UNIT PRICING GUIDES

Using square-foot cost guides to price a complete house based on its size
and quality level can get you in the right ballpark. The guides are available
as books or construction estimating software. But to create a reasonably
accurate estimate, you need to break down the job into smaller components
of materials and labor for each trade. Most contractors have developed their
own unit-price costs books based on their companys historical data what it
costs and how long it takes for them or their subs to complete a given task.
Since youre not in the building business, the next best thing is to pick up a
unit-price estimating guide and use it to do your own detailed estimate.

UNIT-PRICE ESTIMATING GUIDES

Several companies publish estimating guides for builders and remodelers.
This type of cost book or estimating software, such as, Craftsmans National
Construction Estimator, breaks down construction into its smallest units of
work and materials and then provides prices for material and labor by the
square foot, linear foot, or whatever is the most appropriate measurement.
You will find material and labor costs by the item (such as a window), by the
square foot (e.g, drywall) or by the linear foot (e.g., moldings). Remodelers
will find unit costs for things like demolition, shoring, and cleanup.

View a sample page from a unit-price estimating guide.

Sample page is reprinted with permission from 2012 National Construction
Estimator Craftsman Book Co.
Pricing a large job at its smallest units, by the single stick of wood or brick, is
very time consuming, so most guides also group together certain materials
and operations into common assemblies. For example, the square-foot
price of a ceiling assembly might include the ceiling joists, drywall
installation, and taping and finishing. A linear foot assembly for a 26
exterior wall might include the finished drywall interior, R-19 insulation, and
sheathing and siding on the exterior. Just measure the length of the wall,
multiply by the linear foot cost and regional modifier and, voila, you have the
cost of building a complete wall.

Some guides go further and provide rule-of-thumb guides to quickly

estimate items such as framing by the square foot. They provide square-foot
prices to frame an entire house based on square footage and characteristics
such as 24 vs. 26 walls, number of stories, trusses vs. rafters, and other
factors. You might find other costing rules-of-thumb for installing kitchen
cabinets by the linear foot, rough plumbing a 3-fixture bath, or building a
backyard deck.
While breaking down a job into its smallest elements, which contractors call
estimating by the stick can, in theory, give you the greatest accuracy, it is
the most time consuming. To begin the process, you need to do a
complete material takeof, and use a comprehensive checklist to make sure
you include every step in the building process. Essentially, you have to build
the project in your mind and estimate each step.
And since you will not be aware of every little step involved in your project,
in most cases, you will get better results estimating with assemblies and
rules-of-thumb where applicable. For items not included in assemblies, you
will need to use their individual unit prices. In some cases, like kitchen
cabinets, you will be interested in the labor costs only, since the material
costs are so widely variable. In general, youll get better numbers if you get
material quotes from a lumberyard and use the cost books for labor only.

ADJUSTING LABOR COSTS

In addition to regional multipliers, most cost guides also provide fudge
factors to adjust labor rates for work condition such as steep sites, ladder
work, and bad weather. For example, one guide (see below) recommends
adding 15% to 25% for work on a ladder, scafold, or crawlspace; and to
deduct 10% to 20% for an identical task that is repeated over many days.
This can help you with the soft side of estimating, where experience and
judgement come into play. As any experienced estimator will tell you, its
part science, part art.

LABOR ADJUSTMENT FACTORS

Add 10% to 15% when working temperatures are below 40 degrees
or above 95 degrees.
Add 15% to 25% for work on a ladder or a scafold, in a crawl space,
in a congested area or remote from the material storage point.
Deduct 10% when the work is in a large open area with excellent
access and good light.
Include all productive labor normally

Add 1% for each 10 feet (3m) that materials must be lifted above
ground level.
Add 5% to 50% for tradesmen with below average skills.
lent on site. Deduct 5% to 25% for highly motivated, highly skilled
tradesmen.
Deduct 10% to 20% when an identical task is repeated many times
for several days at the same site.
Add 30% to 50% on small jobs where fitting and matching of
materials is required, adjacent surfaces have to be protected and the
job site is occupied during construction.
Add 25% to 50% for work done following a major flood, fire,
earthquake, hurricane or tornado while skilled tradesmen are not
readily available. Material costs may also be higher after a major
disaster.
Add 10% to 35% for demanding specs, rigid inspections, unreliable
suppliers, a difficult owner or an inexperienced architect.

Reprinted with permission from 2012 National Construction

Estimator Craftsman Book Company.