On this Memorial Day weekend I would like to join with you in remembering the heroic deeds of those who fought for our country and to share with you the pride of being an American on Memorial Day and Always!
Mike Rowe
Monthly Archives: May 2010
Spreadsheets, Canned Software or Paper and Pencil?
May 26, 2010 – 6:00 am
In the dark ages before micro-computers estimators had pencils, paper and erasers. Sometimes they were very big erasers! We had techniques for minimizing mistakes on a given takeoff sheet, detail sheet, summary sheet and the final bid sheet. One of these was the primary estimator on each of these sheets was responsible for checking their [...]
Do You Have A Good or A Bad Estimate?
May 24, 2010 – 6:00 am
How can someone without extensive estimating credentials tell if they have a good or a bad estimate? If they don’t have the estimating experience yet know the scope of the project, it can be a relatively straight forward evaluation. While it definitely helps to have estimating experience, a lot of problems can be eliminated without [...]
Free Budget Estimates…
May 21, 2010 – 6:00 am
Expecting a contractor to spend time and resources to produce a free budget estimate is wrong! Just recently, I helped a client rebid a project that originally bid the end of January. In January the plans were only 60% complete and the bid form forced the contractors to honor their quote for 180 days by [...]
Abdicating Responsibility – This Costs Owners Money
May 19, 2010 – 6:00 am
Nothing new in this headline either. When an owner contracts for design services on a construction project, I would like to think they are paying for design services required on the project. The architects and engineers, along with their specialty consulting engineers, should be able to design the facility. Sadly, the design fees being paid [...]
Front End Loading Fees
May 17, 2010 – 6:00 am
A lot of talk goes on about how contractors can, and will, front end load the progress payment requests. This allows them to get more money than has been earned for the value of the work installed. Front end loading also occurs with architects and engineers. It does not seem to be discussed very much. [...]
The Road to the Future
May 14, 2010 – 6:00 am
I came across an article the other day that I think is worth mentioning. In St. Louis, Missouri a company called Innoventor developed an asphalt binder made from hog waste. Immediately I thought of at least a dozen jokes and puns that I’m sure have already been said. On the other hand, I thought it [...]
Unqualified Estimators – They Do Exist
May 12, 2010 – 6:00 am
Unqualified estimators do exist in the industry. I do not have a firm count on them but in my experience there are quite a number of them. They are not just with owners or architects, but also with construction managers, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. How can you tell you are dealing with someone that is [...]
Caltrans Does It Again, And Again, And Again. Do They Know What Can Happen?
May 10, 2010 – 6:00 am
Caltrans is reaping some major initial cost benefits from depression style pricing in the construction industry. In a recent ENR.com article on saving over $2.4 billion, they stated the bids were coming in 20% to 40% less than the estimates. On one project the bidder actually proposed a 21% shorter time frame than estimated by [...]
Budget or a Wish
May 7, 2010 – 6:00 am
Recently a project went out for bids to convert an existing structure into a new Douglas County crime lab and canine unit in Omaha, Nebraska. The budget had been set at $2.5 million dollars and there were 12 bidders who submitted their bids on the project. Based on the current economic conditions that contractors in [...]
