Estimates

[jbjbuild]

How many of you use the square foot method of estimating for your decks? I use the sqaure foot method as a starting point but usually end up spending a lot of time doing a detailed unit cost estimate.
I'm just trying to see what most of you guys do and how much time you spend on average doing your estimates, I know it will vary a lot depending on the job.
Jeff

[Bobby Parks]

Jeff, I just posted a thread to your comments. As mentioned I do price by the sf. I price decks, stoops, landings, stairs, and even porches this way. SF prices vary accordinmg to efficency, elevation, and other details etc. I even price the house attachmens accordind to whether its brick, sttucco etc by the LF. tRail; privacy fences etc price out by the LF as well. The trick is having a way to update any significant material cost increases into the estimates. These fluctuations often average out over the course of a year, but not always?

[RobertCDF]

Unit based pricing! there was some articles in some of the PDB magazine about this. And anything by Bob Kovacs would help.

Unit based works like this. (just a sample) I make an excel sheet with multiple pages. 1st is call permit, posts, frame. 2nd is called stair options, 3rd is decking options, 4th railing options, 5th lighting options, 6th cover options, 7th fascia and misc 8th final total cost.

I have a column for material cost and 1 for labor cost.
First line is permit and I have $400 in the material cost column and $200 in the labor column. This usually covers permits and plans. If I know it will cost more I will add a little more.
2nd will be piers I have a lot of options 10-12, 12-14, 14-16, 16-18, 18-20, 20-22, 22-24. Each one of these options have included: In the materials # of bags of concrete needed, and sonotube. The labor column includes cost to dig and mix/pour the concrete. Next line will be post options. Those include the post, post hardware, nails, and the labor column includes the cost to cut, plumb, and install the post. This continues through lots of differant options. for joists, beams, ledger, rim, deck, etc etc.

Various things are priced differant EX. piers, joists, posts are priced by QTY. Decking, roofing, is done by the SQ. FT. Railings, beams, rims, ledgers are done by LF. It will take some time to get all the stuff together but once you do it is worth it. I can put together a price in less than 3 minutes. I just work down the line of options and it totals it all up for me. Using this method I can ensure that everything has been accounted for in the estimate.

[jbjbuild]

Thanks Robert,
That is a great idea. I like how you have broken it down to each phase and part of the job. I am going to get started creating my spreadsheet right away.
I have kept some historic costs from past jobs, but now I'm going to try and pay more attention to how long each part of the job takes.
Jeff