ETs featured technical paper

HOW TO ESTIMATE THE COST OF GLASS & GLAZING SYSTEMS FOR A CONCEPTUAL ESTIMATE RICHARD D. SCHWARZINGER
DATE WRITTEN: MAY 2005
AUTHOR PAGE Ratios and analysis tools to test final bid. Miscellaneous pertinent information Sample sketch Sample take-off and pricing sheets Glossary References Introduction The purpose of this paper is to give the reader an understanding of how to estimate an exterior aluminum storefront/curtain wall system at the conceptual/ schematic estimate level. We will obviously be making a number of assumptions in order to come up with the quantities for the framing and glazing systems. These assumptions are made by either talking with the Owner and Architect on the appearance they would like to achieve for the building, the type of building (i.e.: medical, educational, industrial, etc.) or from past experiences on similar types of buildings with this Owner or Architect. We will discuss the different finishes and thermal values in the glazing and framing systems. We will also look at the percentage of glass to wall area for efficiencies in the exterior wall system. Main CSI Division Division 8 Doors and Windows Subdivisions 08400 Entrances and Storefronts 08500 Windows 08700 Hardware 08800 Glazing 08900 Glazed Curtain Wall Related CSI Division Division 5 Metals Subdivisions 05100 Structural Metal Framing Related CSI Division Division 7 Thermal and Moisture Protection Subdivisions 07900 Joint Sealers Brief Description There are many different types of window systems in the industry; they range from wood to metal, vinyl or aluminum, non-insulated and insulated, punch and strip windows to name a few. This division of work also includes glass or aluminum doors and frames. But in this paper we will be focusing on exterior aluminum glass & glazing systems, also known as storefront or curtain wall systems. Other types of glass or aluminum doors and frames will not be discussed.

The author is Richard Schwarzinger who is Chief Estimator with the George W. Auch Company in Pontiac, Michigan. They are a General Contractor/Construction Manager working on various types of projects through-out Southeastern Michigan. He has been conceptually estimating for 14 years. Prior to estimating he went to a Technical College for carpentry. He then worked in the trades as a drywaller and carpenter/superintendent for five years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He started his estimating career as a quantity surveyor with a developer who built medical office buildings through-out the United States. He quickly advanced to estimator and after three years he had taken a position with a General Contractor conceptually estimating commercial, medical and industrial types of projects. At that company he essentially created an entire estimating department. He had researched and implemented computerized estimating software and a sitework cut & fill program. After four years he relocated to Michigan to take a position of Senior Estimator with his current employer and in 2001 was promoted to his current position. He has conceptually estimated for various types of projects including renovations, additions and new construction of K-12 schools, colleges & community colleges, hospitals, medical buildings, religious organizations, municipal and commercial buildings, with values ranging from ten thousand to over one hundred million dollars.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Main CSI Division Specific Subdivision / Specification Section Brief Description Types and methods of measurement Factors that may effect take-off, pricing, etc. Effect of small quantities versus large quantities Effect of geographic location Seasonal effect on the work Overview of labor, equipment, material, and indirect costs Special risk consideration

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The main difference between the two systems is basically the height. Curtain wall systems have a larger frame to support the weight of the system and spans more than one floor, while storefront systems can range from small (such as a 3 x 3) windows to larger units that could cover the length of a building. A general rule of thumb that can be used to determine if a window system is a storefront or curtain wall system is that any framing system that is more than 12 in height is considered to be a curtain wall system. Types and Methods of Measurements When conducting a conceptual estimate for Glass & Glazing Systems it is usually quantified in square feet. At the schematic estimate the Glass & Glazing Systems are quantified in square feet and lineal feet. They may be broken down as follows: lineal foot for the framing component and square feet for the glass or glazing component. If the metric equivalent is used, they would be quantified in meters and square meters. To covert to the metric system, the following formulas can be used. Lineal feet to meters .. multiply by .3048 Square feet to square meters multiply by .0929 Factors Effecting Take-Off and Pricing Effect of small quantities vs., large quantities When estimating any project, thought should be given to the size of the project. Smaller projects have a higher cost per square foot than larger projects do. This is due to reduced productivity and higher material pricing. There is a learning curve that affects labor productivity on every project and larger projects can consume that, and thus reduce labor cost. A small project will end before any economies can be realized. Material prices will also be affected by smaller projects. Any setup charges will increase the unit cost of an item. Also it will cost the same for your vender to bring out one item as it would to bring out a whole truck load. Effect of Geographical Location There are several geographical factors to take into consideration that can affect the cost of a project. The estimator should take into account where the project is located. A project located in a downtown area will most likely have parking and/or delivery difficulties along with material/personnel hoist. While a project in a suburban area may have a larger site and is easier to access with a larger footprint building that may not require any special hoisting of materials. The estimator should be aware of labor costs from region to region. Labor rates and fringe benefit packages are different by location; also prevailing wage rates may be required on the project. The labor pool at the location of the project may be depleted and workers from outside the area may need to be used. The estimator will have to be aware of different requirements by local jurisdictions, also if the project is located in a different part of the country. For example a project in an area that has high winds due hurricanes or areas that have

