Often when I tell people that I am an Estimator for The Hagerman Group they look very confused. The term “Estimator” is a broad and vague term that I hope doesn’t lead people to believe we sit in our offices all day and guess how much things cost.
Although the needs and requirements for every job are different, there is a process that we repeat for every job in order to put a bid together. Hopefully the explanation that follows will clarify to the “non-construction” folks the basics of what I do as a project estimator.
1. Obtain/post bid documents – The first step after we decide to bid a project is to obtain the documents. In an effort to streamline document distribution Hagerman has invested in an FTP site to help us distribute documents to our subcontractors. The address of the website is www.isharedocs.com and a link can be found on our home page: www.thehagermangroup.com.
2. Perform Takeoff – Hagerman has the ability to self-perform a variety of different types of work. Examples of some items that we typically self-perform on past projects are concrete, masonry, and carpentry.
3. Solicit Subcontractor Quotes – Obtain pricing on all items that Hagerman does not self perform such as Mechanical, Electrical, and Earthwork.
4. BID DAY MANIA! – Bid days are almost always hectic and extremely busy. We collect all the subcontractor quotes and finalize our pricing just in time to submit a bid. This is my favorite part of the process.
Hopefully, now the difference is clear and nobody will confuse “estimator” with “guesser”.
No comments:
Post a Comment