Summary

These notes are a rough guide for the beginning of Estimating, students should
refer to their book for in depth discussion.

CMGT 343 Estimating Table of Contents

Summary...........................................................................................................................................i
Table of Contents............................................................................................................................iii
Chapt 1.............................................................................................................................................5
Why Estimate?...........................................................................................................................5
Owners perspective..............................................................................................................
Contractors perspective......................................................................................................
Who are estimators?.............................................................................................................
Estimating Process.....................................................................................................................6
Types of Estimates.....................................................................................................................7
/ Project Comparison/ Parametric (Conceptual)..................................................................
Square Foot or SF (Preliminary)..........................................................................................
Assembly..............................................................................................................................
Unit Price/ Item/ Quantity survey (Detailed).......................................................................
The Estimator (1-4)....................................................................................................................7
Contract Documents 1-7............................................................................................................8
Plans and Specs..........................................................................................................................8
Addenda...............................................................................................................................
Chapt 2.............................................................................................................................................8
Agreement Provisions................................................................................................................8
Bonds.........................................................................................................................................8
Insurance....................................................................................................................................8
Chapt 3.............................................................................................................................................8
CSI MASTERFORMAT............................................................................................................8
General Conditions (3-7)...........................................................................................................9
Supplemental Conditions (3-8)..................................................................................................9
Technical Trade sections (3-9)...................................................................................................9
Alternates (3-10)........................................................................................................................9
Addenda (3-11)..........................................................................................................................9
Errors in Specs (3-12)................................................................................................................9
Chapt 6.............................................................................................................................................9
Overhead, Contingencies or Mark ups.......................................................................................9
Overhead (6-1,2,3).............................................................................................................
Contingency (6-5)..............................................................................................................
Profit 10
Escalation...........................................................................................................................
Chapt 7...........................................................................................................................................10
Labor........................................................................................................................................10
Union Labor.......................................................................................................................
ii

Non union labor (open shop).............................................................................................

State/ Local Public Works..................................................................................................
Davis Bacon wage..............................................................................................................
Other Resources.............................................................................................................................11
Equipment................................................................................................................................11
Rental Rates.......................................................................................................................
Contractor owned...............................................................................................................
Materials..................................................................................................................................12
Time 12
Money......................................................................................................................................13
Subcontracts.............................................................................................................................13
Estimating......................................................................................................................................13
Parametric Estimating Total Cost Method (TCM)...................................................................13
Procedure for Preliminary/ Parametric Example (Total Cost Method)...................................13
Preliminary/ Parametric Example............................................................................................13
Square Foot Estimate...............................................................................................................14
Procedure for SF Estimate.......................................................................................................14
SF Example..............................................................................................................................15
Unit Price/ item estimate..........................................................................................................16
Unit Price Data Book Data......................................................................................................16
Line Item Bid Procedure..........................................................................................................16
Line Item Example...................................................................................................................17
Excavation................................................................................................................................19
Soil Type............................................................................................................................
Swell & Compaction..........................................................................................................
Equipment..........................................................................................................................
New Site Grades and Rough Grading................................................................................
Top Soil Removal..............................................................................................................
General Excavation............................................................................................................
Backfilling..........................................................................................................................
Asphalt Paving...................................................................................................................
Concrete...................................................................................................................................21
Estimating Procedure.........................................................................................................
Reinforcing........................................................................................................................
Vapor Barrier......................................................................................................................
Expansion Joint fillers........................................................................................................
Concrete finishing..............................................................................................................
Concrete Curing.................................................................................................................
Forms 23
Wood........................................................................................................................................23
Floor Framing....................................................................................................................
Wall Framing......................................................................................................................
Ceiling Assembly...............................................................................................................
Roof Assembly...................................................................................................................
Thermal and Moisture Protection............................................................................................26
Insulation............................................................................................................................

iii

Roofing..............................................................................................................................
Doors and Windows.................................................................................................................26
Windows............................................................................................................................
Doors 26
Finishes....................................................................................................................................27
Drywall..............................................................................................................................
Flooring..............................................................................................................................
Electrical..................................................................................................................................27
Mechanical...............................................................................................................................27

iv

Chapt 1
Course goal: expose students to the process of estimating and develop skills need to produce
quantity estimates. This course will not make you a skilled estimator, only OJT in the
construction field can to that. This course will provide a solid background in the tools,
processes, and techniques to apply in the field.
Why Estimate?
Owners perspective
Need a way to develop budgets and cost proposals. Owners estimates are often done before
design is completed, design may only be about 5% complete, really only conceptual.
Contractors perspective
Contractors will Bid a project. Need to understand what it will cost and best method to build a
project. Contractor estimate will be the most accurate. Normally done after design is finalized.
Who are estimators?
Typically people who do the grunt work to win the jobs. Extremely knowledgeable about
construction cost and methods. Their knowledge combined with PMs field and contract smarts
will win profitable jobs.
Sample organizations:

Very Small
Construction Co

Very Large
Construction Co
STAFF
Subcontract Admin
Estimator
Engineer
Purchasing
Office Manager
Scheduler
Safety
Quality Control

Owner/ President/
Board

Owner
Estimator
Worker

Construction
Executive
Subs
PM

PM

PM

Jobs/ Sups/
Engrs
Jobs/ Sups/
Engrs
Jobs/ Sups/
Engrs
What are the wages of these individuals?
Occupation
Guess
Owner
President
PM
Engineer
Scheduler
Safety
Super
Estimator

