About This Book
New in 2002
Fluctuating energy prices threaten to have an increasing impact on the cost of supplies, but at least some of the additional costs will be absorbed by manufactures, who - at least in some cases - are struggling to stay competitive.
As was true in 1999 and 2001 contractors will still report difficulty finding skilled workers and spot material shortages still occur, especially during busy times of the year.
A Tool
This book is like a tool and like all tools it can be misused. It is an excellent tool for the renovation and repair professional. It is not a substitute for experience, skill, and knowledge.
Prices in this book are based on research of actual jobs and successful estimates. They represent an average of the typical conditions.
Estimators should compare the conditions described in this book with actual conditions on site and adjust the price accordingly.
Unique to Renovation & Repair Work
This book is compiled specifically for the unique problems and conditions found in renovation and repair work. It is not a new construction cost book.
Renovation and repair work involve different circumstances than those found in new construction.
For example, the renovation or repair professional must work around existing conditions including home contents, access problems, out-of-plumb or out-of-square buildings, outdated materials, and existing conditions that violate cur- rent building codes.
New-construction professionals have the luxury of placing items in a logical order, but the renovation, remodel, or repair professional must deal with conditions as they find them.
This means that joists have to be replaced in an existing floor system, paint has to be applied in a room where stain-grade base and carpeting are already installed, structures may have to be braced, contents have to be moved or worked around, and materials and installation techniques must be matched.
Determining Costs
All costs in this book are based on typical conditions and typical problems found when remodeling or repairing a structure.
This means a door takes 10 to 15 minutes longer to install than it would in the ideal circumstances found in new construction.
Stairs are more difficult to install around pre-existing walls, wall framing takes longer when walls are typically splicing into existing work, and so on.
Some prices in this book will closely match prices used in new construction. Other prices will reflect the complex conditions found in renovation and repair and will be dramatically different.
For example, using this book's stair building prices to estimate stair work in a series of 150 tract homes will result in an estimate that is far too high.
The Art of Estimating
Estimating is part art, part science. Estimators must consider many factors, including access, crew productivity, special techniques, special abilities, temperament of the owner, and how busy the company is.
A contractor who is desperate for work will estimate much lower than a contractor who is swamped with work.
All of these factors-and many other similar ones-cannot be included in this or any other price book. They are part of the art of estimating.
The science of estimating, which includes prices, typical techniques, and materials, is included in this book.
This book is designed to make the science of estimating easier, which allows you to spend much more time focusing on the art of estimating, where your skill is crucial to the success of your company.
General vs. Specific
It is important to note that the more specific the estimator is, the more accurate the final estimate will be.
For example, when an estimator calculates all electrical costs for a typical home using a square foot cost, it may not be as accurate as if the estimator priced each fixture, outlet, and appliance hook-up'
Since the square foot price is based on a typical installation, it will not be exact for a home that is atypical in any way-for example, one with special outdoor lighting or with an expensive crystal fixture in the entry.
The more specific the item, the more exact the prices. The more general an item, the more assumptions must be made.
To help ensure the accuracy of your estimates we describe any assumptions made when determining general items.
For example, the Rough Carpentry chapter contains a square foot price for estimating 2" by 4" wall framing. To help you make sure that this price will work for you, we describe our assumptions: the stud centers, the number of openings, headers, corners, plates, and so forth, that would typically be found in a wall.
In most cases the square foot price will apply, but you will always want to carefully consider items that are more general, and if needed, adjust them to fit the conditions.
In the case above, the estimator may want to use the square-foot price for average fixtures, then add an allowance for the crystal fixture and the outdoor lighting.
What's On the CD-ROM?
The free cd-rom also includes a interactive video that teaches you how to use this CD-ROM to estimate renovation & insurance repair construction costs. Includes Job Cost Wizard ? turns estimates into invoices and exports both to QuickBooks, QuickBooks Pro or your favorite word processing or spreadsheet program.
Includes Job Cost Wizard
Recommended for QuickBooks Pro! Job Cost Wizard v. 2.0 is a report generator for National Estimator. Everyone who uses National Estimator to estimate construction costs will appreciate Job Cost Wizard. This new program will be even more valuable if you use both National Estimator and either QuickBooks or QuickBooks Pro.
Job Cost Wizard converts National Estimator estimates into IIF format so they can be imported directly into QuickBooks. Once an estimate is accepted and the project starts, Job Cost Wizard transfers the estimate to QuickBooks Pro or Premier, automatically updating billing, statements and job-cost tracking. Job Cost Wizard also automatically creates item list accounts, eliminating typing errors and saving clerical time.
This version includes:
- Support for long item names.
- Alternate account names.
- Support for National Estimator 32.
- qbXML integration with QuickBooks 2004 Pro & higher.
Requirements:
Requires Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 or XP. (Doesn't work with Windows 3.1 or 3.11.) Works with QuickBooks or QuickBooks Pro (versions 5, 6, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004, 2005).
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