The Pros and Cons of Combining Multiple Small Projects into One CM/GC

The Pros and Cons of Combining Multiple Small Projects into one CM/GC, a recommendation for a rising construction market with high escalation.
http://vermeulens.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-combining-multiple-small-projects-into-one-cm-gc

The Paradigm Shift of the Commercial District

Why the big-box low-end malls are dying as high-end old-fashioned eco-friendly, sustainable destinations are making a comeback.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/the-paradigm-shift-of-the-commercial-district

Part Of The Future Is Prefabricated

Cost estimating consultants look at a lot of potential tools for helping to keep costs down on building projects, and another possible strategy is the use of prefabricated construction techniques.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/part-of-the-future-is-prefabricated

Shrinking Cities

The problem at the root of shrinking cities is a lack of funds to consolidate space.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/shrinking-cities

Parks Are Critical To Urban Expansion

Architectural cost consultants Vermeulens talk about how the use of parks in cities can be a surprising solution for urban spaces.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/parks-are-critical-to-urban-expansion

California Region Escalation Report

Richard Vermeulen, co-CEO, and leading Construction Economist at Vermeulens, commercial construction cost estimators outlines the economic issues that affect construction escalation for California.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/california-region-escalation-report

The Sustainable Benefit of Permaculture, Micro-Farming And The Park City

The Sustainable benefit of Urban agriculture and Micro-Farming is trendy in locations where cities are losing population and land is being converted back to gardens and green space.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/the-sustainable-benefit-of-permaculture-micro-farming-and-the-park-city

Urban Sprawl is The Only Realistic Way to Create Affordable Cities

Urban Sprawl is The Only Realistic Way to Create Affordable Cities. There is simply no way that population growth can be accommodated within existing urban areas, even at extravagantly high densities. Therefore “sprawl” is not just “realistic”, it is inevitable.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/urban-sprawl-is-the-only-realistic-way-to-create-affordable-cities

34,000 Construction Jobs Added in Third Quarter Profits Are Up While Dollar Volume Remains Flat

In the “Beyond Estimation Market Outlook – Third Quarter 2016,” several interesting findings highlight why the construction industry is continuing to grow in profits despite flat dollar volume.
http://www.vermeulens.com/news/34-000-construction-jobs-added-in-third-quarter-profits-are-up-while-dollar-volume-remains-flat

2016 Q3 Beyond Estimation Market Outlook

Vermeulens releases its wildly popular market outlook report for the third quarter of 2016. Check it out here!
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/2016-q3-beyond-estimation-market-outlook

Solar Power Is Still Part Of The Future

The idea of solar panels on roofs is a progressive one, but new developments with Elon Musk and SolarCity make for exciting new possibilities in architecture.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/solar-power-is-still-part-of-the-future

10 Things You Can Do to Create a Sustainable Community

10 Things you can do to create a sustainable community, sustainable community action helps to create green cities and communities in the United States.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/10-things-you-can-do-to-create-a-sustainable-community

Suburbanize the Sharing Economy

With 94 percent of US population growth occurring in suburban areas, the trend to sharing transportation will not replace personal cars, by Richard vermeulen, construction cost consultant.
http://www.vermeulens.com/blog/suburbanize-the-sharing-economy

Net-zero River Cities

All cities should be net-zero water, sustainable river cities.
http://www.vermeulens.com/RSSRetrieve.aspx?ID=16750&A=Link&ObjectID=5976283&ObjectType=35&O=http%253a%252f%252fwww.vermeulens.com%252fblog%252fnet-zero-river-cities

Pre-Construction Services Take Projects From Vision To Reality

Taking a construction project from vision to completion is a complex and demanding process. Securing top-quality pre-construction services is one of the keys to seeing a project through on budget and on time. The best pre-construction services steer projects through every step of the design and construction process, from initial programming through contract documents, cost estimates, reconciliation of scope to budget, and bid review. All of these components are important, but one of the most essential functions pre-construction specialist firms provide is that of an accurate construction cost estimator, charged with developing the cost information necessary to make budgetary and feasibility determinations.
http://bit.ly/1mCeiWO

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.
http://bit.ly/1OoPDzv

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