Commercial Estimating

Overview

Students will be fully prepared to work as estimators for contractors bidding institutional or commercial building projects. Upon completing this course, students will be able to accurately take-off and summarize work quantities from architectural drawings. Students will learn to apply the correct costs for both labor and materials, and will leave this course having prepared an accurate estimate for a complete commercial project. Students attending this course attain a level of proficiency that might otherwise take six months or more to achieve with only on-the-job training.

Course Highlights

• Developing a complete detail estimate
• Developing the project schedule
• Including support and supervision costs
• Reviewing subcontractor bids
• Analyzing scope and prices of sitework bids
• Completing a detailed concrete construction estimate
• Cost breakdown for forming, reinforcing, placing and finishing concrete
• Estimating pre-cast concrete components
• Determining optimal methods of concrete forming and placing
• Completing a detailed masonry estimate
• Estimating block, brick, stone and glass block
• Implementing industry accepted productivity adjustments
• Completing a detailed steel and metal estimate
• Accomplishing tonnage conversions as required
• Reviewing erection equipment and costs
• Completing a detailed carpentry estimate 
• Preparing a trim carpentry estimate for a commercial building
• Adjusting materials from installed to purchased quantities
• Completing a detailed roofing takeoff
• Estimating both pitched and flat roofs
• Completing a detailed doors and window takeoff
• Completing a detailed finishes takeoff
• Utilizing the room finish schedule as a checklist
• Using the memory sheet method to reduce estimating time required
• Estimating mechanical, electrical and specialty construction using general contractor methods that rely on subcontractor performance
• Scope verification and price analysis per division and/or trade
• Commercial construction project “real world” bids are utilized
• A complete project estimate is prepared
• Comparing total project cost to recent project costs
• Adding mark-ups for overhead and profit
• Completing a bid document