2008 National Electrical Estimator w/CD-ROM Overview
Free Monthly National Estimator Updates – Updates to the 2008 costbooks and zip code modification factors are updated monthly. Monthly price updates on the Web are free and automatic all during 2008. You'll be prompted when it's time to collect the next update. A connection to the Web is required.
This year's prices for installation of all common electrical work: conduit, wire, boxes, fixtures, switches, outlets, loadcenters, panelboards, raceway, duct, signal systems, and more. Provides material costs, manhours per unit, and total installed cost. Explains what you should know to estimate each part of an electrical system.
Includes a CD-ROM with an electronic version of the book with National Estimator, a stand-alone Windows estimating program, plus an interactive multimedia video that shows how to use the disk to compile construction cost estimates. Revised annually.
Included with National Estimator CD-ROM:
- Job Cost Wizard – turns estimates into invoices and exports both in QuickBooks
- Free Online Technical Support – for the National Estimator Software
- Free Monthly National Estimator Updates – Updates to the 2008 costbooks and zip code modification factors are updated monthly. Monthly price updates on the Web are free and automatic all during 2008. You'll be prompted when it's time to collect the next update. A connection to the Web is required.
Back Cover
Current Labor and Material Cost Estimates for Residential,
Commercial and Industrial Work
EMT Conduit – In Floors, Concealed of Exposed, Including Fittings
and Supports
Flex Conduit – Standard and Reduced Wall, Steel and Aluminum
with All Fittings
PVC Conduit – Schedule 40, Schedule 80, with All Couplings,
Adapters and End Bells
Rigid Steel & Aluminum Conduit – Short and Long Elbows, Couplings,
Terminations and Nipples
PVC Coated Conduit – PVC Coated Elbows, Couplings, Fittings,
Bodies and Boxes
Conduit Bodies – All Common Types, Including Bushings, Covers
and Entrance Caps
Conduit Fittings – Couplings, Connectors, Washers, Brushed
Nipples and Unions
Conduit Hangers – Straps, Spacers, Steel Running Thread Rod,
Clamps, U-Bolts
Copper Wire – Types THW, THHN, XHHW, USE, MTW, TF, TFF, TFFN,
AF and SJ
Copper Cable – Types NW (Romex), UF, SEU, BX, 5000 Bolt XLP
and 15000 Bolt EPR
Aluminum Wire – Types THW, THHN-THWN, XHHW, USE, SE-U, SE-SER,
ASCR, and XLP
Outlet Boxes – Handy Boxes, Switch Boxes, Octagon Boxes, Pull
Boxes and Covers
Incandescent & Fluorescent Lighting – Ceiling, Wall, Utility,
Industrial, Bathroom, Recessed, Track, Strip, Wraparound
Yard & Street Lighting – Round, Cylinder, Flat, Convex, with
and without Poles
Wiring Devices – Residential and Specification Grade Switches,
Receptacles, Plates
Service Equipment – Switches, Breakers, Meter Sockets, Loadcenters,
Cabinets
Raceway Power – Duct, Wireway, Trolley Duct, Bus Duct, Cable
Tray and Fittings
Signal Systems – Bells, Buzzers, Sirens, Horns, Chimes, Beacons,
Detectors
Equipment Hookup – Motors, Mechanical and Kitchen Equipment,
Generators
If you need to estimate the cost of electrical systems in buildings, this book
will be your most reliable guide to selecting the right material, figuring the
Labor time required for installation, and totaling the installation cost and
material price. Ed Tyler was named "National Estimator of the Year" by the American
Society of Professional Estimators. His depth and breadth of knowledge make
him one of the nation’s foremost authorities on electrical estimating.
2008 National Electrical Estimator w/CD-ROM
Introduction
How to Use This Book
This manual is a guide to the cost of installing electrical work in buildings.
It lists costs to the electrical subcontractor for a wide variety of electrical
work.
Before using any estimate in this book, you should understand an important
point about estimating electrical construction costs. Estimating is an art,
not a science. There is no estimate that fits all work. The manhour estimates
in this book will be accurate for many jobs. But no two crews will complete
all tasks in exactly the same time. And no two jobs are identical. That’s why
electrical cost estimating requires an exercise of judgment. Every estimate
has to be custom-made for the job, the crew and the contractor. No estimating
reference, no computerized cost estimating system, no estimating service can
consider all the variables that make every job unique.
This book is not intended as a replacement for well-informed judgment. But
when supplemented with an estimator’s professional evaluation, the figures in
this manual will be a good aid in developing an informed opinion of the cost
of electrical systems.