Industry
0-?
$100K +
$60 80K
$50 60K
$40 60K
$40 60K
$40 70 K
$40 100K

Estimating Process
Review overhead
10 factors to consider when deciding to bid:
1. Type of project
2. Size of project
3. Location
4. Who the A/E or Architect is & quality of plans & specs
5. Who the owner is
6. Specialized work
7. Anticipated problems
6

8. Safety considerations
9. Need for work
10. Bonding capacity
Types of Estimates
/ Project Comparison/ Parametric (Conceptual)
The roughest estimate. Normally only done to determine a ball park price. Cost of new
construction based on past projects. Need to be careful with this approach, must use recent and
similar projects. Used by owners to determine if project is go no go.
Square Foot or SF (Preliminary)
A little better than preliminary but still typically only used as a guide. Again mostly used by
owners to gain approval of project/ or decide if project is viable. Design is incomplete, maybe
only 20-40%. Use published data on SF cost to estimate proposed cost of project. Data is
published in means BCCD book.
Assembly
Intermediate estimate. Assembles typical work into groups ie excavating, forming, and pouring
concrete spread footers, find a price by LF. Need to know how project will be built, design may
be 40-70% complete. Normally used by engineering and architectural firms when developing
cost of a project. Used by Contractors for repetitive things they do in combination with unit
price estimate. Will not be done in this class, but next term we will learn how to build
assemblies.
Unit Price/ Item/ Quantity survey (Detailed)
Final and most accurate estimate. Based on completed design and how construction will actually
be performed. This combined with assemblies is how contractors bid projects. The item
estimate take the most amount of time, it is expensive for contractor to do, yet very important.
This class will focus on this type of estimate. Quantity Survey are typical of Highway jobs.
The Estimator (1-4)
Must have
1. Read & quantify plans
2. Knowledge of math
3. Patience
4. Able to visualize project
5. Construction experience
6. Knowledge of labor productivity and operations
7. Computer guru, excel, data base, specialized commercial software
8. Work under pressure

Contract Documents 1-7

Plans and Specs
Projects designed and let for bid or negotiation. Specifications, particularly the general
conditions form the rule of how project will be administered. These add cost to a project but a
subject for an entire other class. Need to understand the plans are not by themselves, specs also
form the contract and need to be gone over before a project is bid.
Addenda
Modifications to the contract documents before bids are received.
Bids must be made based on the contract documents not just the plans

Chapt 2
Agreement Provisions
Scope of the work
Time to completion
Progress Payments
Retainage
Schedule of values
Bonds
Bid bond, ensures contractor will enter into contract if bid is accepted.
Performance bond, guarantees to the owner that the project will be completed if contractor
defaults
Payment bond, guarantees workers and suppliers will get paid
Bonding rates based on experience, total cost of work, past record, 1-3%
Insurance
L&I required by law, rates based on incidence rate & type of work, 1-30%
General Liability use of motor vehicles, third party, in this class use 3%

Chapt 3
CSI MASTERFORMAT
Most widely used method of organizing and coding construction work. You need to memorize
the CSI MASTERFORMAT. All construction documents, estimates, costs, budgets, bids etc are
organized after the CSI MASTERFORMAT.
Divisions:
1. General Conditions, the rules of the contract, payments, submittals, etc
2. Site Work, excavation, backfilling, pavement, landscaping

3. Concrete, footings, slabs, beams, walls, reinforcing

4. Masonry, CMU, brick, rock
5. Metals, fasteners, structural steel, metal studs, stairs
6. Wood and Plastics, framing, floors, wood decking, fiberglass, countertops
7. Thermal & Moisture Protection, insulation, roofs, sealant
8. Doors & Windows, all shapes and sizes, curtain walls
9. Finishes, Gypsum board, terrazzo, wood floors, carpet, painting, wall papr
10. Specialties, wall hangings, partitions, bathroom accessories
11. Equipment, food service, retail, medical
12. Furnishings, casework, furniture
13. Special Construction, clean rooms, pre-engineered buildings, underground tanks
14. Conveying Systems, elevators, moving walks, bridge cranes
15. Mechanical, plumbing, fire systems, HVAC
16. Electrical, wiring, receptacles, lighting
General Conditions (3-7)
Generally how owners does biz, right and responsibilities of all parties
Supplemental Conditions (3-8)
Specific to this job
Technical Trade sections (3-9)
Follow CSI, details that accompany plans, ie paint requirements, steel type, performance
requirements ie work in 20 to 110 degrees F
Alternates (3-10)
Typically deductive or additive items because the owner has a tight budget and not sure he can
afford them.
Also gets up front competitive if he adds them later on
Addenda (3-11)
Errors in Specs (3-12)
How are plans and specs made?
Will have errors or holes
RFI = Request For Information = Clarification
Becomes Change Order = Modification when RFI answer involves more time or $

Chapt 6
Overhead, Contingencies or Mark ups
Things added to the final cost of items and subcontractors to include cost that are not included in
an item by item estimate.

