Estimating Building Costs PDF
Preview Estimating Building Costs
Estimating Building Costs Calin M. Popescu University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas, U.S.A. Kan Phaobunjong Turner Construction Company Houston, Texas, U.S.A. Nuntapong Ovararin King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok, Thailand M A R C E L ffi MARCEL DEKKER, INC. NEW YORK • BASEL Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN: 0-8247-4086-6 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Headquarters Marcel Dekker, Inc. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 tel: 212-696-9000; fax: 212-685-4540 Eastern Hemisphere Distribution Marcel Dekker AG Hutgasse 4, Postfach 812, CH-4001 Basel, Switzerland tel: 41-61-260-6300; fax: 41-61-260-6333 World Wide Web http://www.dekker.com The publisher offers discounts on this book when ordered in bulk quantities. For more information, write to Special Sales/Professional Marketing at the headquarters address above. Copyright 2003 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Current printing (last digit): 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Civil and Environmental Engineering A Series of Reference Books and Textbooks Editor Michael D. Meyet Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia 1. Preliminary Design of Bridges for Architects and Engineers Michele Melaragno 2. Concrete Formwork Systems Awad S. Hanna 3. Multilayered Aquifer Systems: Fundamentals and Applica- tions Alexander H.-D. Cheng 4. Matrix Analysis of Structural Dynamics: Applications and Earthquake Engineering Franklin Y. Cheng 5. Hazardous Gases Underground: Applications to Tunnel Engineering Barry R. Doyle 6. Cold-Formed Steel Structures to the AISI Specification Gregory J. Hancock, Thomas M. Murray, Duane S. Ellifritt 7. Fundamentals of Infrastructure Engineering: Civil Engi- neering Systems: Second Edition, Revised and Expanded Patrick H. McDonald 8. Handbook of Pollution Control and Waste Minimization edited by Abbas Ghassemi 9. Introduction to Approximate Solution Techniques, Numer- ical Modeling, and Finite Element Methods Victor N. Kaliakin 10. Geotechnical Engineering: Principles and Practices of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering V. N. S. Murthy 11. Estimating Building Costs Calin M. Popescu, Kan Phaobunjong, Nuntapong Ovararin Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. 12. Chemical Grouting and Soil Stabilization: Third Edition, Revised and Expanded Reuben H. Karol Additional Volumes in Production Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Preface This book presents the state-of-the-art principles, practices, and techniques re- lated to estimating building costs in metric. It is primarily designed as a textbook for graduate and upper-division undergraduate students in civil engineering, ar- chitectural engineering, construction engineering and management, and related programs. Instructors should find the book very useful and suitable for various teaching styles. Inasmuch as the book contains much more material than can be covered in one semester or quarter, selected chapters can be used to meet various academic objectives. Practitioners or organizations involved in the building industry, such as owners, architects, project managers, general contractors, and subcontractors for building projects all over the world can use this book as a handy reference. Since this is possibly the first US textbook on building cost estimation in metric units, construction practitioners should find it invaluable when dealing with interna- tional and governmental projects. Although the text was not designed to provide answers to all estimating problems, it does provide a practical sequence and thor- ough knowledge of cost estimating. Most financial costs in this book are representative of US national average costs in 1999. The costs are given for the purposes of problem solving and discus- sion in estimating procedures, and, of course, they will vary with time and the location of the building project. However, the principles, practices, and tech- Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. niques described here for estimating building costs will continue to apply regard- less of changes in the costs of materials, equipment, and labor. The emphasis here is placed on several perspectives of building cost estima- tion, ranging from an overview of estimating building costs such as types of estimating and bidding procedures to a