Facility Life Cycle Costs with RSMeans Part 1

By Gordian / May 14, 2015

Life cycle cost analysis is the act of considering the initial, sustainment, and the cost of replacement or disposal over the lifespan of the facility. It is the full measure of a facility’s cost and is instrumental in the comparison of multiple facilities. So how can you estimate, plan, and prepare for a facility’s life cycle costs? How can you easily compare multiple facility’s life cycle costs against each other? What does the geolocation of facility life cycle costs look like and what are the advantages? This article attempts to answer these questions and more using cost data by RSMeans and external resources.

Mark It Up! Getting to a Realistic Bottom Line When Budgetary Estimating

By Gordian / April 30, 2015

“What are the “appropriate” markups for overhead, profit and contingency when budgeting facilities construction projects?”

I get this question a lot from my architect friends when helping them budget their projects through the design process. The answer can get messy considering all the factors that can impact the bottom line. There are many variables to consider. With this blog post I will answer the “markup” question for an average facilities project and try to keep it simple but still useful.

Spring Ahead in Construction Project Planning

By Gordian / March 19, 2015

If the construction calendar were laid out on a timeline graph, it would likely resemble a bell curve, with the bulk of construction work being shouldered in the summer months. Here are some things to keep in mind for your summer construction project planning.

Costing Construction

By Gordian / October 9, 2014

Let’s start with a little bit of sarcasm. Imagine an advertisement for the latest construction estimating software; “…With click and drag speed you can choose from thousands of line items of unit cost national average data and build accurate cost estimates…blah, blah, blah! ”

Boosting the Value in Value Engineering

By Gordian / September 4, 2014

Having a knowledgeable and experienced person perform value engineering on a proposed construction project is a great benefit and can save time and money for the facility owner.

8 Common Mistakes in Price Proposals

By Gordian / August 14, 2014

Anyone reading over a Job Order Contracting Price Proposal should walk away with a clear understanding of the work that will be completed. The Price Proposal should be a reflection of the Detailed Scope of Work, and include all tasks required to complete the project. Sometimes, items that need to be included are inadvertently left off of Price Proposals. Here are 4 items commonly left off Price Proposals that need to be included:

Mobilization for rental equipment, such as pavers, rollers, cranes, etc.
Minimum set up charges for tasks, such as core drilling, saw cutting, cutouts, etc.

Blog: Design And Estimating