Cost Estimating Software – Choose the One That is Right for You

Cost Estimating Software – Your Friend, or Your Enemy? With so many options out there, from apps to applications, it becomes harder and harder to choose the best tool for the job. It is no different for construction cost estimating. Back in the day, there were 3 or 4 cost estimating software on the market. […]

Capital Cost Estimate – Direct Costs

CAPITAL COST ESTIMATE DIRECT COSTS In the field of cost estimating, the direct costs can be defined, in a simplistic way, as all the costs associated with a construction activity. If we perform the activity, we incur the costs and vice-versa. Only the resources allocated to construction activities are considered direct costs. Let’s say that […]

Quantity Takeoff for Conceptual Cost Estimating

You might wonder, why would someone want to take time out of their day writing about quantity takeoff on a cost estimating blog. Every time the question “how do you do the quantity takeoff” comes up, the answer is invariably about the methods used: manual, or using a software. I will cover the software for […]

My Top Sources for Construction Cost Data

The following are my top data sources for construction cost estimating. I use them successfully in my detail, or conceptual cost estimating. They apply to most of the construction markets, from buildings to many types of industrial and infrastructure projects. Of course, nothing beats the actual cost data that we collect from completed projects. Well, […]

Direct vs Indirect Costs for Construction Projects CAPEX

There is a question that comes up quite often. What are the indirect costs for a capital cost estimate? For the person who is not very familiar with the various delivery methods and contract types for the construction projects, it can get confusing. I am writing this post to shed some light on the topic. […]