more detailed point of view such as quan- tity take-off and pricing for various Construction Specification Institute (CSI) divisions, and discussions on overhead costs, taxes, and insurance. To serve as a useful and effective reference, the contents of this book include 19 chapters as follows. Chapter 1 discusses the US construction industry, and presents various cost indexes in use, one approach to preparing a detailed estimate, and an in-depth description of the organization and function of the estimating group. Chapter 2 describes various types of building estimates encountered during the lifecycle of a building project, along with the role and accuracy of each. Chapters 3 to 5 deal with the major components of the direct cost: estimating procedures and cost trends related to materials, construction equipment, and skilled and unskilled la- bor. The bidding process as recommended by AGC, which when properly imple- mented can enhance the success of the bidding effort, is described in Chapter 6. Chapters 7 to 16 are oriented to various categories of construction work organized in sequence and following the approach recommended by CSI. There are a few very specialized topics not covered in this book, not because they are unnecessary but for considerations of the book size and its intended use in an academic envi- ronment. Jobsite overhead costs, which are often estimated too generally, leading to significant loss for contractors, are covered in Chapter 17. Chapter 18 exposes the reader to additional contractor costs encountered during construction, espe- cially bonds, taxes, and various types of insurance required by owners for protec- tion. These costs represent a large sum of money and should not be neglected during bid preparation. The calculation of general overhead costs to be allocated to the project under consideration is discussed in Chapter 19. Appendices are provided as useful tools, supplying a wealth of ready-to- use information for students and practitioners in daily practice. They include CSI Master Format and UniFormat codes, estimating forms, a list of available estimating software packages, a detailed construction site and investigation re- port, and a list of references related to cost estimating and pricing in a matrix format related to the book chapters. Calin M. Popescu Nuntapong Ovararin Kan Phaobunjong Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Acknowledgments This book is the result of a three-year effort in research and writing. It represents a compilation of many years of first-hand construction work experience, many years of teaching experience, and several field trips and interviews with a number of construction practitioners, academic personnel, and workshops. This is proba- bly the first attempt in the US to present the state-of-the-art techniques and sci- ences of estimating building costs in true metric. However, this successful accomplishment could not have been achieved without the continued support and encouragement of several groups of individu- als and organizations. We would like to express our appreciation to the first sup- porting group, the faculty of the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Our special thanks are extended to Professor and Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Ben G. Steetman, for building a creative and motiva- tional environment for writing this book. We would also like to thank Professor and former chair of the Civil Engineering Department, Dr. James O. Jirsa, for teaching relief for the first author, financial support, and continuous encourage- ment. We are very grateful for their support and personal concern for this project. We would also like to express our thanks to the second group, which in- cludes several professionals from the construction industry, for providing guid- ance and many hours of their time during interviews with the authors in Austin, Texas. This group includes Dr. Doug Worrel, Vice President of Faulkner Con- struction Company; Mr. William Heine, President of American Contractors, Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Inc.; Mr. Marty Burger, Vice President of American Constructors, Inc.; Mr. Ken- neth Painter, Former Executive Director of Associated General Contractors of America, Austin Chapter; and Mr. Gary Frazer, Chief Estimator of Encompass Electrical. Their willingness to share their time and profound insights regarding building cost estimation contributed to making this project a positive learning experience. