DIY: Building Estimates
Estimating your building costs will help you stay within your construction budget. Furthermore, a building estimate helps determine how much and what type of labor you'll need. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Paper
- Calculator
- Home plans
- Construction estimation books by RS Means
Instructions
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1
Review the drawings of the building to be built, and determine the materials and assemblies for the structure. This includes not only the floors, drywall, and tile, but also the structure, such as joists, studs, and columns behind the walls, and services, such as plumbing, heating, and electricity. Therefore, it is important to have an understanding of construction when developing the building estimate.
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2
Calculate the square footage of the floors, ceilings, and walls in the individual spaces of the building after determining the materials and services in the structure. Some elements require linear footage; you can determine this by measuring the length of the elements or calculating the spacing of repetitive members, in feet, and dividing the square footage by the spacing. Other elements, such as concrete, require cubic yards. To find the cubic yards of a material, multiply the square footage by the depth of the material, in feet, and divide the product by 27. Nevertheless, most materials are measured by the square foot.
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3
Find the cost of each material. There are a number of cost-estimating books and software, but the most common method is to use cost-estimation books by RS Means. These books provide construction costs, as well as overhead and profit estimates, for the many materials and assemblies for various types of construction. Furthermore, RS Means books provide a cost factor that can help determine local building costs versus national averages. You can purchase these books at most bookstores or check them out from libraries.
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Consult the index at the back of an RS Means book for cost information divided by building division. Be sure the costs you are using are equivalent to the type of construction that will take place. Concrete foundations, for example, are a different price per unit than concrete slabs.
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Multiply the calculated lengths, areas, and volumes of the materials by the appropriate costs given in RS Means books, and then multiply the total by your local area factor. It's a good idea to create a conservative estimate by multiplying the total cost by 115 percent to 150 percent. In this way, you'll lessen the chances of being surprised by the real costs of construction, as opposed to the building estimate.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're not familiar with construction, see the parametric costs in the front of RS Means estimating books.
