Estimating
& the Architect |
An estimate means different things at different
stages of design and construction:
- At the outset of design and in schematics, we use estimating to predict the eventual
cost of the project. In spite of limited
information, and many yet-to-be designed
details, the designer has a responsibility
to give the owner an idea of the required
budget - or if there is already a budget,
as is often the case, to seek to design within
it. An understanding of the different factors
that affect cost can help the architect;
an estimator needs a good all-round knowledge
of construction as well as an insight into
the implications of design decisions. This is a time when good estimating can really
help a project, particularly specialized
ones. You can honestly present the cost of alternative
scenarios to the owner
- At Design Development it is still not too difficult to make changes
to materials, even to the size or configuration,
to keep a building on budget. enough information
is available for accurate estimating, even
if the lack of specifications and full documentation
means that competitive estimates by the actual
performers of the work, the subcontractors,
may not be available. At this point both the architect, before
spending a lot of hours on construction
documents,
and the owner who is committed to
the project,
deserve and need to be sure of the
cost. And this is the time when meaningful Value
Engineering can be done, before the
phrase
comes to mean merely reducing quality
or
architectural effect to save money!
- Once Construction Documents are complete, or at whatever point it is
decided to bid the project to fix actual
construction costs, estimating is largely
a matter of determining the reasonable cost
- meaning lowest obtainable acceptable bid
- from the subcontractors who can do the
work. A General Contractor or Construction
Manager may present a bid or just an estimate,
but for 90% of work it is the trade subcontractors
who determine the cost. Prior to bidding
a designer of owner may wish to have a check
estimate prepared to make sure the project
is affordable; and CMs may make their own
complete estimates for all trades. But at
the end of the day it is the subcontractors
who determine the cost of the work. We don't
have space to go into all the ramifications
of this here. The information needed to price the project
will be obtained from the drawings and specifications;
the clearer and more consistent these are
the more competitive the pricing.
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| The Use of Documents |
- The drawings and specifications are almost
the whole way that the designer communicates
his or her intentions and define
the intended
construction. Not only do they determine
the form and appearance, they determine
the
cost.
- While it may sometimes be true that "the
contractor can work it out in the field",
the estimator has to cover all eventualities
and make sure the price quoted will cover
the work that will be necessary.
- The more the designer knows about how a building
will be constructed, and the more clearly
this is communicated, the better the value
for the owner.
- Time and effort spent on clear documentation
can more than pay for itself. It is hard
to quantify, and hard to prove since every
project is different, but every 1% of the
construction cost spent on detailing has
the potential to get perhaps 5% better value.
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Cost Consulting
