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Estimating Tips
Tip 1: Construction Managers require consistent estimates through each
phase of Project Design- - CM’s frequently need to do estimates at
Schematic Design, at Design Development, and at 75% construction documents.
ArenaSoft Estimating makes this easy
by allowing you do duplicate your previous estimate while leaving the
Quantities and Takeoff blank. Now you just go thru each line of the
estimate and takeoff the latest quantities. Your unit prices remain
consistent, unless you choose to revise them. On a complex job like a
hospital, your client and Architect will appreciate being able to easily
compare estimates. This also has the benefit of making the second or third
estimate much less work because all of the structure of the estimate is
already there.
Tip 2: Good estimates are never "easy" - - Let's face it, complex
projects require a lot of work taking off the quantities, and adjusting
unit prices to reflect the unique aspects of this particular job. So you do
not get lost in the detail, our click-copy lists prompt the estimator to do
a thoughtful estimate. We make the
mechanical part of doing an estimate easy so you a) have a clear picture of
the facts, and b) have the time to tweak the final numbers as required.
Part of what makes ArenaSoft Estimating great is the ability to go back and
check the dimensions of items you have previously taken off. Did you forget the brick wall surrounding
the cooling tower? Double clicking
the brick quantity lets you see the dimensions of each wall in a simple
spreadsheet format so you can verify or edit at any time.
Tip 3: General Contractors doing Hard Bids must scope out subcontractor
bids at the last minute - - Typically you receive multiple subcontractor
bids on "Drywall" and other trades. Each subcontractor has his
list of exclusions which gives you the job of scoping each bid and filling in
the missing pieces so you can compare (apples for apples) who has the best
package price. The best way to do this is to do estimates on all of the
specification sections ahead of time. The ArenaSoft database enables you to
estimate the work of trades you do not perform yourself. Thus when a
drywall sub excludes say "structural stud framing", you already
have a number to plug in for this. ArenaSoft also includes a simple
spreadsheet for doing this scoping of subs so you can adjust for a sub’s
exclusions, and see who has the best price after adjustments. And you can
see whether the low number is "way low" as compared to your
estimate or the other sub prices. The final judgment of who's price to use
is always yours because not all subs have the same financial and other
strength considerations.
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