Every project starts with a list of needs and wants to be addressed. And after putting them all down on paper, the concern of every owner is, “How much is this actually going to cost me?”

 By the time design starts, most projects have a budget set. So in order to maximize your budget, it’s crucial that the design of the building be as complete and accurate as possible. Design and scope changes get more expensive the further along in the design and construction process you get. That’s where cost estimators come in.

What should I expect from my cost estimator?

“The whole goal is to get the cost as close as you can to the actual total,” says Phil Commins, Mechanical and Electrical Estimator for Skillman. “We’ve been doing this forever, and we’re normally within 2% of that figure.”

That accuracy goes a long way in ensuring the project’s efficiency as well as  protecting the owner’s budget and interests. When a project goes to bid, for example, the owner is armed with a thorough estimation of what he should expect each element of the project to cost, all the way down to what it takes to make a light fixture turn on.

“At the end of the day when the project bids out,” said Skillman’s Chief Estimator Steve Letsinger, “the owner’s project is at or under budget, which saves them time and money.”

Cost estimators are also key in identifying ways to bring what may seem like a financially unrealistic project into a more budget-friendly scope. By recommending different materials and staying up-to-date on new technologies and methods, a cost estimator can determine not only a more financially feasible option, but one that will ultimately increase quality without increasing cost.

“An architect may say, ‘We want a zebra,’ but I can give you a white horse with painted black stripes that actually lives longer in the given climate and environment. That’s more beneficial to everyone,” explained Webster.

How do I find the right cost estimator?

A cost estimator provides guidance from the earliest stages of assessment and design to prevent costly changes or corrections down the road, so the more experienced your cost estimation team is, the more thorough you can expect the assessment to be. And if your cost estimators represent a range of diversity in their areas of expertise, even better.

When Skillman assembled its three-person cost estimating team, for example, we wanted the members to have expertise across several project disciplines (architectural, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.) that would allow them to address every aspect of a project. As a result, our current team’s decades of experience enable them to develop thorough estimates very early in a project based on the project’s needs and initial designs—or sometimes, based on nothing more than an idea. 

How can I set my cost estimator up for the most accurate results?

Experienced estimators can work from very little information to put together a thorough estimate. “An owner might call us and say, ‘I need four classrooms, a special ed classroom, an alternative classroom and a multipurpose room, but I have no idea how big. What will that cost?’” says David Webster, Vice President of Construction Services at Skillman. “We can put that into perspective and calculate what that would cost without drawings.”

In cases like that, the calculation draws on the estimator’s familiarity of the construction process and experience with similar projects. Experienced cost estimators should have extensive experience with everything from plumbing to PA systems, which enables them to examine every layer of a potential design. Their knowledge of building codes, standard procedures, material costs, and of all the combinations of construction possibilities helps paint a clearer picture of a realistic project budget.

Any additional information an owner can provide will only help. The more detailed an owner can be about the project’s essential “needs” and ideal “wants,” the more the owner and estimator can work together to improve the estimate’s accuracy and provide a solid foundation for the project moving forward.