Some useful Recommendations for getting better construction estimating process

A standardized approach and well suggested guidelines along with good processes should be undertaken for creating strong cost estimates which result in getting profitable job orders.

Aaron Martin, an MTI Systems’ trainer for Costimator recommends some excellent suggestions though which one can prepare sound cost estimating system confidently. As an instructor for various cost estimating software training classes, he gathers these suggestions from dealing with customers.

1. Scrutinize part drawings & specs in detail - A missed tolerance, surface finish or specification call out could impact, break or acutely influence decisions on the job.

2. Be reliable - Apply methods, tools, and the identical data that other estimators associated with your company utilize for producing equivalent results involving software, spreadsheet, standards, pricing, calculations, etc.

3. Undertake stringent quality checking procedures - Check your work repeatedly and try to make a brief review too. Besides, replicate re-occurring practices to eradicate their review – the estimating team must not analysis the cost used for a ¼” hole on every estimate.

4. Take the helps from expert! Consult with experts prevailing around you to solve your queries. Utilize their suggestions and preserve the information in a system for future application and save time.

5. Be updated. Follow the latest manufacturing technique or know-how that was emerged to minimize processing, material handling, or secondary operations. Find your time for regular review and provide suggestions to your team members for getting new ideas.

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2014 Northern California Construction Management Scholarship Program

The Construction Management Association of America, Northern California Chapter (CMAA Nor Cal Chapter) is presenting 2014 Scholarships Program. This scholarship program was undertaken compliant with their Chapter Bylaws and to uphold excellence and professionalism in construction management (CM).

The purpose of this program is to make out and give financial aid to Northern California area college students registered in undergraduate and graduate level CM programs.

The rules for application & overview of the program:-

• $16,000 will be rewarded with six (6) individual scholarships. One (1) at $4,000, two (2) at $3,000 each and three (3) at $2,000 each.
• A supplementary $500 is provided to an individual scholarship receiver who belongs to a dynamic CMAA Student Chapter Member
• The students who registered in CM programs at Stanford, UC Berkeley, Sacramento State, Chico State, Fresno State and San Jose State universities can avail the scholarship program.
• The Students having a desire to apply for the scholarship must complete the 2014 Scholarship Application Package accessible on the NorCal Chapter website. Visit http://www.cmaanorcal.org/ to obtain the application form.
• Each application will be appraised and rewarded following the criteria mentioned in the application.
• All the students have to submit their applications prior to March 12, 2014 @ 5:00 PM.
• Students and their advisors must join the 2014 Scholarships/Awards Banquet scheduled to be held on May 22, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, 1209 L. St., Sacramento, CA 95814.

For getting more updates, contact Scholarships Director Richard Standiford at (916) 208 – 2913 or rstandiford@kitchell.com

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Gantt Chart and its various applications in construction projects

Gantt Chart is considered as a most powerful tool that can be applied to a construction project for efficient planning and scheduling. It is one kind of bar chart which demonstrates the schedule of a project along with start and end dates of activities & a synopsis of activities.

With Gantt chart the project managers get assurance that the project schedule is sustained at a logical pace, and the individual assignments that frame the work breakdown schedule reasonably developed in a efficient way ensuing the successful completion of the project in timely manner.

The diversified applications of Gantt chart range from outlining a marketing strategy or setting up a building project.

The Gantt chart can provide the following benefits:

• Gantt chart is utilized to highlight phases and activities associated with a project.
• The critical points on the chart are pointed out with bold or colored outlines of the bars.
• An updated Gantt chart facilitates to deal with the project efficiently and solve the schedule issues.
• Computer software can streamline the process for creating and updating a Gantt chart.

The Gantt chart can be applied to set up superiority network that finds out the priority level of each assignment concerning the project. Besides, the chart also appraises the dependency relationships of all the tasks. Both these features can lead to successful execution of the project by arranging and projecting the completion time of diverse tasks in a superior manner with a logical progression.

The chart also assists to characterize the tasks to be accomplished in tandem and identify the tasks which cannot be addressed unless other tasks are completely finished. This function facilitates to project both the sequence and the extent of each task associated with the project.

There are various applications of Gantt charts in construction sectors. Gantt charts should be applied by undergoing the following conditions:

• To convey plan or status concerning a construction project.
• To supervise tasks inside a project.
• To communicate the sequence and extent of exact tasks or process from a construction project,
• To reveal which tasks rely on execution of earlier tasks.

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Go Figure, the latest mobile based application, can make a revolution in construction estimating process

A new mobile based application known as Go Figure Estimating Application launched by a Massachusetts company that will make a sea change in the construction estimates.

The developer teams of Go Figure consist of contractors for contractors, insurance adjusters, roofing, siding window vendors and more. The software helps the construction estimator to get rid of complicated and time consuming procedures of precisely estimating construction projects and quantify, cost and systematize construction projects 15 to 20 times faster.

Snap a picture of any construction through your iPad and select an item like carpentry, roofing, painting or any of the hundreds of other preloaded jobs from dropdown lists. After that locate the regions to be calculated on the touchscreen. The Go Figure will estimate every dimension of the construction, combine the quantities and generate easily accessible worksheets to work out costs. When the users select from the dropdown menu every time, then it will automatically put in contract language into a proposal.

The software also includes uncomplicated point and shoot interface involving the automatic proposal and stock-list generation which produce a commanding platform to simplify any construction project. The mobile printing package facilitates contractors to take print of the professional proposals on site.