seismic requirements for earthquakes need to be taken into account. Seasonal effect of the Work Productivity can be greatly reduced during the different seasons throughout the country. The extreme cold and snow during the winter months may require winter protection depending on the stage of the project and the project schedule. The estimator may have to include temporary enclosures at openings to tenting in part or the entire project along with temporary heating. During the spring thaw, frost laws that restrict movement of larger vehicles on certain roads will reduce productivity due to the lack of delivery or erection of certain trades. Added costs for loss of productivity during extreme hot weather should also be taken into account especially during the summer months in the southern states. Temporary protection of work or materials should also be a consideration especially during rainy seasons. The seasonal effects of installing glazing systems will influence the labor cost by up to 25% in the winter months. (Walkers 1995) Historical cost of past projects done in the same area and seasonal conditions greatly aid in the accuracy of the estimate. OVERVIEW OF LABOR, MATERIAL, EQUIPMENT, INDIRECT COSTS At the conceptual estimate level the need for having labor, material and equipment broken out is nonexistent. During this stage of the estimating process you may be lucky to have a plan that you can even scale off to create any form of detail to the estimate. Also the need to have labor productivities or the number of man hours at a certain task at this stage is way too early to even think about. The conceptual estimator usually doesnt estimate glass and glazing systems as self performed work. At this stage of the estimate you are really getting an order of magnitude of cost of the project through historical data of past projects that your company has completed. A conceptual estimate can either be a cost per square foot of the entire project or unit cost for a particular division or subdivision of work to be performed and the labor, material and equipment is usually not broken out. As documents are developed to the schematic estimate stage and beyond, the level of detail can also be increased within the estimate. At this level the estimator should have a site plan, a floor plan and exterior elevations that would allow them to provide more detail within the estimate. As far as the conceptual estimators point of view, glass and glazing systems are usually subcontracted out. They will not have the luxury to review the estimate in detail to validate cost except as to just comparing the lump sum cost to their estimated total for that portion of work. There are several factors that can affect the material cost of glass and glazing systems. Availability needs to

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be considered as this will most likely be a long lead time item. Custom colors and different finishes of the framing system is another factor that can increase lead times and cost. The type of glazing finishes and system should also be considered, there are different types and colors of tints, reflective coating, and low E (low emissive coating) options. There are a number of systems out there such as butt glazed or cable suspension systems (spider systems) to name a couple that affect the cost of these systems. As you can see there are a number of factors that can affect the material cost of glass and glazing systems. That is why it is very important for the conceptual estimator to talk with the architect in the early stages of the estimating process to try to get an idea of the type of system they are thinking of using so that the proper cost can be incorporated into the estimate. Equipment is usually calculated from labor production rates of each trade. The estimator should be aware of the equipment for glass and glazing systems, as it will range from small tools to lifts and cranes depending on the type of system that is being installed. Usually smaller storefront systems will only need small tools, while the larger storefront and curtain wall systems will require the added use of lifts and cranes in order to complete those assemblies. After you have completed your estimate you need to apply any overhead and profit items. After you have gone through the entire estimate, the general conditions will have to be done. This is where you account for any cost that you will incur in order to complete the project, your project personnel, administrative costs, temporary facilities, temporary utilities, safety, and clean-up to name a few. At the conceptual estimate stage the estimator may have to use a percentage of cost to calculate the above overhead and burden. Depending on your comfort level and the amount of information you get you may want to have a contingency line item. The amount of contingency used at the early conceptual level could be as high as 20%, and as the documents develop and more information and details are supplied at the design development or construction document level the contingency should be reduced to 5%. Any insurances, bonds and profit should also be applied before your estimate is complete. SPECIAL RISK AND CONSIDERATIONS Pre-construction estimates are defined as conceptual or order of magnitude, schematic, design development and construction or bidding documents. The conceptual estimator will provide separate estimates at each stage throughout the pre-construction phase, and this is why it is in the estimators best interest to have a detailed data base of all divisions of work that they will be

