I am a young kid, 24 in June, but I have been estimating for the same company for 2 years. Our business is starting to grow and our machines and the jobs are getting larger. I am usually dead on with my equipment and labor rates, as well as the material markups. What I am having a problem with is figuring how much time it will take to do a certain job. Since I was 17, I have been operating equipment. I know pretty much how long it will take ME to do a certain job. Just the other day, I got the bid tab back from a pipe laying job. My rates were right on, but I planned about 4 days longer than the winner did. The guy that got the job has been in the business since they invented dirt, so I am pretty sure that he knows what he is doing. Do you guys have any "rule of thumb" guides that you use or will it just take more experience than I currently have? My step dad is an estimator for Kiewit Western and he has shown me a few things about visualizing stockpiles and actually imagining that you are in the machine moving that pile.
Estimating time is a s.w.a.g. Copenhagen sounds like your on the money to me. Its a mean game when it comes to this kind of work. If your equipment and labor rates are on then that is where you are most likely to lose a bid. As estimating time goes missing a bid by 4 days is great against a guy who has been in the business since the invention of dirt. Just remember estimating is your best guess, weather, ground conditions, operator work ethics, and just plain bad days make these numbers change. Remember its better to lose a bid slightly high and just lose work than win ridiculously low and lose the business. S.W.A.G. Sophisticated Wild *** Guess
I'm also young 21. My father has a buisness building houses and renovationg old ones. I started doing the estimating with him about a year ago and I looked at certain aspects and tried to count everythign down the the exact board. He just rough guesses everything and when I asked him why he said I'd rather be over than under I may not win them all but the ones I do are the ones I want. -Eric