Whether you are a construction estimator or just starting out in this industry, it is important to have access to the right books that will help you learn how to estimate for construction work. Having the right books will ensure you can bid for projects and keep your prices accurate and competitive.
1. Spon’s
Spon’s has been producing a range of quality construction estimating books uk for decades. These include the Architects and Builders Price Book, the Mechanical and Electrical Services Price Book, Civil Engineering and Highways Price Book and the External Works and Landscaping Price Book.
Each book features updated cost information, as well as quarterly adjustments to the tender price index ensuring you are always in the know of the latest tender prices. Each book also contains a plethora of helpful and informative graphs and tables.
SPON’S Architects and Builders Price Book is one of the most comprehensive, most up-to-date and most technically impressive annual construction price books available today. Edited by Davis Langdon and Everest, the world’s leading firm of Chartered Quantity Surveyors, it provides a wealth of reliable, detailed pricing information to assist you in preparing estimates and tenders.
This is because it features an array of technologically advanced tools such as an online calculator that calculates and displays the price of materials and labour in a simple, concise format. Combined with the ability to view and print out individual rates, this is a must-have for every estimator in the industry!
The Architects’ and Builders’ Price Book also has a number of other enticing features, including its unique Tender Index, which helps you to see the big picture. This is the only price book that sets out a detailed cost base for contracts that exceed PS4 million in value and is a must-have if you’re looking to maximise your chances of success.
Finally, the Architects’ and Builders’ price book demonstrates the most impressive technology in the form of an interactive online tool that enables you to calculate costs, generate quotes, and create budgets. This enables you to make informed decisions about your project and its overall budget before you commit any cash!
2. Laxtons
The UK’s leading building price book containing a wealth of construction cost and industry related information, Laxtons is available in both SMM7 or NRM2 rules of measurement. Each edition of the book is updated annually and provides a comprehensive cost base for all types of building, civil engineering and alterations works.
The pricing data in the books is prepared from “first principles” indicating labour allowances, materials costs and plant enabling fully resourced price lists. The prices are built up for contract values from PS50k to in excess of PS5 million and can be adjusted by specified percentages for smaller or higher value work.
Laxtons have been releasing the UK’s most accurate and up-to-date Building Price Books over the last 24 years. They provide a variety of pricing libraries for both SMM7 and NRM2 rules of measurement to suit all levels of estimators, including training students.
As the building market has become more volatile in recent years, it has become even more important for companies to have access to up-to-date pricing data. Using modern estimating software with Laxtons’ Priced Libraries will speed up the process of creating tenders, and ensure your company is always ready to price jobs accurately.
For EValuate users, the pricing libraries are integrated within the software, providing resource build-ups and annual updates to rates for pricing items directly or for comparison against your own rates or subcontractors’ quotes. This allows you to price jobs more quickly and accurately, resulting in faster tender creation, which is key to winning more projects with less risk for your business.
As the estimating market becomes more competitive, it is important to have access to up-to-date price data for all types of contracts. This will ensure your estimates are accurate, competitive and help you to remain profitable in any situation.
3. Hutchins
Hutchins has been in business since 1945, and their price book remains a favourite among busy builders, tradespeople, surveyors and estimators. Updated in accordance with SMM6, the 6th Edition of the Standard Method of Measurement, it continues to offer value and insight of current market rates.
It is a well-crafted 400 page book that breaks down labour and material rates in helpful trade by trade order to help you produce a more accurate estimate faster. It also offers a range of useful tips and hints to improve your estimates and save time in the long run.
Nail Your Numbers: A Path to Skilled Construction Estimating and Bidding is an excellent resource for any contractor looking to improve their estimating skills. The author, Gerstel, is a veteran contractor who has accumulated a wealth of knowledge over the years. He covers a range of subjects, including figuring out how much to charge, writing scopes that accurately reflect the work proposed, and making a profit.
The best part about this book is that it is well organized and comprehensive, a good fit for any contractor at any point in their career. Gerstel starts with a full-throated explanation of the importance of estimating and how it can benefit you and your company in the long term. He then dives into the details, including the most important aspects of a good estimate–specific phases like interior and exterior finishes, how to get good estimates from subcontractors, and basic math.
The best part about this book is that it also includes a few other interesting tidbits, such as how to write a scope that accurately reflects the work proposed and how to charge for estimates. The book can be overwhelming if you’re not a dedicated reader, but it is a worthwhile investment for any contractor who wants to improve their estimating skills.
4. PSA Schedule of Rates
When it comes to construction estimating books uk, the PSA Schedule of Rates is a popular choice amongst contractors. It offers over 20,000 rates and prices for all building works including general building, civil engineering, mechanical and electrical, external works and landscaping.
The book is a great reference for the cost of construction projects, and it’s particularly useful to take into account location factors when price build ups are being compared. However, it can also be a challenge to work out the prices of specific works as it doesn’t take into account specific project constraints or requirements.
One of the most popular and arguably most used construction estimating books, Spon’s has been around for well over fifty years. It is based on the RICS New Rules of Measurement and can be used for a range of different building works from order of magnitude estimating to cost planning to detailed measurement.
It includes sections on contractor’s preliminaries, approximate estimating and the National Working Rule Agreement adjustment. It is a useful tool to use when pricing small to medium sized projects with a high level of complexity and variation, as it can help you make the most of your labour rate.
Laxton’s is another very popular construction estimating book that has been around for a long time. It is also based on the RICS New Rules of measurement and contains prices for a variety of projects from general building work to more specialist areas.
It has a similar approach to Spon’s in that it makes allowance for approximate estimating and the National Working Rule Agreement but also enables you to factor in more specific project factors. It also offers a range of other features that are useful to utilise on smaller scale projects.
5. Griffiths
The Griffiths Construction Estimating Books uk range is a very well-written collection of books. They are aimed at contractors who are looking for an easy to use, up to date and comprehensive source of costs, prices and rates for building work including new build construction and repairs and alterations.
This series of books has been in print since the 1940s and is a standard reference for cost researchers, estimating managers and estimators across North America. They provide a comprehensive range of construction costs, prices and rates for labour, plant hire and materials for different project types and trades.
In fact, this is a great resource for any contractor at any stage in their career. It’s a thorough system that can help you get your estimating in shape and prepare for the inevitable bid. It’s also an excellent source of advice for tackling specific phases, including interior and exterior finishes, how to get good estimates from subcontractors and more.
The first chapter is a full-throated defense of why estimating is where a company is made or broken, and the second section is a deep dive into estimating topics that are often overlooked. For example, Gerstel spends a lot of time on how to recoup overhead and make a profit, then moves on to other nettlesome issues like change orders and contract writing. It’s an extremely detailed book, but if you put in the effort, it can be worth it.