Construction Cost Estimator: Facing Rising Construction Costs Head On

The country’s commercial real estate market is finally recovering from the massive global recession. Unfortunately, favorable development comes at a price for commercial land owners. Construction Costs Are on the Rise According to a Puget Sound Business Journal article, construction costs are rising in many parts of the U.S. Puget Sound in particular, is experiencing a 5 percent increase in cost to build office buildings, apartment high-rises, and other huge commercial projects compared to last year. The costs are expected to increase by as much as 6 percent more in the following months. General contractor Mortenson Development Inc. released a quarterly construction index report showing that the rising cost of commercial construction in the Puget Sound region is outperforming other Mortenson markets including Phoenix, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Denver, and Chicago. The company said that this has been the consistent trend for the last four quarters.
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Construction Cost Estimator Exec to Speak at Next-Gen Facilities Meet

Vermeulens Inc., a leading and innovative construction cost estimator firm based in Denver, is glad to announce that its very own Co-CEO, James Vermeulen, will be speaking at the 3rd Next-Generation Healthcare Facilities Summit this August 10 to 12 at the Royal Sonesta Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For the said conference, Mr. Vermeulen will be conducting an interactive session on the topic “Construction Costs Analysis: Metrics to Foster Design Success”. The upcoming summit is intended to address the design and construction challenges faced by the healthcare industry to help institutions meet the demand of today’s customer-driven marketplace. How a healthcare facility is designed significantly influences not only its safety but also its clinical outcomes, operations, and financial viability.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/construction-cost-estimator-exec-to-speak-at-next-gen-facilities-meet

Mitigate Common Estimation Mistakes with a Construction Cost Estimator

Regardless of the effort taken to stay within a construction budget, it is not unusual for owners and the Architect and Engineering team to learn toward the end of a project that actual costs have exceeded the budget, sometimes significantly enough as to register a loss. There is a common misconception among contractors that when a project comes out losing money, it is because mistakes were made after the project had started, or because of uncontrollable circumstances that negatively affected the project’s profitability. In many cases, however, the loss can actually be attributed to cost estimation errors caused by incomplete contractual drawings. To avoid losing profit, owners and Architects should seek help from a skilled construction cost estimator, who can ensure common estimating pitfalls like those detailed below do not happen.
http://www.vermeulens.com/green-at-no-cost/mitigate-common-estimation-mistakes-with-a-construction-cost-estimator

Professional Construction Cost Estimator’s Role in Project Management

A construction project is costly and while many of the costs are justifiable, there are different aspects where more than one option may be present. Project managers, design teams, construction contractors, and any other parties involved want to avoid that as much as possible. How does construction cost estimation play into these factors? First, what is a cost estimate? Consulting the Business Dictionary, it is the approximation of the plausible cost of a project, program, or product which is computed basing on available information. There are four types of cost estimates: planning, budget, firm, and not-to-exceed. Planning is for information purposes only, budget uses preliminary cost data and ground rules, firm is for determining whether it’s sound to enter in a binding contract, and not-to-exceed is the minimum or maximum amount required for a given task.
http://www.vermeulens.com/green-at-no-cost/professional-construction-cost-estimator-s-role-in-project-management

Construction Cost Estimator Company Launches “Green at No Cost” Book

Construction cost estimator company Vermeulens, Inc. is holding an exclusive book launch party for the book entitled “Green at No Cost: Economic and Cost Control Strategies that Create No Cost Sustainability” by author Richard Vermeulen. The event will be held at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Chambers Grant Salon on May 20, 2015 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Interested parties are encouraged to preregister to reserve a seat as space is limited, as well as to get free copies of the book which is scheduled to be released at the end of May. Author Richard Vermeulen is a thought leader in the industry and the co-CEO of Vermeulens, Inc. He has developed standards for estimating and data-basing construction projects in many locations, particularly in North America.
http://www.vermeulens.com/green-at-no-cost/construction-cost-estimator-company-launches-green-at-no-cost-book

A Construction Cost Estimator Can Help You Avoid Critical Mistakes

The volume of tasks could cause even the most careful to commit mistakes during the project, which may very well make or break everything. That being said, here’s a quick rundown of the most critical construction mistakes you should avoid: Inadequate budget planning – A painfully common mistake, inadequate budget planning can result in considerable setbacks. For instance: beginning work without a pre-determined budget may cause you to spend too much than what you’re capable of. A definitive budget should consider each phase of the project from end to end, as well as leave enough room for future mistakes and unexpected decisions. If you need help with setting your budget, you should call on a skilled construction cost estimator from firms such as Vermeulens, Inc.
http://www.vermeulens.com/green-at-no-cost/a-construction-cost-estimator-can-help-you-avoid-critical-mistakes

Finding a Trustworthy Construction Cost Estimator for Best Estimates

Design teams must be aware that project managers will be very careful with their budgets. They'll pay close attention to bids from different contractors to avoid going over budget. Thus, in the bidding process, it is important for a design team to have an accurate cost estimate in order to avoid bidding too low nor too high. A bid that’s’ too low could eventually find the team suffering from a deficit, while one that’s too high could cost them the contract, and even future chances for bidding. Accurate estimates are thus highly essential, but involves a high level of complexity, and may be time-consuming. The good news is that you can find expert support in coming up with accurate estimates. A trustworthy construction cost estimator will give you better chances of turning in a successful bid; but, just like in any field, not all estimators are the same. Your choice will be crucial to your team's success.
http://www.vermeulens.com/green-at-no-cost/finding-a-trustworthy-construction-cost-estimator-for-best-estimates

Why Getting the Right Construction Cost Estimator is Good for Business

One concrete way to show the growth and development of your business or company is to establish a building that your employees as well as potential investors and business partners will use. That being said, unlike a residential house, embarking on such a venture needs a lot of planning, especially for your finances. With this in mind, here are a couple of reasons why acquiring a reliable construction cost estimator will benefit you and your investment. Knowing Where Your Money Goes A good business owner knows that before any venture, he will need to have properly researched most, if not all, of the aspects of the project or campaign he is about to embark on. Since constructing a building needs significant capital, it is best practice to know where your money is going.
http://www.vermeulens.com/green-at-no-cost/why-getting-the-right-construction-cost-estimator-is-good-for-business

Hiring a Construction Cost Estimator Prevents Work Delays Such as This

Although McPier is currently trying to get the project back on track, this story nonetheless demonstrates how a mismatched pricing estimate can put a major construction job on hold. Therefore, project managers would do well to work with a consulting construction cost estimator, like the pre-construction cost consultants of Vermeulens Inc., so that they can tackle similar issues as early as possible. After all, the overall price of a building isn’t entirely composed of the cost of labor and building materials; it also takes into account market conditions, building inspections, and even the preferred construction method. Market conditions are arguably the biggest driving factor, since they determine the amount of local manpower and materials available for the project.
http://www.vermeulens.com/green-at-no-cost/hiring-a-construction-cost-estimator-prevents-work-delays-such-as-this