Overhead (6-1,2,3)
For small contractor may be a small normally 10% to large contractor that calculate a different
OH # for each project.
OH cost normally separated in field and home
Home Office OH salaries, office rent, electricity, etc, generally stated as a percentage
Field or job OH cost: trailer, super, materials handling, Bonds, telephone, etc, generally listed
by line item + a percentage.
In this class we will not detail this out in our bids or estimates. But you need to understand
normally an estimator will make a list of line items of these things and account for them in an
estimate. We will use a straight 10%.
Contingency (6-5)
May put this into a bid if rushed to finish estimate or the work is particularly difficult ie
rehabilitation work. May add to you bid if you are second low on a number of bids. This value
may be about 1-10%.
Profit
How much $ does the company want to make on this project after all cost? Depends on the
market, in tight markets this number is 3-5%, in good times it may go as high as 15%.
Escalation
May put this into the bid if not expected to do the work for awhile, or you are escalating the cost
of due to a particular owner or Architect. Ie brothers car shop in Bellingham, GC who doesnt
really want to but builds custom home (mansion) for client.

Chapt 7
Labor
Very general rule of thumb, labor is about the cost of construction.
Labor rates are published in cost books or required by state, federal or union rules. Labor is very
much a function of supply and demand. In Seattle a skilled carpenters can do very well, in
Klictitat co carpenters make only $10/ hour.
Labor in terms of cost to a contractor is not just $ paid to workers. Contractors must pay what is
called labor burden. Burden is fringe benefits, mandatory taxes, (FICA, L&I), unemployment
insurance etc.
When using labor rates must make sure you know what is included in the $/hr figure.
Labor productivity is a function of: labor availability, working conditions, climatic conditions,
job site set up

10

Union Labor
Mandated rates for contractor that are union shops. Must make sure are estimating with
currently negotiated contract.
Non union labor (open shop)
Contractor will maintain database of labor cost per region, city they do work in. If havent done
work in this city for awhile, may use cost guides to adjust labor cost. Ie Means location codes.
State/ Local Public Works
Mandate a labor rate to be paid in areas of the state. Go over hand out in class. But estimate
needs to reflect cost of obtaining good skilled labor. IE VK Powell in Kickitat county with
carpenters State wage says $10/hr, but his skilled carpenters from Yakima wont work for that
wage. If you want an efficient job, need to pay more than the state required wage sometimes.
Davis Bacon wage
Federally mandated wage rate, normally based on what unions are paying in metropolitan areas.
As above need to use care in applying to rural settings.

Other Resources
Construction involves combining or managing 5 resources
1. Labor
2. Equipment
3. Materials
4. Time
5. Money
Subcontractors may constitute a major portion of 1-3
Equipment
Basically two types; contractor owned and rental. Your Means book provides rental rates in the
General Requirements section. When we estimate work in this class we will use items that
include the cost of the equipment in the crew listings. But if you need to estimate equipment
cost for a specific project, type or phase of work Means is a good place to start.
Rental Rates
Rental rates include: vendors cost of ownership, OH, & profit.
We will use the means book in this class.
For rental rates go to Division 1, section 016 in Means
Means list operating cost less operator ie fuel, etc and rental cost If you need an hourly rate
for both operating and rental cost you must calculate it.
Note Means lists Crew Equipment Cost which is based on a weekly rental rate.
(Operating cost +rental rate)/ per hour = Crew equipment cost/8
Whats the hourly rate that includes both rental and operation cost for a whacky packer page
19.
11

$31.55/day /8 hr/ day = approx $4/hr

Whats the hourly rate that includes both rental and operation cost for a Backhoe, Cy
capacity page 19.
$218/day/ 8 hr/ day = $27.25
Need to be real careful what cost you quoate from Means or any book, be sure you understand
what they are including.
How do contractor estimate rental costs?
Get copies of rental rates from vendors they normally use, or in the location of the job site, this
can change drastically. Also need to be aware of delivery cost. For a small piece of equipment
the contractor may just throw it in the truck, for heavy equipment there may be a $500 charge for
both pick up and delivery.
Contractor owned
Cost continues whether or not the equipment is being used or not. (reason a lot of contractor
dont own a lot of equipment)
General rule of thumb is that Contractor ownership cost is about 70% of rental cost.
So for Whacky packer above contractor ownership cost is about
(0.&) x ($31.55/day) = approx $22/day
Contractors use various methods to establish ownership cost to include in their bids. But this rule
of thumb is what State/ federal and Architect use to establish fair and reasonable price during
change orders or force account work.
What is Force Account work? Typical of highway work, when in a changed condition the
contract will specify what rate equipment will be paid at.
Materials
In this class we will use the Means BCCD book for material prices. Real contractors use quotes
from local vendors. This is done over the phone or through price list. Typicall a formal process
is developed so estimators are on mailers form vendors and prices are adjusted accordingly. This
is going to electronic databut not quite there yet.
Also Sweets Catalog is a collection of Manufactures Catalogs. Contractors use this to find
material that will meet specs & call vendors to get current prices. Sweets has several books and
generally laid out following the CSI MASTERFORMAT.
Need to include the cost of taxes
Time
Topic of another course, scheduling. Estimates on big jobs are done in conjunction with the
schedule to determine the # of crews, shifts, and method of construction.

12

For this class you need to know time has a value associated with it. As a general rule the
contractor that can complete a project on time or ahead of schedule will make $.
Money
Major resource to contractors. They typically have to fund a certain portion of the work until
they are paid. Generally a contractors is paid for his work by periodic payments. Example of the
ships building when $1M invoice got delayed.
In this class we will assume $ is available to finance the start and finish of all projects.
Subcontracts
How most of the work gets done nowadays. Some consider the subcontractors as resources that
need to be managed. In this class we may get prices from subs to perform a portion of the work.

