You took the electrical estimating software training. Are you now an estimator? One of the biggest fallacies in the electrical industry is that knowing how to operate an electrical estimating software package automatically “makes you an estimator.” While knowing software is very important to the estimator’s role, this is only a piece of the estimating […]
Women in Electrical Estimating
The best students have a combination of aptitude and attitude! When we teach our electrical estimating apprenticeship, we often say that the best students have a combination of aptitude and attitude. To our delight, some of our most successful students have indeed been women, women without any electrical experience. How can a woman with no […]
Construction Labor: Unforeseen Job Factors and How They Influence Job Performance
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” or so goes the saying engraved in the front of the US Postal Service Building in New York City. Unforeseen circumstances can affect your job labor costs! Just as snow or rain will not […]
Win the Bid: Key Points
Win the Bid: Key Points for the Bidding Process Win the Bid: You know by now that the estimating process involves much more than the take-off. The process starts before you even look at a set of plans, and the process never really ends. This process involves an almost endless loop of deciding which projects […]
Specification Review Checklist
When completing a construction specification review, an estimator should follow a systematic approach. The specifications, include information for each CSI division, however, none should be reviewed in isolation. Even though our focus is electrical, also known as CSI Division 26 (and previously Division 16), information related to the electrical specs will be shown in […]
Project Specification Manual
The project specification manual is also known as the specifications. Always review the entire project specification manual! You’ve heard me say this many times before. “The devil is in the details.” The project specification manual, also known simply as “the specs,” contains a lot of details! You will notice as you review Division 26, or […]
Construction Addenda and Scope of Work
Candels uses the acronym “B.A.D.A.S.S” to remember the steps in construction estimating. The “A” represents addenda and the “S” represents scope of work. As you may recall from previous blog posts, we discussed B, bid forms and invitation to bid; A, alternates and allowances; and D, drawings. Having this acronym to refer to will ensure […]
Electrical Estimating Apprenticeship – B.A.D.A.S.S. (Day 3)
The electrical estimating apprenticeship Day 3 started with a review of take-off components which we call B.A.D.A.S.S. Be a B.A.D.A.S.S. Years ago, we developed this acronym for our new estimators to remember all the components of bidding documents. B – Invitation to Bid and Bid Forms A – Allowances and Alternates D – Drawings A […]