So let’s be honest, being a building estimator is a complex job. It may seem that you can hire any company with any levels of expertise to get your service done, but in reality, there is so much that can go wrong and usually does that you need to be confident in the service that they provide. Every building estimation service is unique which has its own set of goals, risks, and opportunities, thus there is no one solution fits all. You need specialised professionals with experience in a varied range of building estimation services to get the best results for you. Building estimator service involves a lot of specificities with tight deadlines and a lot of referring between documents. Thus it is very critical to consider the following guidelines for efficient estimation.
Labor and Material Cost –
This is the most important and arduous part of building estimation with the greatest chances of miscalculations and mistakes. The estimation for labor and material might change based on a different person’s perspective, thus it is very important to include all the details of the assumptions taken to remove any scope for further clarifications. The estimates should be thoroughly reviewed and consulted to remove any mistakes and miscalculations as this estimate will have a direct impact on the overall cost calculation.
Risk calculation –
The ongoing COVID – 19 pandemic has shown us clearly that an estimated value can differ extensively from the final cost based on different risks involved. The lockdowns and economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic has greatly altered the final costs. Other types of changes that can affect the estimation value involve changes in the material and labor cost due to macro or microeconomic factors. Though all of this can’t be exactly predicted, a building estimator should include a risk estimation to take the available risks into consideration. It is to be noted that there is no specific formula for that and this only comes with experience.
Constricted view of the project –
Most of the building estimators work on a desk by inputting numbers into different line items of a spreadsheet. While this may look very good from the outset, this type of approach lacks strategic focus and is time-consuming. The final estimated value in these cases mostly differs from the final costs because the estimator didn’t have the complete project overview. An experienced building estimator should have extensive field experiences with a complete understanding of the working of a project from the ground up.
Monitoring of estimates –
A common mistake that most companies do is to park aside their estimated costs once construction is started. The actual scope of a building estimator doesn’t end with the initial estimate however it continues throughout the construction phase. During the construction phase, the building estimator service needs to screen various expenses and modify them accordingly. The whole process involves setting up a framework to check costs, update financials according to daily consumption and spending, and preparation of planning reports.
Outsource or Insource –
Another common decision that a business needs to make is whether to use an in house building estimator team or outsource it to a commercial construction estimator. While an in house estimator team has a better understanding of the internal functions of the business, the building estimation needs a holistic approach, which they lack. Also, there are high overhead costs associated with an in-house team as it is difficult to have a continuous flow of projects for them. Please contact us here if you are looking for estimating software that you can use to estimate projects yourself, as we have very favourable discounted rates with a leading estimating software provider here in the UK.
Why choose Chase Estimating –
Building estimation is a critical job that needs expert professionals for accurate estimation. We at Chase estimating have professionals with several years of prior experience in handling building estimation projects. We have adopted all the best practices in this field and follow all the required guidelines for an effective estimation.
If you are looking to get an estimate of your building work, do reach out to us at 01630417161 or email us your request at enquiries@chaseestimating.com. We will promptly revert back to your requests and assure you of a splendid experience with us.
