Estimating Sitework Construction

Attendees of this five-day course will learn to better understand the methods by which sitework construction cost estimates are developed. This course is designed for new estimators, more experienced estimators who have never been exposed to formal training, and other construction professionals. This course will cover all the tasks required to develop an accurate sitework estimate. Students learn to calculate work quantities from engineering drawings, correctly adjust for material swell and shrink, assemble efficient crews, and determine productivity.

his course consists of a full week of hands-on training in sitework estimating. It will enormously improve and complement your knowledge and experience in sitework construction. Learn the concise and proper methods required to prepare thorough, organized cost estimates. Learn how to avoid the many problems associated with this complex and demanding scope of work. The training provided will enable you to effectively evaluate the extreme range of sitework price quotations that are often received by the general contractor. This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to assemble and organize all elements of an accurate sitework estimate. Testing and practical application of the skills you will learn is accomplished throughout this course with a series of hands-on exercises and problem-solving challenges and discussions.

• Pre-bid investigation
• Plans and specifications
• Site visit and soil borings
• Pre-estimate checklists
• Area and perimeter calculations
• Cut/fill calculations: average end area method
• Soils shrink and swell
• Cut/fill calculations: grid cell method
• Soils classifications
• Matching equipment to soil type
• Excavation production
• Bulk excavation exercise
• Crew analysis
• Trucking optimization
• Bidding and mark-up discussion
• Equipment costing
• Road calculations
• Mass haul diagrams
• Earthwork “Rules of Thumb”
• Estimating forms and formats
• Trench volume calculations
• Trenching productivity
• Pipe laying productivity
• Storm drainage exercise
• Materials costing
• Equipment selection procedures
• Subsurface interferences
• Clearing and demolition
• Dewatering methods
• Specification analysis
• Safety requirements
• Complete the estimate
• Sanitary sewer exercise
• Estimate slopes/shoulders
• Curb and gutter calculations
• Estimate and quantify asphalt paving
• Estimate and quantify concrete paving
• Estimate hauling costs
• Crew assemblies
• Estimate Compaction

Upon completion of the course students will be able to put into practice real-life methods for determining job costs, and use essential formats for clearly estimating equipment, labor, material and other service costs related to completing a project. They will be able to assess and decide how a variety of physical site complexities may affect the estimated cost of a project and use methods to counteract these variances. Students will be able to better identify and interpret general site conditions, special conditions and technical specifications associated with sitework projects.

This course is available as a video home study. This format is ideal for busy construction professionals who are unable to attend a live course. It is also beneficial as an in house training tool for human resource departments. The video home study format includes everything that is presented in the live version of the course. Video home study courses are shipped via UPS to the shipping address that you select upon checkout.

The video home study course includes: 

• Instructor video presentation on USB flash drive
• Course workbook
• Practice blueprints
• Reference book
• Engineering scale
• Calculator