Estimating
Parametric Estimating Total Cost Method (TCM)
Method to estimate cost of similar construction. Used a rough guide for preliminary, feasibility
or check on detailed estimate. Most contractors will contain data bases that contain this type of
information.
Uses a TCM to adjust cost based on complexity or project
TCM= SF0.9 buildings
TCM= SF0.6 complex projects, hospitals, plants
Where SF = Size Factor = Proposed size/comparison size
Procedure for Preliminary/ Parametric Example (Total Cost Method)
1. Find similar projects to the one you are estimating, establish $/SF cost
2. Set up an organized table to work from
3. Find Size Factor, SF= Proposed Size/ Comparison size
4. Find Total Cost Multiplier, TCM= SF0.9 buildings, TCM= SF0.6 complex projects
5. Find Adjusted Unit Cost by multiplying TCM x comparison unit cost.
6. Find Projected Total Cost by multiplying Adjusted Unit Cost by project SF.
7. Round to an appropriate value. Never use cents in final answer. For preliminary estimates
round to nearest $100 or $1000.
8. Ask your self does this value make sense?

Preliminary/ Parametric Example

Given: 4000 SqF small office building, and want preliminary cost
13

Known: 5500 SqF office building @ $675K, 2000 SqF office building @ $215K
Total Area SF
Total Cost
Unit Cost $/SF
Size factor
Cost Multiplier
Adjusted Unit Cost
Projected Total Cost

Example # 1
5500
$475K
$675K/5500= $122.73/SF
4000/5500= 0.73
0.730.9= 0.75
$122.73 x 0.75= $92.1/SF
$92.1 x 4000= $368K

Example # 2
2000
$215K
$215K/2000= $107.50/SF
4000/2000= 2
2.00.9= 1.87
$107.5 x 1.87= $200.6/SF
$200.6 x 4000= $802K

Cost Multiplier
TCM= SF0.9 for buildings
Rounded to nearest $1000, notice range $368K to $802K. Need to be very careful with these
types of estimates, should use higher value when giving to client or management. Why? If
project gets approved at higher cost and actually cost less can add things. If a project gets
approved at lower cost and actually comes in higher, project may get killed, or will cause plenty
of illwill.
Square Foot Estimate
Similar to preliminary and only a little more accurate. This method uses published data, e.g.
Means Square Foot Cost and your book BCCD has a section in the back with SF cost. This is
used much more often in industry by A/E firms to get an early estimate of a projects cost. Must
be very careful when using this method because its not very accurate. Joe Robbie stadium in
Miami, owners or A & E firms tried to use this as a bench mark SF cost guide. What they didnt
know was the owner ran low on money at the end, and lot of extras were cut from the project
like paving the parking lots, finishes were left rough, etc. When A/E firms used this as a SF
guide the value was mistakenly low.
SF cost are also useful as a rough guide for estimators bidding projects. If bid has a SF cost that
is out of line something may be wrong.
Procedure for SF Estimate
1. Determine the type, SF, # stories, and perimeter of proposed building.
2. Determine the general type of construction, i.e. steel frame, exterior cladding, and generally
if proposed building is economy, average or luxury.
3. Look up SF cost from Means and multiply proposed building SF times look up value.
4. Preferable to use SF cost book but in this class we will use Division 17 in your book for SF
cost, remember these are average prices.
5. Use , median, , e.g. means 25% had lower cost the this value, means 75% had lower
cost than this value. Use judgement to choose correct percentage.
6. Find your SF cost then multiply by the city code.
7. Then multiply it by the size code. Get credit for size factor.

14

SF Example
Want to build a 128,000 SF Fred Myer in Ellensburg, What is an estimated cost based on SF?
City of Ellensburg has many histrotical requirements & site work with moving a stream.
Only information we have is a department store @ 128,000 SF
Got to table in BCCD page 473 find total cost of based on stringent requirements of city of
Ellensburg of $63.80/ SF. What if Bi-Mart was coming to current location?
Cost = 128,000 x $63.80/ SF = $8,166,400
City code, or Location factor, page 650 use Yakima
$7,942,400 x 102.2 = $8,346,100 rounded to nearest $100
Size factor page 574 (explain why you wouldnt use retail store)
Proposed / typical size from chart
128,000/90,000 = 1.42 SHOW OH
Enter area conversion scale on chart on pg 574
Find cost multiplier of .97
$8,346,100 x 0.97 = $8,096,000 rounded to nearest $1000
A/E may use this value as a preliminary figure. Bidder may use this to check unit price bid, e.g.
what if bid estimate came in around $5M?
SF Example
Fred Myer
SF
BCCD
Cost
$/SF pg
473
128,000
63.8 8166400
Location Factor
BCCD pg 650
Yakima
Size Factor
128000/90000
Cost multiplyer
from page 574

