Using an Estimating Service

[CHarr]

We are about to undertake a single-story extension project at the side and rear of our house. We have full plans, planning permission and have just made a building control application (Full Plans). We are looking for a builder, but don't really have a benchmark/expectation (other than guesswork) against which to assess quotations.

I know that there are estimating services, and Travis Perkins website has a link to one where for £60 + VAT you get an estimate of materials and labour "based on a combination of the Hutchins UK Building Costs Blackbook and a guide from local builders in your area", broken down into stages. Has anyone used them, or have any comments on the value. Even if it gave us a good basis for serious discussion once builders' quotations are received, the cost is chicken-feed compared with the project budget.

I did wonder whether we might go the self-build route, but employing tradesmen at each stage. Would breaking the project into a series of much smaller jobs: groundworks & drainage; foundations to DPC, brickwork; roofing; plastering & finishing be likely to lead to a lower overall cost?

I'd be glad to hear of anyone's experiences.

 

[^woody^]

Builders quotes will trend to have no relationship to what an estimator works out. Get, five or six quotes of you want a good idea of local costs. Estimators are only good for estimating material quantities.

Unless you know individual trades, then you could end up paying a lot more via this route, as they will each charge higher rates than when they sub contract to a single builder, and you get the inevitable extra costs when trades overlap or making good is required

 

[CHarr]

Builders quotes will trend to have no relationship to what an estimator works out.

Another way of looking at that is that builders quotations may bear no relation to the real cost of a job (with a decent profit), but are more based on an assessment of what a customer might pay (price the customer, not the job). If the estimating service does use industry standard rate of work & labour rate assumptions, then it 'should' be a decent costing basis.

One reason for breaking the job into smaller units is that a builder subcontracting will look for a profit on the subcontracted job, on top of the subcontractor's price (paying twice, but only getting one trade). If the builder gets a 'better price' than I could, I expect he keeps the difference as additional bunce - you would, wouldn't you? I've never known a plumber refund the trade discount on the fittings he used, having charged me for his labour & full materials cost ...

 

[^woody^]

You seem to have a cynical view of builders, and that's a bad way start off if you think that they are just out to get as much money off you as they can.

Not the sort of customer builders would like to work with

 

[CHarr]

You seem to have a cynical view of builders, and that's a bad way start off if you think that they are just out to get as much money off you as they can.

Not the sort of customer builders would like to work with

I'd prefer to think that I was a realist, rather than a cynic, and I've no expectation that a builder is doing his work for the love of it, or owes me anything. Equally, I don't want to pay a premium, but to get a good job at a fair price.

For those builders who want to price me, not the job, I am, indeed, not the sort of customer they will want to work with. That's all.

 

[limerockconstruction]

Although i'm inclined to agree with woody, and your response seems to validate his statement......but in answer to your original question, Travis's estimating department is USELESS. I used it to price check against us in the past and they were way out, they missed stacks of the process out and it wasn't worth the paper it was written in.

A proper QS would give you a good idea, but they will set you back more than £60 - more like this per hour.