Learn how to evaluate and price out laminated beams in construction projects with a focus on how it influences the total cost of the estimate. This detailed article guides you through understanding different industry terms and how to factor in labor, material, and equipment costs into your pricing.
Key Insights
- The term laminated beams is interchangeable with glue laminated beams and glue lam beams, they all refer to the same item in the construction industry.
- When pricing out laminated beams, it's important to consider the labor, material, and equipment costs. The examination of a supplier's suggestion indicates that these beams are unique and should be priced individually, not by the foot.
- Each cost category including labor, material, and equipment contributes to the total cost unit, which influences the total estimate of the project. Notes, such as adding 50% more labor and material for the radius, do not directly affect the overall cost but serve as a valuable reference for future job progress or pricing clarifications.
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.
So let's take a closer look at the spreadsheet itself. And let's refer to MasterFormat item number 061813. That's called laminated beams—3-inch by 7½-inch by 19-foot, each with a radius of 13 feet 9 inches.
The term laminated beams is sometimes referred to as glue laminated beams, as you'll find on your takeoff sheet. And also, if you look at the description right alongside that, it's also referred to as glue lam beams. Just understand that all three of them are one and the same.
Whether it be laminated beams, glue laminated beams, or glue lam beams, they're all the same. We might look at laminated beams and ask ourselves, do we price it by the foot or by each? Well, apparently our supplier is telling us that it's a unique item and needs to be priced out by each. We have four units, with a labor cost of $65, and then we have a total labor amount.
That's the labor category itself. Moving off to the right in the next group of columns, you have the material cost unit and the material amount. Each of those is also a multiplier off of the quantity of four each.
Then you have equipment. And the reason for the equipment in this case is it requires special equipment to hoist these beams into place and hold them while they're being framed. So in that particular case, it's $16.53 each.
Learn Construction Estimating
- Nationally accredited
- Create your own portfolio
- Free student software
- Learn at your convenience
- Authorized Autodesk training center
And you have an equipment amount of $66.13. So again, equipment is a cost category. Material is a cost category as well as labor. There is nothing in there for subcontracts.
It immediately goes into your total cost unit. That column is the sum of all the unit costs that precede it for the cost categories of labor, material, and equipment. Then, likewise, we also have the total amount to the right of the total cost unit.
And that's $1,220. And then to the right of that, you have some additional notes. And that is we added 50% more labor and material for the radius.
So the notes don't have any bearing on what the total cost of the estimate might be, but it's an excellent resource to refer to as the job moves forward or if your foremen want to identify exactly how you priced that out.