cost
1.022 8166400 8346061
1.42

Final Cost rounded to

$1000
0.97 8346061 8096000

15

Unit Price/ item estimate

Construction Estimate deals with 5 or 6 resources, need to account for:
1. Labor, trades and OH types
2. Equipment, bulldozers, cranes, rentals
3. Materials, bricks and mortar
4. Time, how long something takes and scheduling
5. Money, how much the contractor has to finance, mark ups
6. Subcontractors
In this class we will use Means for costing data to develop unit price estimates. Very few
contractors use Means, except for a check or starting point. They use their own means
developed over the years of contracting. So what we use is similar but not the same as each
contractor will have developed.
Unit Price Data Book Data
How we will do our estimates, by using the Means BCCD book.
Labor, Equipment, & Materials are combined to form the estimate. OH is included in these line
items or added at the end. In this class we will develop estimates with bare cost then add our
own mark ups.
Estimate is set up with a hierarchy:
Phase (one of the 16 divisions)
Task, work that requires resources of material, time, equipment, material to complete e.g.
build concrete retaining wall (excavate, form, pour concrete, finish) or lay pipe (excavate,
place bedding stone, place pipe, backfill)
Line item, the smallest individual unit of work listed in BCCD. E.g. excavate, form, pour
concrete, finish are all line items.
Line Item Bid Procedure
This is a process I want you to follow, most companies do something similar, mostly what is
different is amounts of mark ups and where or when they are applied in the estimate. Try to keep
it simple.
1. Determine unit quantities from plans and specs. Try and do the same procedure every time,
ie go left to right or clockwise on drawings. Estimate as the job gets built, ie excavation,
footers, floors, etc
2. Apply means BCCD to find bare cost for Materials, labor and equipment.
3. Apply mark ups to bare cost:
Materials 8%
Labor Mark up 25-50 %, based on crew Type and inside back cover of BCCD. Only apply
Column B & C. For example 022-286-0010 uses crew B-10B, mostly equipment operator
(med), from inside back cover Column B=11.4% then mark up = 11.4+16.5 or about 28%
Equipment mark up 10%
4. Combine Materials + Labor + Equipment to obtain subtotal
5. Add mark ups:

16

B & O Tax use 0.5% this is mandated by state and is based on volume and type of work
contractor is classified as
Insurance, use 1.5% percent well use this as liability and builders risk, rates based on
industry and developed track record
Bond use 2%, normally these are prorated by value ie 0-$1M is 2% , $1-10M is 1.5%
Overhead is 1-10% depends on how much you account for in general conditions
Profit 2-10%, based on size, complexity, need, etc

Line Item Example

Example from page 180 Framing, Sills Treated Lumber
Show a line item for framing using 2 x 4 treated lumber, 06110-560-4600
See UNIT in means is in MBF or 1000 Board Feet, also known as mfbm or 1000 feet of board
measure:
BF=(WxTxL)/12, W = with, T=Thickness, L=Length
How many MBF in 800 studs?, where stud is 2x4 by 8
MBF = ((2x4x 8)/12)x800studs/1000BF/MBF = 4.27MBF
Typically dealing with wood you include a waste factor, depends on project, amount and type of
framing, ie small project not a lot of cuts 2-3%, large custom built houses framing project 510%.
If your project required 850BF of treated 2x4 lumber for sills the material would cost:
BCCD ref 06110-560-4600 page 180
($985/1000BF) 850 = $837.25 remember this is bare must add mark ups, O & P
Labor to frame is similar, Wood framing Studs, 8 wall, manual nailing say 2MBF
2 x 4, your labor cost would be: pg 181 BCCD ref 0611-560-6020
($850/MBF) x (2MBF) = $1700 remember this is bare must add mark ups, O & P
Backyard Basketball Court, just form, WWF & Crete
Form with 2x6x10 boards
SOG 20 x 20, 400ft2, 80LF, (400SF)x(51/2x1/12)/27CY/CF=6.79CY
Plus 10% waste, use 71/2 CY crete

17

SOG 20' x 20' basket ball court

Form, WWF, crete
Perimeter is
80
80LF
SF is
400
400SF
CY of crete
7.5
is 7.5CY
Item

Form
WWF
Crete

pg

BCCD ref MTL

96 03110445-3000
107 03220200-0200
110 03310240-4700

Lab Equi unit unit $mtl $lab $equip total

or p
me
asu
re
0.32 1.42
0 80 LF
26
114
0

10.55 16.2
0
4 CSF 42
5
74 26.5 0.41 7.5 CY 555

65

199

623
377
8% 0.08 50
mtl
C-14e
0.36
135.85
use
11.5+16.5
28%
Equip
0.1
10%
673
513
B&O
Insura
nce
Bond
OH
Profit

0
3 1189
0.005
6
0.015
17
0.02
0.05
0.1
total
Bid

23
59
118
1415
1415

18

Excavation
The first work typically done on a construction project. Need to determine amount of soil to be
excavated , cut or filled, back filled, compacted etc.
You will learn to calculate excavation quanitites from topographic maps, excavation
requirements for footings, slabs, and parking lots. Also well learn how to calculate asphalt
paving requirements.
Soil Type
1st thing an estimator will consider. Type of soil impacts cost of excavation, fill or disposal. For
example, most specs say to remove excess material from the site. If this material is clean topsoil,
the topsoil may be sold or at least delivered for free, but if material is unsuitable for topsoil
contractor may have to pay to have this material deposited somewhere.
Example, building Child Care Center, had a change order to increase the size of the parking lot.
This requires excavating more soil than in original contract. But also had a ball field project that
needed fill material. I had the Child Care Center contractor deliver the soil to the ball field and
got a credit from the ball field builder.
Swell & Compaction
Soil expands when it is dug up, called swell, or % gained above original volume. When soil is
delivered to the site and compacted this is called shrinkage, % of volume loss.
Percentage of Swell and Shrinkage
Material
Swell Percentage
Sand and Loam
10-18%
Loam
15-25%
Dense clay
20-30%
Solid Rock
40-60%

Shrinkage Percentage
95-100%
90-100%
90-100%
85%

Example
Gravel sub-base for concrete slab. 100 x 100 x 6, How many CY do you order from the pit?
Assume shrinkage of 95%
Required CY=(100 x 100 x 6/12)/12ft3/CY = 185.2 CY
CY with allowance for shrinkage = 185.2CY/0.95 = 195CY
Equipment
Should know generally what equipment is used for what jobs. Selection is of prime importance,
based on economics, ie backhoe or large excavator, backhoe is cheaper but less efficient, large
excavator very productive but very expensive.
Shovel, all excavations require some hand work, but always kept to a minimum.
Front End Loaded, wheel or track, used in pits, large excavations, can load trucks directly.
Bulldozer, shallow excavations, clear and grub, roads, leveling.

