assignments, and instructor feedback.
Now we'll cover the steps required to create a professional estimate. First, we start by reviewing all documents, including plans, specifications, addenda, bid requirements, or supplemental instructions such as a bid form or an RFP.
This is what we talked about in the blueprint reading class. Prepare a quantity takeoff, also referred to as QTO, including quantities and units of measure (UOM), which we’ll see in some of our documentation, for all the items and assemblies required to construct the project. Organize all quantities in accordance with the MasterFormat organizational structure.
Group all items as required to support the estimate’s Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) codes. Utilize item and assembly naming conventions suitable for use in the estimate. Once the quantity takeoff is completed, we’ll use that information to prepare the estimate.
The estimate requires providing unit costs for all quantity takeoff items. Use separate cost categories for labor, material, equipment, and subcontractors. Group pricing as required to meet the WBS needs for cost analysis or bid forms.
For example, you might have Phase One or Phase Two. You might have a first floor or second floor. Those could be considered work breakdown structures.
Learn Construction Estimating
- Nationally accredited
- Create your own portfolio
- Free student software
- Learn at your convenience
- Authorized Autodesk training center
You’ll also need to develop the project durations or schedule for the general conditions. General conditions refer to the actual costs incurred by your company to be on site or to manage the project over a period of time. Provide added costs and overhead markups to generate the total estimate cost.
We'll provide any required alternates outlined in the bid documents. We'll check for errors and we'll also complete the proposed bid form or estimate cover sheet. So, in general, estimating skills require the ability to read plans, read specifications, provide a quantity takeoff of what's in the plans and specifications, and then to generate an estimate with unit costs that we may retain from multiple different areas, whether it be RSMeans data or a home supply store.