Inside
the back cover of this book you’ll find an envelope with a compact disk. The
disk has National Estimator, an easy-to-use estimating program with all the
cost estimates in this book. Insert the CD in your computer and wait a few seconds.
Installation should begin automatically. (If not, click Start, Settings, Control
Panel, double-click Add/Remove programs and Install.) Select Show Me from the
installation menu and Julie will show you how to use National Estimator. When
Show Me is complete, select Install Program. When the National Estimator program
has been installed, click Help on the menu bar, click Contents, click Print
all Topics, click File and click Print Topic to print a 28-page instruction
manual for National Estimator.
Labor Costs
The labor costs listed in this manual will apply on most jobs where the hourly
wage in effect is the same or similar to the following rates:
| Journeyman Electrician |
|
| Base Wage |
$24.34 per hr. |
| Taxable Fringe Benefits at 5.15% |
$1.25 per hr. |
| Taxes & Insurance at 23.15% |
$5.92 per hr. |
| Non-taxable Fringe Benefits at 4.55% |
$1.11 per hr. |
| Total Labor Cost |
$32.62 per hr. |
The total hourly cost includes the basic wage, taxable fringe benefits (vacation
pay), workers’ compensation insurance, liability insurance, taxes (state and
federal unemployment, Social Security and Medicare), and typical non-taxable
fringe benefits such as medical insurance.
If your hourly labor cost is much lower or higher, costs of installation can
be expected to be proportionately lower or higher than the installation costs
listed in this book. If your total hourly labor cost is 25 percent less, for
example, reduce the labor figures in the cost tables by 25 percent to find your
local cost.
The Craft@Hrs column shows the recommended crew and manhours per unit for installation.
For example, L2 in the Craft@Hrs column means that we recommend a crew of two
electricians. L1 means that crew of one electrician is recommended. Costs in
the Labor Cost column are the result of multiplying the manhours per unit by
the rate of $32.62 per hour.
For example, if the Craft@Hrs column shows L2@.250, the Labor Cost column will
show $8.16. That’s .250 manhours multiplied by $32.62 per manhour and rounded
to the nearest penny.
Divide the manhours per unit into 8 to find the number of units one electrician
can install in one 8-hour day: 8 divided by .250 equals 32 units per day. Multiply
that answer by the number of crew members to find the number of units the crew
will install in an 8-hour day. For example, if the crew is two electricians,
multiply 32 by 2 to find that the crew can be expected to install 64 units in
an 8-hour day.
Some tasks can be expected to require less labor under certain conditions.
For example, when conduit is run in groups, less labor will be required for
each 100 linear feet of conduit. It’s the estimator’s responsibility to identify
conditions that are likely to require more or less labor than the standard for
the type of work being estimated.
This book lists both the labor cost per installed unit and the manhours required
for installation. Manhours are listed in hundredths of an hour rather than minutes
because it’s easier to add, subtract, multiply and divide hundredths of a unit.
Material Costs
Material prices in this book are based on costs as of late 2004, and projected
to mid 2006 by adding 3 to 8 percent. Prices are neither “retail” nor “wholesale”
costs. Instead, they’re intended to reflect what most electrical contractors
who buy in moderate volume will be paying in spring 2006. Volume purchases of
some materials will cost less because many dealers offer quantity discounts.
Material costs in this book include normal waste. If waste of materials or
breakage is expected to exceed to 5 percent of the materials used on the job,
include a separate allowance for excessive waste.
The cost of delivering materials to the job site is not included in this book.
Where the cost of delivery is significant and can be identified, add that cost
to these figures.
Please note that the cost of some electrical materials is highly volatile.
For example, copper wire prices have been known to move up or down 10 percent
in one month. There’s no reliable way to forecast price movements like this.
Major price changes have not been assumed in this manual.
Add Sales Tax
No state or local sales tax is included in material prices listed here. Sales
tax varies from area to area and may not be charged on purchases for some types
of projects. Add the appropriate sales tax rate when sales tax will be charged
on materials bought for the job.
Add Overhead and Profit
To complete the estimate, add your overhead and expected profit. Many contractors
feel that adding 10 percent for profit yields an acceptable return on
the money invested in the business. But there’s no profit percentage that fits
all jobs and all contractors.
For some electrical contractors, overhead may add as little as 10 percent to
the labor and material cost. But routinely adding 10 percent for overhead is
poor estimating practice. It’s the estimator’s responsibility to identify all
overhead costs and include them in the estimate, either as a lump sum
or as a percentage of the total labor and material cost.
