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Left Behind in the Digital Age
I was having lunch the other day with a friend who is a local estimator from the “old school”. He is good at what he does but refuses to modernize. To give you an idea, he types up his estimate on a...
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Review of Marshall Valuation Service
This book is a great reference book from Marshall & Swift. It will help determine the cost of construction and associated costs. My primary use for this book is to help me determine the...
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How much?
A common question that I get is “How much will your services cost?” This is a very complex question. First, I must know what kind of a project they are talking about. Are they looking at a strip mall...
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High Bidder
I was recently talking to a friend and we got on the topic of bid results for different projects we have bid over the years. I was fairly green at the time, but there is one bid I will never forget....
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Mentors
As often happens at the start of a new year, my thoughts turned to those in my life today and those who made their mark, but moved on. To get to where you are today there have been many people who have...
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Good or Bad Project
It’s amazing how a project can turn out compared to the estimate cost at bid time. I have seen projects over the years that turned out the exact opposite of what was anticipated for better or for...
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Connect the Dotted Lines
Often times as the years pass, projects that you estimated seem to disappear from your memory. There are always a few projects that you will never forget and it will always seem like just yesterday...
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Keep It Simple
Getting overwhelmed by projects is really easy to do. Anyone in construction estimating knows this all too well! I was told a while ago by my mentor “When you have a big project to do, don’t get...
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Labor Factors
It’s always interesting talking to someone about labor hours and how long it takes to perform a certain task with a person not in the construction industry. I know on more than one occasion, I have...
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The Old Ball & Chain
Every estimator has been overwhelmed by a project from time to time. You don’t have the resources, seemingly impossible deadlines, complex project type, etc. It can feel like you are getting crushed....
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Questions
Through our blog I get a lot of questions about general construction terms. And no I don’t mean humorous terms like Mark and I covered in construction terms part 1 and part 2. So I thought I would...
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Imaginary Projects
Usually when I get involved in a project there is no work being done on site. The contracts are yet to be issued, materials are not purchased, and the only tangible representation of the project is...
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Professional Estimators
Many owners, architects, and engineers balk at the idea of hiring and paying for a professional estimator for their project. After all, wouldn’t it help to control costs to go with a cheaper option?...
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An Inside Look At Tempest Company
Guest Blog by Evelyn Huser – the newest member of the Tempest Team: I have been working at Tempest Company for about 5 months. Having come from a medical/dental background, I am familiar with...
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Estimators vs Project Managers
Some contractors use an interesting method to estimate and manage the work they are awarded. The job’s lead estimator becomes the job project manager. This person is already familiar with the project...
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Estimators Are Prepared
With the snow storm that hit the Northeast and one that is bearing down on the Great Plains, estimators that are bidding projects across the country and the world have to be prepared so they can get...
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Please Feed the Estimators
Have you ever heard the old adage about estimators “you give them the drawings and specifications, lock them in their office and don’t let them out until they are done”. Well yes, keeping the...
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Passing on a Project
You can actually come out ahead on some projects by passing on the opportunity rather than trying to tackle a project you know you shouldn’t! There can be many reasons to bail from contract terms or...
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Pulled In Every Direction?
Estimators have always been great multi-taskers. They are cultivating relationships with subcontractors and suppliers while they are scheduling the projects. Estimators are also bidding work and...
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Breakouts
Architects, engineers, small contractors, large contractors, government or private sector – I work for a diverse range of clients. I always want to make sure that the estimate is broken out in such a...
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