A well-written construction estimate can save contractors time and money. This guide breaks down the process of preparing an estimate and offers useful tips for tackling specific phases like interior and exterior finishes.
This series of building price books is ideal for students on construction-related courses and for professionals beginning their careers in the industry. This latest 2023 edition has been updated to reflect recent turmoil in global supply chains as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spon’s
Spon’s offers a comprehensive range of pricing books that cover general building work, civil engineering and highways, mechanical and electrical works, and external works and landscaping. The pricing books are ideal for builders and a wide range of trades, surveyors, estimators, architects, and developers. These price guides are designed to provide up-to-date pricing information to aid in estimating costs and tendering for construction projects. They are compiled by cost consultancy experts at AECOM, a world-renowned company.
These books are an essential tool for contractors, and they allow them to prepare accurate and competitive estimates. They also help them keep track of costs and expenses. This helps them avoid overpaying for materials and stay ahead of the competition. In addition, these estimating books are an excellent way to learn more about the construction industry and its best practices.
The estimating books are available in both hard and soft copy formats. The hard copy versions are more expensive but have a larger page size, making them easier to use. The soft copy versions are cheaper and are easy to use on computers. However, they don’t have the same level of detail as hard copy pricing books.
A construction estimator must be able to understand the various components of the project and calculate the total cost of the job. The estimation process is complex, but if done correctly, the results can be very beneficial for the client. This is why it’s important to have a good construction estimating book. The right book can make the difference between winning a bid and losing one.
One of the best construction estimating books is Running a Successful Construction Company, by David Gerstel. The book covers the basics of preparing estimates, setting up an office, and managing a small contractor business. It includes valuable tips on creating accurate estimates and writing strong contracts, as well as advice on how to handle change orders. The book is an indispensable resource for anyone in the construction industry, regardless of experience level.
Construction estimating books uk are vital tools for contractors and can save a lot of time. They provide reliable, up-to-date prices for all types of construction work, including structural work, electrical and plumbing, and civil engineering. They can be used to quickly estimate the cost of a project and prepare detailed estimates for complex projects.
Hutchins
Hutchins is an important resource for building professionals. It provides a complete price book with detailed labor rates and material costs for an extensive range of construction projects. This information is invaluable to contractors, who need it in order to estimate and prepare bids for work. It also helps them establish the most accurate construction cost estimates possible.
Aside from supplying comprehensive pricing data, Hutchins also features detailed advice on preliminaries and labour charges that need to be factored in. This is a key feature when it comes to pricing schedules of dilapidations, which can vary widely depending on the size of the building and the scope of work.
The 2023 Hutchins Building Price Book is an essential tool for estimating the total cost of a new project. It offers detailed price information on a wide variety of building types and is organized in an easy-to-use format. It also includes a section on pricing preliminaries and is designed for contractors, surveyors, and self-builders.
Another useful resource for estimating is the ICE CESMM3 Construction Carbon and Cost Book, which contains data on various building materials, including concrete, steel, timber, and glass. Its price list is compiled by the Institution of Civil Engineers and is updated quarterly. The cost book is available for both desktop and mobile devices.
In addition to providing pricing data, the ICE CESMM3 cost book is also used for creating project budgets and for reviewing and comparing contractor bids. It includes a breakdown of all project costs, including direct costs, overhead, and profit margins. It is important to use this information when preparing a construction estimate, as it will allow the estimator to compare their proposal with other bids from competitors.
There are many ways to create an accurate construction estimate, but the most common way is by using a comprehensive pricing database. A reputable database is updated quarterly and includes detailed labor and material costs for each construction project. It also provides information on productivity rates and crew composition. It should also include insurance and bond costs for the construction team, as these expenses are considered indirect costs.
Laxton’s
If you’re a construction professional, you know that accurate estimating is essential for winning work and making a profit. But if you’re new to estimating, it can be difficult to get your head around the intricacies of the process. The book Nail Your Numbers: A Path to Skilled Construction Estimating and Bidding can help you develop a more efficient estimating process, saving time and money in the long run. The book is written by a contractor who has accumulated a wealth of experience in the industry and provides detailed tips and hints that can help you produce an accurate estimate more quickly.
The Laxton’s price book is a comprehensive source of information on rates for construction projects. It covers labour and materials, overheads and profit and is available in a variety of formats. The book is a good choice for small contractors and builders who need to keep up with the latest prices. Its updated format makes it easier to use than previous editions and is available in both SMM7 and NRM2 versions.
In addition to supplying cost data, the book also explains the various factors that affect estimating, including labor productivity and City Cost Indexes. It also addresses how to write scopes that accurately reflect the work proposed and the different methods of calculating and negotiating fees.
Laxton’s also offers an estimating software package that lets you view and apply rates from the book to projects in real-time. The software includes a range of features to help you create an estimate faster, improve your accuracy and speed up the bidding process. It also helps you manage projects by allowing you to track your progress and compare estimates with those of other contractors.
Another popular option for estimating costs is RSMeans Data Online. This subscription-based service gives you access to the most accurate and reliable building cost data, including labour and material costs, productivity rates, city cost indices, crew composition, and more. You can search items by keyword or MasterFormat number, and the database is regularly updated to reflect current market conditions.
Griffiths
If you are a contractor working between stages, or a developer who is trying to put together a cost plan, then construction price books are essential tools for pricing work. They contain rates and prices based on industry feedback and analysis. They also include location factors for regional variances.
These price books are ideal for small-scale building projects up to a value of PS1 million. They include fully priced standard estimates for more than 250 different types of minor works. They are designed to help busy builders and estimating teams price alterations and repairs quickly and efficiently.
Griffiths has a comprehensive building price book and a civil engineering price book, both of which are designed to make estimating new build works quick and easy. The company also produces the Hutchins Priced Schedules price book, which is based on SMM6 and has been superseded by NRM. This price book is particularly useful for dilapidations price assessments and other ad hoc work, such as refurbishment of existing buildings. It is also useful for comparing costs back to the market, as well as valuing variations and preparing cost plans.