Other Costs to Add
Some other costs are excluded from the figures in this manual: building electrical
permits, special hoisting costs, freight costs not absorbed by the supplier,
utility company charges for installation and service, special insurance and
bonds, power equipment other than small tools, mobilization to remote sites,
demobilization, nonproductive labor, and nonworking supervisors. Add these costs
if they can be identified and if they will be a significant part of the job
cost.
All Tables Assume “Good” Conditions
This means that there are few or no unusual conditions that would delay production.
Conditions are good when work is performed during usual working hours in relatively
clean surroundings and in readily accessible areas not over 12 feet above the
finish floor. The temperature is between 50 and 85 degrees F. Electricians are
working no more than eight hours a day and no more than five days a week.
Good conditions require that all tools and materials be available on the job
site when needed. Tools, including power tools, are assumed to be in good working
order. Where power tools are appropriate, it’s assumed that temporary power
is provided. Add the cost of temporary power when it will be furnished at your
expense.
Proper supervision can make a big difference in labor productivity. The tables
assume that there is adequate supervision but make no allowance for nonproductive
labor — supervisors who direct but do no installation. If you plan to have nonproductive
supervision on the job, add that cost to the figures in this manual.
Conditions are seldom “good” when the work area is confined or when a short
construction schedule makes it necessary for many trades to work at the same
time. The usual result will be stacks of material obstructing the work space
and several tradesmen competing for access at the point of installation.
If the conditions on the job you’re estimating aren’t expected to be “good,”
adjust the labor figures in this book as appropriate. Occasionally larger jobs
can be done faster because specialized equipment or specialized crews can be
used to good advantage. This will usually reduce the installation cost. More
often, conditions are less than “good.” In that case, labor costs will be higher.
There’s no accepted way to decide how much “bad” conditions will increase the
labor hours needed. But it’s accepted estimating practice to assign a cost multiplier
of more than 1.0 to a job that can be expected to require more than the usual
amount of labor per unit installed. For example, if conditions are less than
“good” only in minor respects, you might multiply labor costs by 1.10. If conditions
are very poor, a multiplier of 1.50 or more might be appropriate.
Other Factors That Affect Productivity
The tables in this book assume that the
crew used for the job is the smallest crew appropriate for the work at hand.
Usually this means that the crew is one journeyman electrician.
Most experts who have studied the productivity
of construction trades will agree that the smallest crew that can do the job
is usually the most efficient. For example, it would be foolish to have two
men working together setting duplex receptacles — one handing tools and material
to the other as needed. Only one of the two would be working at any given time.
A more productive arrangement would be two one-man crews, each working independently.
Of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes
a crew of one will take more than twice as long as a crew of two. When pulling
feeder cable or setting floor-standing switchboards or motor control centers,
more help will usually cut the labor cost per installed unit. Some jobs simply
can’t be done by a crew of one.
When work is done on a scaffold, there
should be someone on the ground to chase parts and equipment and prepare lighting
fixtures for hanging. It’s a waste of manpower to have an electrician leave
the scaffold and return every time parts or tools are needed. The scaffold installers
should install one fixture while the “grunt” on the floor prepares the next.
Conduit should be prefabricated on the ground from measurements taken by the
electricians on the scaffold. The assistant on the ground should bend the conduit
and hand it up to the installers.
Labor savings like this are obvious to anyone who has ever done this type of
work, and are assumed in the labor tables in this book.
The Electrician
The labor hours in this book are intended
to be typical of what a trained and motivated journeyman electrician with five
years of experience will do on most jobs. Of course, it’s assumed that the installer
can read and follow plans and specifications and has the ability to lay out
the work so that it complies with the code.
It shouldn’t make any difference whether
the work is in a hospital, a grocery store, a wood mill or a small convenience
store. An experienced journeyman electrician should be able to handle the work
at the rates shown here even though the materials and code requirements differ.
But you’ll have to make allowances if your installers are familiar with residential
work only, and the job at hand is something else.
Improving Estimating Accuracy & Profit
It’s been said that electrical estimators learn by making mistakes. The best
estimators are the ones that have made the most mistakes. Once you’ve made every
mistake possible, you’re a real expert.
I can’t subscribe 100 percent to that theory, but I know that there are plenty
of pitfalls ready to trap unwary electrical estimators. This section is intended
to suggest ways to spot potential problems before they become a major loss.
It will also recommend some steps you can take to increase the profit on most
jobs.
Labor Productivity
Improving output only slightly can result in major cost savings. Cutting only
a minute or two off the installation time for each duplex receptacle or handy
box can reduce the labor cost by several hundred or even a thousand dollars
a job. Getting better (and predictably better) productivity from your electricians
should be a primary concern for every electrical contractor.