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Backhoe, mainstay of smaller construction because is so versatile, basements, trenches, pier

footings etc.
Scrapper, mostly just for roads or very large sites, can cut, transport and fill soil.
Grader, just for leveling.
Excavator, digs large holes, attachments for breaking and moving rock.
Small landscaping ie bobcats use in tight locations, residential.
New Site Grades and Rough Grading
From site plans can get topographic information to calculate the amount of cut or fill required at
a site. Cutting is removing soil, fill is bring soil to the site to raise it to the requires level.
GO OVER EXAMPLE FROM SITE WORK HANDOUT
CLASS ASSIGNMENT SIMILAR TO EXAMPLE.
Top Soil Removal
Specs normally require top soil be spread over any areas that were disturbed. Top soil depth
varies from almost nothing to many feet. Specs will say to what depth to save topsoil. If there
isnt enough soil, may be required to buy topsoil. Typically this topsoil is striped off and saved
on site.
General Excavation
Handout copies of pages 107-117
Normally need to dig for footings, basements, parking lots etc. For footings need to account for
space for the workers to form up footers. Normally this distance is 1-2. Deep excavations need
to be sloped to prevent cave in, this slope is determined from the angle of repose. If not sloped
must use sheet piling, in trenches must use cave in protection devices.
Excavation

Soil
Angle of Repose

Material
Gravel
Clay
Sand

Angle of Repose
Wet
15-25
15-25
20-35

Moist
20-30
25-40
35-50

Dry
24-40
40-60
25-40

Depth of cut = Top of the grade bottom of fill under slab or footing. If top soil has been
removed then deduct this from depth of cut.
To determine amount of excavation, need to find:
1. Building footprint
2. Distance footing projects from wall
3. Working space required between footing and soil (normally 2)
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4.
5.
6.
7.

Elevation of existing land

Type of soil, found from boring samples.
Whether excavation is sloped or sheet piled.
Required depth of excavation, found by subtracting bottom of excavation elevation from site
elevation.

Show average length of cut as shown on page 109

Go thru example on page 110.
Backfilling
Need to replace soil back against the footing. Best method is to calculate area of back fill
required and multiply be LF of footer to find CY. Will also need to spread topsoil to get to finish
grade. Specs normally require at the very least reseeding and normally will require landscaping (
almost always subcontracted out.
Asphalt Paving
Typically has four layers
Compacted subgrade (compacted the existing material)
Subbase course (normally 6 of gravel or crushed rock)
Binding Course (asphalt normally about 2)
Wearing course (asphalt normally about 1)
Asphalt paving is almost always subcontracted due to specialized equipment required.
Will want to plan you project normally put the binding course down early, to get the site out of
the mud, then wearing course is done last to look good.
Concrete
Handout copies of pages 126-129
One of the most versatile construction materials. Easy to work with, very strong, and made into
almost any shape. Mostly use for foundations, slabs, beams and columns, but can be used as an
architectural feature, ie Psychology building.
Concrete is made form Cement, water and aggregates(sand and rocks) Too much water makes
weak concrete. Can be specified to various strength levels, typically get 3000psi concrete from
the batch plant (this is called ready mix). But with certain admixes can get concrete over 10ksi.
Always sold by the CY, includes delivery, may be additional fees for short loads ie less than 4CY,
or on Saturdays. Concrete take time to cure, normally about 3 days, wait at least a couple of days
before putting materials on it.
Estimating Procedure
1. Review the specs for: Type, strength, color of concrete required.
2. List each concrete item required on the project.

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3. Determine the quantities from the drawings, footings can be found on the profile views of
wall sections.
Go thru example on page 126 & 127, show how to build spread sheet like one on page 132.
Explain: Footings, simple spread footing. Formed piers, foundation walls, grade beams, SOG,
roof slabs.
Reinforcing
Handout pages 138-142
Reinforcing bars, or rebar or deformed bars, what gives concrete its tensile strength. Rebar is
sized by #s, #s represent the # of 1/8th of an inch its diametr is eg #3 rebar ahs a bar diameter of
3/8. Rebar is estimated by the LF but bought by $/100 pounds or $cwt. Specs may require
special costing, ie zinc/ galvanized or painted, this thyoe of rebar is much more expensive and
must be special ordered. Need to allow for splicing & waste, see splicing lengths on page 140.
Normally rebar is mostly fabricated in the shop and sent to the site, less waste and easier to work
on in the shop. Also rebar needs to be specially placed in the concrete, to ensure it provide the
proper tensile strength and coverage. Use chairs or blocks to raise rebar.
WWF or Welded Wire Fabric, used mostly in slabs but also as temperature steel in columns
and beams. This mesh is specified as 6x6 10/10 which means the wire spacing is 6 x 6 and it
uses #10 gage wire. WWF is sold by the roll, (roll = 750 SF), unless very small quantity is
required. Therefore when estimated need to determine how many rols to buy.
Show example pages 141-142, go thru continuous footing long and short bars, Vertical & Hz
wall bars, and dowels (error, should read 2 dowels)
Do example of wire mesh reinforcing, page 146, find # of rolls.
Vapor Barrier
Polyethylene is laid down under concrete to prevent moisture from coming up through the slab.
This is division 7 stuff but normally estimated with the concrete work.
Expansion Joint fillers
Made from ashpaltic materials, or sponge rubber, as required by the specs. Almost always
between a slab and a vertical surface. Estimates by the LF and come in sizes ranging from to
8 .
Concrete finishing
Depends on the finish required, but all exposed concrete will require some finish if even to just
knock off the rough spots.
Specs will define:
Troweling, SOG, walks, stairs can be mechanical or by hand
Float, SOG, walks, stairs
Broom, mostly for walks & stairs