Download a free trial

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Plexxis Launches Drag and Drop Document Management solution for Drywall & other contractors

Plexxis Software is going to introduce drag and drop document storage which is compatible with the Drywall ERP estimating, digitaltakeoff, construction management software, and mobile app solution. This new application is still in beta stage and based on the world’s most excellent fortune 500 database platform. With D&D doc storage, the building contractors will be capable of accumulating unlimited documents without any extra charge.

D&D The Doc storage system allows the estimators to assemble drawings directly within a job database. They can access the data from any place. Other project stakeholders can hoard each invoice, purchase order, timecard, email thread, jobsite video, job site picture, audio recording, employee picture, safety record, meeting minutes, scanned image, annotated report, or other content concerning any job directly within each jobs database.

In this system each document, contact, correspondence etc. will be placed in centralized position. The estimators can make huge time savings as they don’t have to search for drawings and they could allow other staffs for availing these drawing from anyplace just by heading for the jobs file. The system can also minimize the time span required for transmitting knowledge form one department to another.  

For getting the product demonstration and more updates, contact with

Chad Pearson
Dir: (416) 574-1677
Bus: (905) 889-8979
Email: Chad @ Plexxis.com
website : http://plexxisconstructionestimatingsoftware.com
595 Cityview Blvd. Unit 8
Woodbridge, ON
Canada, L4H 3M7

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Estimate difficult angles for roof framing with Rafter Tools+ for iPhone

Rafter Tools+ is one kind of rafter calculator applied for multifaceted roof framing angles. Besides, estimating general rafters, it also provides various roof framing angle information. The Rafter Tools Plus facilitates users to work out all of the difficult angles for roof framing.

The Rafter Tools Plus contains the following exclusive features:-

Shows the hip rafter plumb line shift dimensions to outline hip rafters accurately for equal pitched or uneven hip roofs following any eave angle (0° - 180°). By applying the hip rafter plumb line shift dimensions, perfectly compute and layout the witches cut per with Rafter Tools Plus (Square Tail Fascia).

Shows the hip rafter roof framing angles by utilizing simplified Framing Square. Analyzes the lengths of common rafters, jack rafters and hip rafters through ridge and hip rafter width deductions. Capable of estimating Pentagonal, Hexagonal or Octagonal Roofs.

Timber Framing Angles calculated from Bartok, Hawkindale, Martindale and McKibben-Gray Hip-Valley Roof Ratios Angle Formulas. Timber Framing Angles definition are just a click away in the app.

The most updated version is 1.1.1 that includes Plywood Cut Dimensions to Hip Angles, Jack Rafter Shiften and 5 more Timber Framing Angles.

Get Rafter Tools+ for iPhone help files www.raftertools.com/iPhone/plus

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Ten steps to Estimate effort on your Project

Estimating plays an important role with the planning process. Prior to start duration and cost estimates, effort hours (man hours) should be computed initially. Pursue the following necessary steps to estimate effort hours.

1. Find out the accuracy of your estimate: As much as your estimate will be perfect, you can gather more detailed information regarding the construction project. While preparing a rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimate (-25% – +75%), it can be completed in quickest possible time with high level, and a lowest amount amount of detail. Alternatively, while executing a exact estimate within 10%, one shoud spend more time and recognize the work at a lower level of detail.

2. Make the preliminary estimate of effort hours: Apply different estimating techniques like analogy, prior history, PERT, modeling, etc. to estimate the project work.

3. (optional) Feature the effort hours on the basis of the allocated resources: If the estimate is performed on the basis of the endeavor involving average resource to execute the project. Sometimes you possess the knowledge of the accurate resource or the nature of resource to be allocated. If you perform, you should need to feature the estimate up or down based on that resource.

4. Include specialist resource hours: You have to ensure that you have choosen hours for part-time and specialty resources. These consist of freelance people, training specialists, administrative help, etc which are essential for special activities. As they belong to project support roles, it may happen that you overlook to take in their activities in the original Work Breakdown Structure.

5. (optional) Put in rework time: In a well organized project, all project deliverables should have been accurate initially. Rework is required if there are any mistakes in your quality management practice. It denotes that a deliverable seems to be perfect turn out to require additional work. Some projects include effort hours for rework, even though this should be curtailed.

6. Affix project management time: Project management acquires effort. A rule of thumb is to include 15% of the effort hours for project management. As for example, if a project estimate involves 12,000 hours (7 – 8 people), then a full-time project manager (1800 hours) is necessary.

7. Include contingency hours: Contingency denotes the insecurity or risk occured with the estimate. While preparing a estimating work which is not defined properly, one may include 50%, 75% or more to reveal the uncertainty. If the estimate is needed on short notice, a large contingency is necessary. Even if get time for preparing a estimate that is logically perfect, your contingency may still be 10-25%. If you do not insert a contingency amount, it suggests that you are 100% self-assured with your estimate. This may happen if the projets with identical nature have been completed earlier.

8. Work out the total effort: Combine the estimates for all the work components explained above.

9. Evaluate and fine-tune as essential: Sometimes while combining all the components, the estimate turns to be noticeably high or low. If your estimate seems to be improper , get back and make corrections to your estimating assumptions to expose reality in a superior manner.

10. Document all assumptions: You will never be familiar with all the details of a project for positive. Therefore, it is essential to document all the assumptions you are producing together with the estimate.

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