Assuming that your electricians are experienced, well-trained, and have all
the tools and materials they need to complete the work, the most significant
increase in productivity will probably be through improved motivation.
The best form of motivation for most electricians is to encourage a sense of
pride in the work they do. Encouraging self-respect is a powerful inducement
for most skilled tradesmen. Every alert supervisor knows the value of recognition
given for a job well done. Acknowledging good work builds confidence and encourages
additional effort in the future.
Handling Inspections
The supervisor or foreman on site should have primary responsibility for dealing
with all inspectors. Don’t let others circumvent the supervisor’s or foreman’s
position.
An inspector’s only job is to see that the installation complies with the code.
They aren’t supervisors and don’t direct the work. They can and do interpret
the code and sometimes make mistakes. Encourage the foreman or supervisor to
take issue promptly with a questionable interpretation. Ask the inspector to
cite a code reference as his authority. If the inspector insists that his interpretation
is correct, and if you feel that it’s wrong, call the Building Official to initiate
an appeal. Your trade association or the National Electrical Contractors’ Association
may be able to present persuasive arguments in your favor.
Some inspectors have a reputation for being impossible to deal with. Aggressive
enforcement of questionable code interpretations can severely hurt project productivity.
Following the code carefully will keep you out of most compliance problems.
Every electrician and electrical supervisor has to know the code. Code classes
are taught at night schools in many communities. Take a code class both to understand
how the code is applied and to get current on code changes that have been enacted
recently.
Mobilization and Demobilization
Many electrical subcontractors have job shacks and lockup boxes that can be
moved onto the job for storing tools and materials. Some larger firms have trailer
vans that can be moved from job to job. No matter what type of on-site storage
you use, getting set up takes time. The bigger the job, the more time will probably
be needed.
The first step is usually getting permission to set up your storage area somewhere
on site. On some job sites storage space is at a premium. Some city projects
literally have no storage space until parts of the building are completed. Occasionally
tools and equipment will have to be stored off site. This will usually require
daily mobilization and demobilization and increase the labor cost substantially.
Be sure your estimate considers this important item.
Demobilization usually takes less time and costs less than mobilization. Removing
the surplus material, tools and equipment can be done by helpers or material
handlers rather than electricians.
One important mobilization item is temporary electrical service. Be sure you
know who pays for installation of temporary power and who pays for power used
on site during construction. It’s common for the electrical contractor to cover
the cost of electrical distribution and service. Installation will usually be
done by your electricians and will have to pass inspection, of course.
Most communities require temporary electrical permits prior to starting work.
Before applying for the permit, contact the electric utility and request a meeting
with whoever coordinates extensions of service — usually the planner. Before
having that meeting, know what size the service must be. The planner will let
you know what voltage is available and where the point of connection will be.
Don’t end the meeting with the planner until you’ve covered every requirement
and all procedures imposed by the electric utility.
Job Cleanup
It’s hard to get good production when trash and debris obstruct access on the
job site. That alone should be enough reason to dispose of accumulated waste
regularly. Most specifications require that all subcontractors remove unused
materials, cartons, wrappers and discarded equipment. On many jobs the general
contractor will have the right to backcharge subs for removal of their discards
if they don’t clean the site themselves.
Encourage your crews to do their cleanup as installation is being done. For
example, each time a fixture is removed from a carton, the tradesman should
collapse the carton and throw it on the pile of discards. It takes little more
time that way and the cleanup is less likely to be put off or ignored entirely.
Some contractors and subcontractors have a reputation for running a dirty job.
You’ve probably seen jobs that are so cluttered that it’s hard to understand
how anyone can work efficiently. As the electrical contractor, you can’t dictate
to the general contractor or the other subcontractors, of course. But work habits
of others affect your productivity and thus your profit.
My feeling is that it’s entirely proper to discuss the matter with the general
and the other subs when accumulated debris is slowing progress. Request a meeting
right on the job in the middle of the clutter. This alone may do the trick.
If you don’t insist on a clean job, the fire department probably will. A dirty
job site costs everyone more time and money. A clean job is usually both more
efficient and safer.
Production
No matter how simple and quick, most jobs will have some production problems.
It’s easy to explain why. Every job is unique. Every job brings together skilled
tradesmen with varying preferences and habits. Most have never worked together
before. Yet each must coordinate the work he does with those who precede him
and those who follow. It’s normal to expect that some adjustments will be needed
before cooperation becomes routine.