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Sandblasting, exposes the aggregates, decorative walls, looks like pebbles on exterior
Rubbed, with burlap & grout, creates a rough finish that looks like rough plaster used on
decorative walls
Concrete Curing
Concrete gets its strength from the chemical reaction of water and cement, curing may be
specified as 3-14 days depending on type and location.
May need additional moisture to keep from cracking.
Must be kept from freezing, by heating or insulation blankets. Some contracts may limit
concrete placement to certain temperature requirements.
If special heating or moisture requirements are needed the estimator must account for them.
Forms
Most concrete is poured in forms, sometimes can save $ by pouring neat eg use footers without
forms, to save on forming material and time, but this method normally take more CY of concrete.
Forms are estimated by SFCA, Square Feet of Contact Area. Calculate by LF x depth of form.
Forms are made from :
Wood, most versatile, needs to account for bracing, ties, wales etc, can get many uses out of
wood forms if properly taken care of ( spray with oil and carefully taken off).
Metal, mostly steel, normally lined with something. Normally used in larger construction
projects, ie pans like roof in Hogue tech. Also used in residential construction I seen metal one
for basements that leave a wall that looks like brick.
Wood
Actual dimensions are less than advertised due to milling process. E.g. 2x4 (called nominal
size) measure 1-1/2 x 3-1/2.
Lumber typically sold by mfbm (1000 Feet of Board Measure)or 1000board feet & estimating
productivity tables use mfbm or cfbm (100fbm). Board feet is calculated using nominal board
size.
Floor Framing
Handout pages 207-238
Show overhead of picture on page 207
Girder normally built up from smaller lumber eg 2 2x12s, or from manufactured beams made
from laminated wood, I beams, composite wood. Estimated by simple measurement.
Sill, normally specs call for treated lumber, estimated by finding the perimeter of building.
Joist, normally 2x8, 10, or 12 spread 16OC. Estimating steps are:
1. From foundation & wall section find the size of floor joist.
2. Find # of joist = # of spaces + 1. Eg 50 long sill 16 OC 50/16/12/1=38spaces(round up)
+ 1= 39 Joist.
3. Multiply be # of bays
4. Add one extra joist for each partition that runs parallel to joist.
5. Find board feet = # joist x joist size

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Go thru example on page 210 & 211

Trimmers & Headers, special framing used for fireplaces, access doors, any holes thru floor.
Trimmers run with the direction of the joist, headers run perpendicular to the joist.
Estimated by:
1. Sketch floor joist with out openings
2. Sketch opening on joist
3. Use available cuttings from hole & determine boards required. Double trimmers will be the
length of a joist & required for hoes >4.
Joist header, show picture on page 211 & 216, estimated by LF of headers along perimeter.
Bridging, metal or wood cross racing. Metal is fastest to install, required every 8. Wood is
same size of joist, normally one bridging per bay.
Decking/ Subflooring, normally plywood, press board or waferboard.
Sheet of plywood = SF coverage/ SF sheet +waste
Show figure page 218, mention nailing schedule (wont have 2 lengths when joist are 16OC).
Wall Framing
Exterior Walls
Most common residential is single bottom with double top plate combined with 8 studs to
produce 8 ceiling (gyp board comes in 8), see figure on page 220.
Estimates Plates in mfbm= find perimeter LF x # of plates
Studs, typically 2x4, spaced 16 OC, may see 2x6 walls spaced 24 OC (why? Extra insulation)
Estimating Exterior Studs:
1. Studs = LF perimeter/ spacing + 1 for last space
2. Add studs for each corner 2 per corner, see figure page 222
3. Add studs for framing wall openings, each window or opening will require at least 2 studs.
4. Studs also required for gable ends of buildings,
studs =
(gable length/ spacing +1) x Average gable height. Average gable height is 2/3 height of
roof.
Headers, used to support the weight of the building above openings. Made from large lumber
4x10 or built up form 2x 10s.
Header length is opening with + 2(1.5), rest on 2x4s
Estimate headers by listing openings and adding up length, convert to mbfm
Wall sheathing, what goes on the exterior of buildings, normally two layers.
1. Urethane insulation, or TYVEX type material
2. Covering, wood (planks, T-111), AL, brick etc