providing estimates for. When estimating at these levels the estimator will need to be in contact with the architect/owner to get an idea of what they would like the project to look like, but the estimator will still have to make many assumptions base upon their experiences of similar types of projects in order to complete the estimate. This is why it is very important for the conceptual estimator to have good historical cost records of similar types of projects. These records will help to minimize the possibility of an error and alert the estimator of any special conditions that may have taken place on similar types of projects. When conceptually estimating glass and glazing systems, attention needs to be given to the framing. As shown in sketch 1 below, adding two rows of mullions the cost of framing increases the cost by more than 50% which in turn will increase the overall cost by 25%. Thats why meeting with the architect to get an idea of the look they are trying to achieve is very critical to the accuracy of the estimate. Another consideration that has been affecting the construction industry lately is LEED. As a conceptual estimator you need to know if the owner would like to have a LEED certified building because this can affect the Glass & Glazing tremendously. There may be the requirement of not having any tinting or reflective coatings on the glass, along with increased glass quantities in order to get the points for the certification. There also may be a desire to utilize recycled aluminum which may reduce cost; however the architect and owner need to be informed that the quality of the finish will not be perfect. RATIOS AND ANALYSIS The use of ratios and analysis in conceptual estimating is essential in order to aid in your quantity take-off and it is a good back check on any estimate you may be working on. A typical exterior wall to floor ratio should range between 35% and 40% and the glass to wall area should range between 25% and 30% of the wall area. The following rules of thumb for this example will be 40% of exterior wall per square foot of building and 25% of Glass & Glazing per exterior wall area. If the average ratio of exterior wall per square foot of building is typically 40% and you have an 11,250sf building then the exterior wall is 4,500sf. Then the area of Glass and Glazing would be 25% of the 4,500sf or 1,125sf. This is shown in the sample estimate 1 below, as you can see the costs are relatively close which would help in either aiding as a back check or give the estimator an area to look at in the case of a budgetary problem. MISCELLANEOUS PERTINENT INFORMATION The goal of the conceptual estimator is to be the second bidder, not the lowest bidder, while maintaining

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accuracy in the estimate. At this time in the preconstruction process you are essentially establishing or verifying a budget, and if the estimate is low that means the project is over budget. The conceptual estimator is using their expertise to give the most accurate and detailed information to the project team so economic decisions can be made. These estimates are done relatively early in the design process, sometimes even before any documents are developed. The conceptual estimator is continually asked to give breakout cost or analysis of different components of the project that the owner or engineers are trying to analyze for design or cost impacts. It is from these efforts that projects can proceed or be terminated based upon the efforts of the conceptual estimator. Aluminum Storefront and Curtain wall systems consist of numerous components. The framing consists of the header, jamb, sill, horizontal and vertical mullions, corner posts and steel stiffeners. (window detail 1) The standard framing finish is mill which is a bare aluminum color. From that you can add numerous other finishes and there approximate cost increases are shown below. Clear anodized finishes add 10% more to the framing cost, bronze anodized finishes add 15% to the framing cost. To go to a standard color in a Kynar finish adds 25% to the framing cost. If the color black is specified add 30% more to the framing cost. There are other finishes like stainless steel, bronze and a monumental that can add 50% or more to the cost of the framing. If youre not in the glass & glazing business I suggest that you call for pricing on these specialty finishes. The glass has different finishes and applications also, theres standard clear glass, tinted, reflective, insulated, butt glazed and low E. A standard tint will add 10% while a reflective film will add 15% to the cost of the glass. The Low E and butt glazed glass will add 15% to the cost of the glass also. To go from a non insulated glazing system to an insulated glazing system will add 30% to 50% to the glass cost. The unit cost data in the sample estimates for this paper are based upon RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data, 63rd Annual Edition. No regional or area adjustments were factored into the unit costs. For the purpose of this paper I have included a conceptual floor plan (sample plan) that is intended to illustrate a proposed building addition. This sample plan shows a typical elevation for the proposed addition along with my take-off of the glass & glazing system used in the following estimates. Since most estimators now use some sort of computerized program whether it be estimating specific or an excel spread sheet, I thought it would be appropriate if the estimates provided for in this paper were done on a computerized estimating software (MC2). There are two sample estimates. The

first one (sample estimate 1) is showing two ways of conceptually estimating storefront systems by either area of building or area of windows. These types of conceptual estimates are used when you have no other information about the project. The quantities are arrived at by either the architect stating the size of the project or by the analysis stated above in the Ratios and Analysis section. The other (sample estimate 2) is a more detailed estimate that is showing the different components of a glass and glazing system. This type of estimate can be done as early as the schematic estimate with the appropriate assumptions through construction documents. The pricing of these estimates will differ based upon your local labor rates, productivities and material prices in your area. The pricing in both of these estimates were done for the sole purpose of this paper and in no way resemble any project. GLOSSARY Storefront/Curtain Wall a non-structural faade that encloses a building. (R.S. Means 1986) Glazing Gaskets attached directly to the mullion, sill and head extrusions. (R.S. Means 1986) Low E Low emissive coating Butt Glazing A window system that involves the support of only the window panels at the head and sill by gaskets and the glass is butt-jointed with silicone sealant at the mullions. (R.S. Means 1986) LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design A voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council

REFERENCES Frank R. Walker Company Walkers Building Estimators Reference Book 25th Edition 1995 R.S. Means Company, Inc. Means Graphic Construction Standards 1986 R.S. Means Company, Inc. Building Construction Cost Data, 63rd Annual Edition 2005

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