Of course, the general contractor is the key to good cooperation among the
trades. A general who schedules trades properly will have fewer problems and
will help all subcontractors earn the profit they’re hoping for. This is never
automatic, of course. And some general contractors never seem to learn how to
schedule properly. From the estimator’s perspective, it’s more expensive to
work for a contractor who has scheduling problems than it is to work for a contractor
who’s more adept at coordination. Your estimates should reflect production problems
when problems can be anticipated.
Good supervision will help avoid most production problems. Schedule material
deliveries carefully. Have the right tools on hand when needed. Keep crews as
small as possible. Don’t work your crews more than 40 hours a week unless absolutely
necessary. Too many bodies and too many hours will erode production.
If you’re using a larger crew, don’t have everyone work together. Instead,
break the crew into two units and encourage friendly competition between the
two, with a six-pack of beer going to the winning crew — to be consumed after
hours and off the site, of course.
Corrections
The tables in this book assume that little or no time is spent making corrections
after the work is done. Most electrical contractors have very few callbacks.
If you’re often called back to replace faulty materials or correct defective
workmanship, one of four things is happening. First, you could be working for
some very particular contractors or owners or handling some very sensitive work.
In that case, callbacks could be part of the job and should be included in each
estimate. Second, you could be installing substandard materials. Third, your
electricians could be doing haphazard work. Finally, your installation procedure
could be omitting fixture and circuit tests that will locate problems before
the owner finds them.
When qualified electricians install quality materials, the risk of a callback
is small. Occasionally a ballast will fail after 10 or 20 hours in use. And
sometimes an owner’s negligence will damage a circuit or switch. When this happens,
accept the service work as routine. Complete it promptly at no extra charge.
Consider it cheap advertising, a chance to establish your credentials with the
owner. You’ll probably turn the service call into some extra work later.
Your Type of Work
Most electrical contractors prefer to handle certain types of work. Only a
few have the capital, equipment and skills needed to handle the largest jobs.
Most will do residential wiring because that’s the most plentiful work available.
Some prefer private work with as little government interference as possible.
Others bid only government jobs.
The most profitable electrical contractors specialize in one type of work or
one type of customer. The electrical construction field is too broad to try
to do everything well. Select a part of the business that feels comfortable
and concentrate on doing it as well or better than anyone else. Of course, some
of the older and larger electrical shops will do almost any type of work. But
nearly every electrical contractor prefers some class of job over all others
— and would take only that work if there were enough available to stay busy.
Observe the electrical contractors in your area. Notice the companies that
seem to be busiest and most profitable. See what class of customers they service
or what type of work they do most. It’s probably easier to follow the success
of another contractor who’s found a winning formula than it is to invent a new
formula yourself.
Specialization lets you hire electricians who are specialists too. That tends
to improve productivity, keeps costs down, and improves profits — as long as
you’re handling work that’s in your specialty.
Coordination will be easier and the profits will usually be higher if you work
for a limited number of general contractors. Some contractors seem to be masters
at putting a project together. These same contractors probably pay promptly
and treat their subs fairly. That makes your job easier and tends to fatten
your bottom line. If you’ve found several contractors who make life more pleasant
for you, keep them supplied with competitive bids that will bring more work
into both your shop and theirs.
Most electrical contractors don’t bid government work. It’s a specialty that
requires special knowledge: complying with detailed general conditions, observing
regulations, anticipating inspection criteria and following administrative procedures.
And every branch of federal, state and local government has its own requirements.
Those who have mastered the procedures usually do quite well when work is plentiful.
But there’s a tide of government work that rises and falls just like the tide
of construction activity in general.
Bid Shopping
Many contractors prefer projects that require subcontractor listings. The general
contractor must list the subcontractors he plans to use, and must actually use
the subs he lists. When listing of subs isn’t required, the general can shop
for lower subcontract bids right up to the time work begins, in some cases.
Even if the general contractor has to list his subs in the contract with the
owner, the general will usually have a month or two to shop bids after the contract
is awarded.
When a general contractor uses your bid to land a job, it’s just elementary
fair play to expect that your company will get the contract. Giving all your
competition a second look at the job is in no one’s interest but the general
contractor’s. It’s a waste of time to bid for general contractors who shop their
sub bids. Neither is it good practice to undercut another electrical contractor
whose estimate was used by the winning general contractor. Support the effort
of reputable subcontractors who promote subcontractor listing at bid time.
Need More Help?
This book is concerned primarily with labor and material costs for electrical
construction. You’ll find only limited information here on how to compile an
estimate. If you need a detailed explanation on how to make a material take-off
and complete the bid, another book by this author may be helpful. An order form
for Estimating Electrical Construction is bound into the last pages of
this book.
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