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the third supporting group, which includes a number of graduate students enrolled in the Project Cost Man- agement class at the University of Texas at Austin in the Spring of 2001, for their contribution regarding data collection and productivity loss surveys related to Finishing Operations. Our special thanks go to Mr. Unsuk Jung, a graduate student who voluntarily helped with the preparation of Appendix 2, Estimating Forms, and Appendix 5, Construction Site and Investigation Report. Appreciation is also extended to the group of individuals from leading con- struction organizations in the field of cost estimating and implementation of met- rication in the US, whose advice and information allowed us to incorporate their data in this text as guidance for estimators, construction practitioners, and stu- dents. These individuals include Mr. Gerald C. Ianelli, Director of Metric Pro- grams at the National Institute of Standards; Mr. Gertraud Breitkopf, R.A., GSA Public Buildings Service of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS); and Mr. William A. Brenner, AIA, Construction Metrication Council of NIBS. We owe our deepest gratitude to our families for their caring support and encouragement throughout our project. Their continued support and concern played an important role in the success of this work. Finally, we would also like to thank numerous individuals and organizations who are not mentioned here. Without their support and assistance in writing this book, this project could not have been successfully accomplished. Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introductory Remarks Units Conversion 1 Introduction 1.1 Construction Industry 1.2 Construction Cost Indexes 1.3 Preparing the Detailed Estimate 1.4 Sources for New Projects 1.5 Building Cost Information Standards 1.6 Errors and Omissions Management 1.7 The Estimating Department 1.8 Review Questions 2 Types of Estimates 2.1 Building Cost Estimates Classification 2.2 Conceptual Estimate (Engineer’s Estimate) 2.3 Firm Price Contracting Estimate 2.4 Nonfirm-Price Contracting 2.5 Accuracy of Cost Estimates 2.6 Review Questions viii Contents 3 Estimating the Cost of Materials 87 3.1 Determining Material Quantities 88 3.2 Waste Factors 90 3.3 Pricing Materials 95 3.4 Material Pricing Sources 97 3.5 Trends in Material Prices 99 3.5 Review Questions 106 4 Estimating the Cost of Labor 107 4.1 Construction Labor 108 4.2 Construction Labor Environment in the United States 112 4.3 Monetary Factors 114 4.4 Labor Productivity 118 4.5 Review Questions 130 5 Estimating the Cost of Construction Equipment 131 5.1 Introduction 132 5.2 Construction Equipment 132 5.3 Equipment Planning 135 5.4 Equipment Procurement Sources and Associated Costs 139 5.5 Construction Tools 155 5.6 Review Questions 156 6 The Bidding Process 157 6.1 Getting a Construction Contract: A Contractor’s Perspective 157 6.2 Subcontracted Work 158 6.3 Pre-Bid Conference 159 6.4 Bidding Flowchart 159 6.5 Alternates and Unit Prices 169 6.6 Closing the Bid 170 6.7 Review Questions 171 7 Site Work 172 7.1 Introduction to Site Work 173 7.2 Subsurface Investigation 174 7.3 Site Preparation 175 7.4 Earthwork 181 7.5 Excavation Support 205 7.6 Construction Dewatering 209 7.7 Piles Foundation 210 7.8 Paving and Surfacing 211 Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Contents ix 7.9 Site Improvements and Landscaping 211 7.10 Review Questions 213 8 Concrete 215 8.1 Introduction to Concrete Work 216 8.2 Basic Concrete Materials and Methods 220 8.3 Concrete Forms and Accessories 229 8.4 Concrete Reinforcement 236 8.5 Cast-in-Place Concrete 245 8.6 Precast Concrete 251 8.7 Cementitious Decks and Underlayment 259 8.8 Review Questions 263 9 Masonry 264 9.1 Introduction to Masonry 265 9.2 Clay Masonry Units (Brick) 271 9.3 Concrete Masonry Units 281 9.4 Other Types of Masonry Units 287 9.5 Masonry Mortar 290 9.6 Masonry Grout, Reinforcement, and Masonry Accessories 300 9.7 Masonry Cost Estimation 306 9.8 Review Questions 314 10 Metals 316 10.1 Introduction to Metals 317 10.2 Structural Metal Framing 322 10.3 Metal Joists 337 10.4 Metal Decking 344 10.5 Light-Gauge Framing and Miscellaneous Metals 348 10.6 Review Questions 352 11 Wood 353 11.1 Introduction 354 11.2 Rough Carpentry 354 11.3 Finish Carpentry 384 11.4 Review Questions 392 12 Thermal and Moisture Protection 393 12.1 Introduction to Thermal and Moisture Protection 394 12.2 