Construction Codebooks > RS Means Estimating Guides > 2012 RS Means Residential Repair + Remodeling Costs Cntrctr Prcng Gd

Total unit price costs (broken down into unit prices) for every aspect of the most common repair and remodeling projects. Organized the way you build – from frame to finish. It covers every step needed to complete each task. Includes demolition, installation, painting, cleaning, and more.

Fully updated for 2012, this book saves you time by giving you:

• A simplified estimating method, including mark-ups.
• Clear, easy-to-understand descriptions.
• Quick cost information.
• Increase your profits by speeding up your estimating - while making sure your estimates are on target.

The RS Means Contractor's Pricing Guide: 2012 Residential Repair and Remodeling Costs is dDesigned specifically for home improvement and repair contractors, insurance restoration contractors, and anyone who does small construction jobs for homeowners.

From the Foreword

Since 1942, RSMeans has been actively engaged in construction cost publishing and consulting throughout North America. Today, more than 65 years after RSMeans began, our primary objective remains the same: to provide you, the construction and facilities professional, with the most current and comprehensive construction cost data possible. Whether you are a contractor, owner, architect, engineer, facilities manager, or anyone else who need a reliable construction cost estimate, you’ll find this publication to be a highly useful and necessary tool.

With the constant flow of new construction methods and materials today, it’s difficult to find the time to look at and evaluate all the different construction cost possibilities. In addition, because labor and material costs keep changing, last year’s cost information is not a reliable basis for today’s estimate or budget. That’s why so many construction professionals turn to RS Means. We keep track of the costs for you, along with a wide range of other key information, from city cost indexes, to productivity rates, to crew composition, to contractor’s overhead and profit rates.

RS Means performs these functions by collecting data from all facets of the industry and organizing it in a format that is instantly accessible to you. From the preliminary budget to the detailed unit price estimate, you’ll find the data in this book useful for all phases of construction cost determination.

• Foreword.
• How the Book is Built: An Overview.
• How to Use the Book: The Details.
• Unit Price Section.
• Reference Section.
• Location Factors.
• Abbreviations.
• Index.
• Other RS Means Products and Services.
• Labor Trade Rates including Overhead and Profit.

1. Define the scope. Your estimate needs to be for a specific scope of work. Be sure your estimate articulates and defines this clearly so everyone understands exactly what's being estimated.
2. Use a good cost data source. Well, here you are looking at the RS Means. You've got this one nailed.
3. Don't include general "fudge factors." Include specific ones. For example, calculate the exact cost of a bad weather day. Then estimate how many such days are likely to occur. That's your bad weather cost estimate, not some arbitrary number like 10%.
4. List constraints. These include time constraints, access issues, and anything else that might cause delays, produce extra work, or require additional resources. In a separate section of your estimate, include a cost breakdown of these. You won't need this information for the purposes of submitting a bid, but you will need it for purposes of risk assessment, project management, and T&C negotiations.
5. Include testing and adjustment in your estimate. Cost over-runs are often due to failure to properly test as the work progresses.
6. Don't forget daily mobilization and start-up costs.