Construction Codebooks > RS Means Estimating Guides > 2012 RS Means Square Foot Costs 33rd Edition

The 2012 RS Means Square Foot Costs is a valuable, time-saving tool that gives you clear descriptions and illustrations of hundreds of residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Architects, design/build contractors, real estate developers, corporate planners, appraisers, and assessors all benefit from using this extensive resource.

If you need to prepare detailed estimates, the 2012 RS Means Square Foot Costs won't let you down. It breaks costs down into "assemblies" and component specifications. This fully illustrated section simplifies component identification and pricing. You will get improved planning and budgeting with reliable, quick cost estimates.

2012 RS Means Square Foot Costs 33rd Edition is useful for anyone who needs rapid budget cost estimates in the office, with a client, or in the field. Whether planning in the office or estimating on-the-go, this fully-illustrated cost guide delivers the most dependable cost data available to develop quick and reliable estimates. Price, compare, and plan alternative scenarios using national averages or location-specific costs for over 100 building types and 5,800 assemblies.

• Improves planning and budgeting with quick, conceptual estimates.
• Make better-informed decisions faster.
• Weigh the options - develop assembly-level estimates and compare price alternatives.
• A proven resource for architects, design/build contractors, real estate developers, corporate planners, appraisers, and assessors.

What you'll find inside:

• Updated! Square foot costs for over 100 commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential building types, with clear descriptions and illustrations.
• Updated! Costs for over 6,000 building variations, modifications, and "add-ons".
• Updated! Costs for over 6,500 in-place components.
• City Cost Indexes and Location Factors for over 930 U.S. and Canadian locations.
• Detailed reference information.

For every model structure, you'll find cost per square foot of floor area for a range of sizes and types. Structures that are priced for you include:

• Data centers.
• Hotels.
• Churches.
• Single-story factories and office buildings.
• Residences and custom luxury homes.
• Convenience and department stores.
• Schools and day care facilities.
• Sports facilities.
• Car dealerships and service stations.
• Fire and police stations.
• Hospitals and other health care facilities.
• Apartment buildings - up to 24 stories.
• Restaurants.
• And more.

• FREE RS Means Hotline: Personalized help in using RS Means cost data effectively in your estimating.
• FREE email subscription to the RS Means quarterly update service online newsletter - a comprehensive report on market indicators and construction price trends.

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.

Residential Section

• Introduction
• Worksheets.
• Economy
• Average.
• Custom.
• Luxury.
• Adjustments.

Commercial/Industrial/Institutional Section

• Introduction.
• Examples.
• Building Types.
• Depreciation.

Assemblies Section

• A. Substructure.
• B. Shell.
• C. Interiors.
• D. Services.
• E. Equipment and Furnishings.
• F. Special Construction.
• G. Building Sitework.

Reference Section

• General Conditions.
• Location Factors.
• Historical Cost Indexes.
• Glossary.
• Abbreviations.
• Estimating Forms.

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.