Help Me Please!!! HOW TO DO AN ESTIMATE

Titodbuilder

OK, I am well over my head and need some general estimate advise. I had a falling out with the guy I was partners with in a remodeling business and now I am on my own and clueless on some issues. The company was his the license was mine. I started a new company and moved the license with it, so now I am ready to do business, BUT I don't have experience in some very important aspects of the business, so I have to wing it until I get my bearings -- I am very resourceful and have a lot of business experience (mostly corporate).

My ex-partner handled estimates and project management. I handled the administrative (licenses, legal, marketing, etc). I have two large jobs I need to estimate and I have no clue how to start coming up with a reasonable estimate that will be competitive yet not hose myself in the end. Anyone have any ideas as to how I can estimate something using some sort of rule of thumb? (i.e. square foot costs/ time and material + X, etc) The specifics are:

1) The job is in the DC area, in Maryland.
2) It is finishing a completely unfinished basement (enclosing a large office), a couple of rooms and the laundry room), and leveling the back yard for a pool (we are not doing the pool) and building a stone wall along the driveway.

PART TWO:

Is there estimating software or a book that would make sense to get for future jobs? What is the best way to prepare myself to manage estimate generation? Automation? I am a biG proponent of technology, so are products like Bid4Build and others worth the investment? Are there other ways to get myself to speed fast estimate/bidding end.

I will read this great forum extensively and sort myself out, but if some of you can help me out on my initial approach it would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

SLSTech

Ouch - start here
http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/pr...success-27899/

more will follow, I am sure

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Alabama Full Service Remodeling, Renovation, and Preservation by SLS Construction
Certified Energy Efficiency Audits, Ratings, Modeling, Verifications, & Consulting
Residential, Commercial, & Industrial Infrared Thermography Scans

silvertree

I'm getting some popcorn and a drink, look for RB on this forum and have him sell and run your jobs and you just learn how he does it. I'll be back after the popcorns done.

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Vote for Pedro
Kitchen, bath, St Paul remodeling
Minneapolis Remodel Blog
203K Loan Consultant Minnesota

Brock

Wlcome. Wow I heard it was a little slow in D.C. right now. Good for you on the work.

Brock

That was suprisingly nice. I must be coming down with a cold.





.

Brock

and I just replied to myself.
will someone banish me to
the diy site for a week.




.

rbsremodeling

If you truly need help and your in the DC area I will help you. Email me your contact info

info@rbsremodeling.com

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precisionbuild

precisionbuild

dubz

you're not going to trick him into surprise butseks are you?

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http://brianwilsonconstruction.net

precisionbuild

Brock

Ladys and Gentlemen.
The horses are loaded in the gate.
AND THEY ARE OFF!!!

Bodger

It would have been so much more fun if you had typed only that part..

D.Foster

Big proponent of technology???? Nah c'mon
Any field experience??

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Do what you would do, as if i won't Do anything after you Did It!

tinner666

A hint friend. In the picture. The elephant is about to come up with a number.

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Frank Slate Roof Repairs, Richmond, Va.

D.Foster

Hey DIY chat for you!!

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Do what you would do, as if i won't Do anything after you Did It!

Bodger

Man, how I love this site.

A guy comes on and posts that he needs estimating help, and he actually sounds kinda legit, spoke politely, not stupid or anything, he just got dropped in over his head in the contracting biz.

Within 11 replies, there is a photo of an elephant with his trunk up a rhino's ass.

camaroman2125

Bodger,

You owe me a new keyboard, since I just spit soda all over my old one.

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SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Aggie67

My friend, there are no secrets or shortcuts. Estimating truly is an art. I can do it. My partners can't. And it can't be taught on a forum. And if you're going to buy software when you haven't even done it by hand yet, then expect SISO.

My advice to you is to hire a firm that does take-offs and estimates, or hire a consultant to quickly teach you. We have a couple take-off guys in my area, and some days I'm tempted to call them because I'm up to my gills in quotes. But even so, they won't do labor counts, just the take off. Which is kind of good, because I like total control over the labor counts. Unfortunately, you also need a drawing to start with.

Longer term, you need to start educating yourself. Best way to do that is the following:

1. Buy some books or go to the library. The books all say the same things. Start reading, now.
2. Learn how to do a detailed take off first, then worry about square foot or unit estimating. Unless you want to wing it, which I don't recommend. Break the job down, and do all of the take offs.
3. Learn how to build labor counts off of your takeoffs. Every trade is different.
4. As you get some miles under your feet, COLLECT DATA. Nothing beats an in-house database. Build up some unit cost models to make quick budget estimating easier. Example, for me, large, deep equipment footings for cell towers and such with excavation, forms, etc, is $675 a yard. Industrial steel erected is $5300 a ton. And these are just budget estimates. Detailed estimates go down to the nut and bolt.

And for any mechanicals out there, OTTAVIANO RULES.

Bender

LMAO