Bidding Professionals – Your Trusted Partner for Construction Cost Transparency. As a top building cost estimator, we provide accurate construction estimates, bids, and consulting services for projects of all sizes.
Using industry-leading software, our licensed professional estimators help clients budget and bid confidently by delivering comprehensive estimates within 5% of actual costs. Contact us today to discuss your preconstruction needs with a full-service cost management firm.
Bidding Professionals has provided accurate construction cost estimating and consulting services across the United States for over 15 years. As a leading full-service building cost estimator, Bidding Professionals assists clients from the early project planning phases through final construction.
Key Components of a Building Cost Estimator
Here are the key components of an effective building cost estimator from Bidding Professionals in more detail:
Industry Expertise
Bidding Professionals’ team of building cost estimators have extensive construction experience, with an average of 15+ years in the industry. Their expertise spans multiple project types including commercial, institutional, and infrastructure.
Estimators stay up-to-date by maintaining professional credentials and participating in ongoing education. With their deep experience across various sectors, they understand the nuances involved in accurately pricing different materials and systems.
Advanced Estimating Tools
Bidding Professionals leverages the latest professional software solutions to conduct thorough quantity takeoffs and pricing. This includes programs like RSMeans, which contains accurate cost data customized by location. Arena scheduling software facilitates assembly-level quantity takeoffs.
3D laser scanning and BIM modeling through Autodesk platforms capture intricate project details and enable clash detection. The utilization of these advanced digital tools combined with human expertise results in comprehensive estimates.
On-Site Evaluations and Plan Review
An essential part of the estimating process is an on-site evaluation by one of the Bidding Professionals’ cost estimators. Being on location provides vital context for how a project will be built and any site-specific challenges.
Estimators also conduct a careful review of all architectural and engineering drawings. This thorough plan analysis ensures full capture of all materials and components that will be required for accurate budgeting.
Customized Pricing
Pricing is tailored specifically based on a job’s unique location through local market analysis. Labor rates, material costs, and equipment prices reflect variables like union vs. open shop and urban vs.
Rural settings. This customized approach provides an estimate grounded in real-world construction costs for that specific region. Value engineering alternatives are also included to give options for phasing or potential cost-saving substitutions.
Calculating Material Costs
One of the most important aspects of developing an accurate construction estimate is precisely quantifying and pricing all required materials. Bidding Professionals’ experienced cost estimators have extensive knowledge of the material Takeoff process.
They carefully extract quantities from plans, specifications, and 3D models using market-leading estimation software. This allows for an assembly-based itemization of lumber, concrete, masonry, metals, doors/windows, and all other building components.
The estimators then apply the most up-to-date cost data available. As building cost estimators, they have extensive access to specialized pricing databases like RSMeans, tailored by geographic location.
Fluctuations.
For materials not covered by standard databases, direct quotes from local distributors are incorporated. Installation factors are also applied which consider the productivity rates of specialized trades and any site-specific conditions.
Estimating Labor Costs
Bidding Professionals’ cost estimators have well-developed methodologies for quantifying and budgeting labor. They begin by carefully studying plans and specifications to establish all necessary construction activities and operations.
This involves breaking the project down into individual tasks and crews by trade. Estimators then consider variables like work phases, production capacities, and health and safety requirements to determine realistic crew sizes and forecast installation durations.
Their extensive industry experience allows for accurate projections of pacing and sequencing impacts. Union vs. open shop labor rates are analyzed, along with geographic adjustments for higher or lower wage regions.
As building cost estimators, they maintain detailed crews and productivity databases customized to multiple construction methods.
Standard hours for repetitive operations are derived from national sources like FCSI and modified based on complexity or site constraints. Allowances are also included for overhead costs such as insurance, taxes, benefits, and equipment.
Incorporating Indirect Costs
As experts in analyzing total project budgets, Bidding Professionals’ cost estimators have a proven methodology for properly accounting for indirect construction expenditures. These “soft costs” are just as important to consider as materials and labor.
A critical early step is budgeting for temporary facilities needs like trailer rentals, portable toilets, and construction fencing. Estimators assess logistical requirements based on site conditions and the schedule.
Permitting and plan review costs are then factored in using historical fee structures from local municipalities and known regulatory requirements. Insurance requirements are also estimated via the firm’s extensive insurance cost database.
As the building cost estimator, contingencies are prudently allocated to technical design contingencies as well as general conditions line items for unforeseen challenges. The percentages utilized are tailored to each project’s inherent risks.
Other indirects like project management, submittal processing, testing/inspection, and commissioning expenses are all included drawing on the estimators’ expertise in benchmarking non-construction costs.
Owner’s costs such as furnishings, and architectural/engineering fees are also quantified based on scope. Escalation allowances project future inflation impacts until the construction midpoint.
Customizing for Project Specifics
Every construction project has unique elements that require Bidding Professionals’ estimators to tailor their approach. From the initial project intake, they gather key details about the schedule, quality expectations, and site-specific needs.
For accelerated timelines, temporary structures or overtime may be prudent. Special commissioning requirements are also noted. Enhanced substrate prep or architectural finishes affect pricing accordingly.
Value engineering is a core service. Estimators effectively analyze alternatives for foundations, structures, envelopes, or MEP designs. Life cycle costs are compared to optimize long-term budget benefits.
As building cost estimators, the team maintains extensive databases on systems, assemblies, and unit rates. They adjust for new or custom components, applying factors for prototype, low-volume, or specialty materials.
Logistical challenges like urban congestion or difficult soils necessitate additional costs for cranes, hoists, or dewatering. Phasing complexities add time for multiple move-ins/move-outs.
Accuracy and Reliability of Building Cost Estimators
As a full-service cost management firm, Bidding Professionals prides itself on providing budgeting solutions in which clients can have complete confidence. Their team of licensed professional estimators averages over 15 years of hands-on construction experience.
Constant training ensures experts stay up-to-date on the latest industry standards, technologies, and market trends affecting costs. Extensive proprietary databases containing historical pricing data are analyzed to reduce risk.
On-site evaluations and plan reviews capture precise scope details for material takeoffs. Advanced BIM modeling and 3D laser scanning further enhance precision.
Customized job-specific calculations factor in location adjustments, prevailing wages, and other economic nuances. Alternate designs explore value while maintaining structural integrity.
A rigorous internal quality control process validates accuracy before delivery. Estimates often come within 5% of final costs, even in fluctuating markets.
Post-construction analyses further refine methodologies. Customer testimonials tout on-schedule, on-budget deliverables thanks to Bidding Professionals’ reliable building cost estimators.
With expert-verified estimates grounded in data and experience, clients gain confidence to make well-informed decisions from project start through closeout. Building cost estimators’ track record gives owners, bidders and lawmakers assurance that budgets are realistic and risks mitigated.
Last Words
Bidding Professionals understand the importance of having a reliable cost consultant on your side from project conception through completion. As a trusted building cost estimator with over 15 years of industry experience, we deliver for clients time and again through accuracy, transparency, and personalized service.
Our team of licensed professional estimators leverages cutting-edge technologies and extensive cost databases customized for your local market conditions. On-site evaluations and detailed plan analysis ensure comprehensive capture of all scope.
You can have full confidence that the budget we develop takes into account all material, labor, indirect and contingency needs to properly inform critical pre-construction and procurement decisions. We want you to bid and build with the backing of a realistic estimated cost.
Once the project is underway, we continue providing expert cost consulting services and change order analysis. Post-construction reviews then help strengthen our estimating acumen further for the next client.
When it’s time for accurate budgeting answers from reliable building cost estimators, look no further than Bidding Professionals. Contact us today to discuss your preconstruction requirements.