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Estimated by finding total SF required/ SF sheet (or material) If account for openings add waste
or dont account for openings. Also include sheathing for gable ends (area of 2 triangles) Need
to check specs for sloped soffit (9) or boxed soffit (8), see figures on page 228 & 229.
Interior stud walls are estimated just like exterior but need to read the specs, may only be 24
OC, extra thick to hide chases.
Ceiling Assembly
Made from joist or trusses, depends on cost & if space will be sued as an attic space.
Ceiling joist estimated same as floor:
1. Size and spacing determined
2. # of joist = length/ spacing + 1
3. Multiply # of joist by joist length, account for bridging and openings.
Roof Assembly
Rafters the hypotnuse of the triangle, need to account for the overhang. Normally spread 16 or
24 OC, made from 2x8,10,12s.
1.5
3
24
Rafter length = (122+32)1/2 +1.5 = 10.87 or 1010-3/8
Estimate rafters, Quantity of rafters should equal joist quantity, then multiply by length.
Collar ties boards to keep the rafters from separating, typically required every 3 rafters, 1/3 of the
way down from the ridge, size is normally 2x4.
Length is determined from similar triangles.

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3/24=1/x, x = 24/3 = 6
Estimate collar ties = (rafters/3 +1) x length
Ridge board see figure page 236, normally 2x10 or 12, one size larger than the rafter, estimate is
just LF of ridge
Lookouts, needed to frame soffit (note soffit not specified on cheap homes) see figure on page
236
Estimate, # of lookouts = LF of each side wall/spacing +1), then multiply by, length of lookout.

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Roof sheathing material, mostly exterior plywood plywood

Estimate Total SF/ SF sheet, note, must use rafter length.
Exterior Trim and Facias, many types, estimated by finding LF required.
Thermal and Moisture Protection
Handout pages 253-256
Insulation
Put in ceiling, walls and under floors to provide thermal protection. Rated in R value, higher the
R the more insulation value of material. Home typically use rolls made to fit between the joist ie
joist 16 OC will have 15 wide insulation, called batt insulation. Above ceiling may be
blown, fiberglass.
Estimating, find SF of area to be covered/ SF roll of insulation, be sure to use effective coverage
of roll. I.e.:
Rolls = 1000SF/16x56(effective size of 15 batt) = 14 rolls
Do not account for openings or allow 5% waste.
Roofing
Roofs are estimated by the square = 100ft2.
Asphalt Shingles are the most common for homes. Common sizes are strip shingles, 12 or 15
wide by 36 long. The exposed portion of a shingle is only about 4-5. They are made in many
colors, textures and thickness, with a 30 year shingle better than most. Shingles are nailed to
the plywood sheathing with large head galvanized nails. They have an underlayment of felt or
tar paper normally 2 layers overlapped.
Estimating, need to double singles at eaves, hips and ridges are taken off as LF & considered 1ft
wide.
Shingles, Squares = area of roof (in 100SF)+ eaves(in 100 SF)
Ridge = LF of ridge/ inches of exposure per shingle = # shingles
Felt = Find roll coverage, (Width-lap)x (SF of roll) then SF of roof/ roll coverage. Round up # of
rolls to a whole #.
Doors and Windows
For residential almost always wood framed and are stock ordered.
Windows
Estimated by developing a window schedule (table) or schedule is provided in specs.
If subcontractor need to make sure all hardware is accounted for and who installs the windows.
Estimate # of windows and calculate installation time.
Doors
Generally indoor (hollow) and exterior (solid). Residential door are almost always pre hung &
specs need to be reviewed carefully because price varies considerably depending on veneer
finish. Home typically have sliding glass doors or French doors. As with windows, door
typically have a schedule that the type and #.
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Finishes
All types drywall (sheet rock), plaster and lath, etc
Drywall
Or Gypsum board or sheet rock. Normally 4 wide, by 8,9,10 or 12 long. Thickness is
normally or 5/8. Comes in various types, green board for use in bathrooms, fire rated and
normal. Gyp board must be hung on studs or furred out from concrete/ block walls. It needs to
be finished, e.g. taped, mud applied (joint compound), smoothed, and painted or wall paper
applied. Must account for fasteners, screws or nails and trim to hide edges.
Estimated by:
1. Determine # of sheets required, LF/4 +5% waste

Flooring
Home use mostly tile, wood, vinyl/ linoleum and carpeting.
Resilient, or vinyl/ linoleum.
Typically have underlayment of luan or particle board, need this to provide smooth surface.
An adhesive is used to hold tile/ linoleum to floor. Estimated by the SF with consideration for
waste.
Carpeting.
Comes in many sizes, colors and degrees of quality, e.g. thickness, pile fibers and weight.
Carpet has an underlayment or cushion, sort of egg crate material made from rubber/ recycled
materials, this material also comes in varying grades of quality. Carpeting is estimated by the SF.
Tile
Used on floors and walls. E.g. home entry way tile set in grout or color mortar. Also used to see
this a lot in bathrooms, on floors and walls. Premounted on sheets is quickest to install. Tile is
estimated by the SF.
Painting
Normally estimated in area of actual SF. Interior and exterior. Specs will list coatings, color,
and method i.e. spray or roller. Sequenced to be done after drywall before trim is applied.
Electrical
Almost always subcontracted out. Not always let to the lowest bidder. Can get SF cost based on
type of construction to check subs bids. Electrical estimating requires each outlet and fixture be
taken off and listed, also include quantities of wire in estimate.
Mechanical
Almost always subcontracted out. . Not always let to the lowest bidder.
Plumbing is done similar to electrical, estimate all fixtures, lines, vents, etc.
HVAC for residential construction is normally a heat pump, gas / oil furnace that blow hot air or
heats water pipes.

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