A Construction Repair Cost Estimator for Public Agencies is now available that is independent, objective, and cost-effective. Forget out databases that claim to be the North American standard, or that supposed locally research construction labor, material, and equipment costs, including fringes, on a local basis.
- Select a cost database and supporting software that is TRULY researched locally for labor, material, and equipment! Cost factors or “localization factors” are NOT used.
- Select a cost database developed by professionals with decades of experience in line item cost estimating, construction, and job order contracting
- Select a construction repair cost estimator that reflect the needs of YOUR organization and isn’t forced upon you.
4BT Construction Repair Cost Estimator
- Locally research line item construction costs
- Descriptions in plain English
- Full material, equipment, and labor details
- Prevailing, current, accurate, and localized Davis-Bacon wage rates
- Independent, objective, and best value data source
- Guaranteed year-to-year licensing fees – NO SURPRISE PRICE INCREASES
Introduction
The 4BT Construction Repair Cost Estimator and 4BT Unit Price Cost Books are specifically researched and published for each uniquely defined geographic area/market. A unit price book may include incorporate Regional, State, County, or City levels per client/contract requirement.
The 4BT JOC UPB Cost Data has been developed to enable users to create reasonable construction cost estimates for a wide variety of renovation, repair, and maintenance construction tasks commonly performed on buildings and other physical infrastructure.
While cost data from The R.S. Means Compay, LLC has been used for a large number of JOC Programs; lower cost, high value alternatives are now available as demonstrated by the 4BT Unit Price Book.
4BT JOC Unit Price Books are individually created to account for at least ninety percent (90%) of the renovation, repair, maintenance, and/or construction costs associated with Job Order Contracting. While some unit price books contain hundreds of thousands of line items, the most commonly associated with facilities and infrastructure, involve far fewer line items in actual practice. Excessive numbers of line items can create confusion and inefficiencies.
A 4BT Job Order Contract UPB can vary in size, however, generally does not exceed approximately 60,000-unit price line items/construction tasks. Material, equipment, and labor details are provided for commonly encountered renovation, repair, maintenance, and construction tasks.
History – The pedigree of the 4BT Unit Price Book dates back, in part, to some of the first early Army/DOD Job Order Contracts deployed in the United States and subsequently have been refined by decades of research and field application. Over one hundred (100) variations of custom unit price books have also been developed.
Update Frequency – The cost data is continuous, maintained and regularly updated by experienced cost engineers/researchers dedicated exclusively to cost research and cost engineering. In addition to being the most cost-effective and most accurate representation of labor costs, it likely represents the only true industry alternative to solutions provided by The RSMeans Company, LLC (acquired by The Gordian Group) and/or The Gordian Group. It is recommend that UPB’s be updated annually when used in association with Job Order Contracts.
Data Architecture – The use of standardized data formats and descriptions, which can easily be understood by all Job Order Contract participants, is central to any successful JOC program. CSI Masterformat (registered trademark of The Construction Specifications Institute) is the North American standard data format for organizing line item construction cost data and the format provided within the 4BT JOC UPB Cost Data. 4BT is a licensed partner of CSI, The Construction Specifications Institute.
Detailed Task Descriptions – The 4BT JOC UPB provides consistent, clear, and detailed descriptions for each line item in common terms, using “plain English”. All users can easily understand tasks as abbreviations and non-standard terms are avoided whenever possible. When used, abbreviations consistently follow established conventions.
Material, Equipment, and Labor Detail – Each line item task, in addition to a Description, includes labor, material, equipment information, and costs as appropriate.
4BT JOC UPB & Task Orders – A “detailed estimate of construction cost” for a JOC task or “task order” is a forecast of the predicted cost based upon unit prices with associated breakdowns/descriptions materials, labor, and equipment. Thus a detailed line item estimate created with an appropriate UPB should better reflect costs than a conceptual, or square-foot level estimate. The 4BT JOC UPB is designed to provide reasonably current and “accurate” costs of materials, and equipment. (Note: In many cases multiple “estimates” are totaled to create a sum for a task order or project, in order to better define work by type (i.e. electrical, mechanical, architectural, etc.). This level of organization can easily be created in the Job Order Contract System.
While contractors may know what it costs and how long it takes for them or their subs to complete a given task, representing this information in a way for Owners, Subs, AE’s, and Oversight Groups is critical to assure a common understanding of the Owner’s required scope of work and full financial transparency.
A well prepared UPB minimizes estimating efforts and lowers the costs associated with building, updating/maintaining, and associated training costs. Similarly, the use of standardized construction specifications and/or those specifications currently in use by the Owner also are preferable to custom “JOC” specifications for similar reasons.