Product Description

Learn and Practice Estimating Techniques with the Construction Cost Data Used Most by Industry Professionals

This step-by-step guide takes you through all the major construction items – now with expanded coverage of site work, concrete and masonry, wood and metal framing, doors and windows, finish work and roofing. A new chapter provides professional estimating guidance for plumbing (including fire suppression), mechanical and electrical. Over 300 estimating exercises show you, in detail, how to estimate for a broad range of construction items and systems – including how to calculate general conditions and equipment costs.

Plus…
Expert advice on preliminary or design-stage estimates – when and how to use Assemblies and Square Foot estimating techniques.
Tips from professional practitioners, including widely used formulas and rules of thumb.
Guidance on how to use the features of CostWorks Estimator.

Updated edition includes a fully functional instructional version of Means CostWorks CD-ROM. CostWorks enables you to quickly access construction costs on your computer... then customize them to your location and job conditions with the ease of point-and-click technology. Export your cost lists to a spreadsheet, or customize them using CostWorks Estimator.

The CD also includes:
Cost data organized according to the 2004 CSI MasterFormat numbering system.
Two sets of plans – one residential and one light commercial – to practice your estimating techniques in the context of an actual project.
Fully worked-out solutions to sample estimating problems.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #570384 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 252 pages

Customer Reviews

Perfect for the general contractor!
I finally found an excellent estimating text that very clearly explains how to use the RS Means data books in performing construction estimates. I teach construction management at Missouri State University and am continually looking for publications that "put the cookies on the bottom shelf", so to speak.

This text is very thoroughly written, exceptionally supported with worked-out examples with the solutions provided. After having dived into the chapters, I found it to be very plainly explained without insulting the intelligence of the reader.

Even if you don't plan on using the CostWorks estimating software (we used WinEst), this is a worthwhile book for learning how to use RS Means data, the industry standard for construction costs.