Waterproofing 396 12.3 Dampproofing 402 12.4 Insulation 403 Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. x Contents 12.5 Roofing 407 12.6 Sample of Quantity Take-Off and Pricing for Moisture Protection 412 12.7 Review Questions 415 13 Doors and Windows 416 13.1 Introduction to Doors and Windows 417 13.2 Doors and Door Frames 420 13.3 Windows and Window Frames 428 13.4 Glazing, Hardware, and Accessories 433 13.5 Doors and Windows Cost Estimation 447 13.6 Review Questions 440 14 Finishes 448 14.1 Lath and Plaster Work 449 14.2 Gypsum Plasterboard Systems 459 14.3 Ceramic Tile Work 472 14.4 Marble and Stone Flooring 477 14.5 Terrazzo Work 487 14.6 Acoustical Treatment 498 14.7 Finished Wood Flooring 503 14.8 Resilient Flooring 517 14.9 Carpets, Underlay, and Trim 523 14.10 Painting and Decorating 530 14.11 Wall Coverings 542 14.12 Review Questions 552 15 Mechanical Work 553 15.1 Introduction to Plumbing and Sewage Systems 554 15.2 Rough and Finish Plumbing 555 15.3 Plumbing Codes and Specifications 556 15.4 Plumbing Systems 556 15.5 Sewage Systems 560 15.6 Materials for Plumbing and Sewage Systems 560 15.7 Labor for Plumbing and Sewage Systems 562 15.8 Cost Estimate for Plumbing and Sewage Systems 563 15.9 Introduction to Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning 566 15.10 Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems 567 15.11 Labor for HVAC Systems 568 15.12 Cost Estimate for HVAC Systems 568 15.13 Review Questions 571 16 Electrical Work 572 16.1 Introduction to Electrical Work 573 Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Contents xi 16.2 Take-Off Procedures for Various Electrical Components 576 16.3 Pricing Electrical Work 583 16.4 Review Questions 587 17 Jobsite Overhead 589 17.1 Introduction: The Cost of Doing Business 590 17.2 Jobsite Personnel 596 17.3 Travel Expenses 597 17.4 Site Engineering Support 598 17.5 Construction Equipment and Aids for General Use 598 17.6 Temporary Field Buildings—Offices 599 17.7 Temporary Site Utilities 601 17.8 Horizontal Temporary Construction 602 17.9 Materials Storage Facilities 603 17.10 Camp Facilities 606 17.11 Production Facilities for Remote Sites 612 17.12 Personal Protective Aids 623 17.13 Site Security 624 17.14 Miscellaneous Expenses 624 17.15 Review Questions 627 18 Surety Bonds, Insurance, and Taxes 628 18.1 Surety Bonds 629 18.2 Insurance 638 18.3 Taxes (County, State, Federal) 645 18.4 Review Questions 649 19 General Overhead, Contingencies, and Profit 651 19.1 General Overhead (Home Office Expenses) 653 19.2 General Overhead Allocation 655 19.3 Construction Contingencies 655 19.4 Contractor/Subcontractor Profit 656 19.5 Review Questions 658 Appendix 1: MasterFormat Lite and UniFormat Lite 660 Appendix 2: Estimating Forms 672 Appendix 3: Cost Estimating Software 683 Appendix 4: Cost Estimating Sources 696 Appendix 5: Construction Site Investigation Report 704 References 723 Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc. Introductory Remarks As a young engineer, during the late 1950s, I was in charge of the construction of several-thousand-room hotels and restaurants at Mamaia, a Roumanian beach resort on the Black Sea. After forty years, I visited the same beach in the summer of 1999, and drafted on scratch paper the original outline of the present book. The outline initially motivated me to pursue the book project after my return to the University of Texas at Austin for my teaching duties. I assembled a project team composed of myself and two enthusiastic PhD candidates in Construction Engineering and Project Management. The team proceeded with the development of a standard network for the book chapters, including book-writing activities, duration of activities, relationship among activities, and responsible team mem- bers. The standard network is shown on the following page. The team combined the standard network of all chapters, and developed a master schedule for the project with the use of the Primavera Project Planner. Consequently, the team coordinated and controlled the project by updating the project status monthly. Based on the critical path methods, the team paid special attention to critical and near-critical activities. Even though it was a somewhat challenging project, by use of such modern techniques in project management, the book was completed within three years. This represents approximately nine man-years of effort. Copyright © 2003 Marcel Dekker, Inc.
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