Chapter 1
Get Started Right, 5
Sink or Swim in Construction Contracting, 6
The Detailed Cost Estimate, 7
Estimating as a Career, 8
Typical Estimator Profile, 10
Shortcomings of an Estimating Career, 12
Rewards, 12
Decision Making, 16
Chapter 2
Planning your Estimate, 17
It All Starts With a Plan, 17
Custom-made Markup, 18
The Long-term Plan, 21
Chapter, 3
Getting Ready to Estimate 29
It All Starts With Plans, 29
The Plan Package, 32
Examine the Site, 36
The Cost Data File, 36
Doing the Take-off, 38
Compiling an Estimate, 39
Checking Estimates, 47
Chapter 4
The Estimating Process, 51
Detailed Estimating Steps, 51
A Sample Take-off, 63
The Detailed Estimate Advantage, 88
Chapter 5
Estimating Repair & Remodeling Work, 89
Limiting the Scope of Your Bid, 90
Protecting Yourself, 91
A Sample Remodeling Estimate, 93
The Estimating Process, 96
Putting it All Together, 111
Checking the Estimate, 117
Preparing the Bid, 117
Closing the Sale, 120
Chapter 6
Estimating Commercial Work, 125
The Commercial Estimate, 126
Follow a Plan, 128
Start the Take-off, 129
The Take-off Form, 131
How to Take off Quantities, 132
Applying Unit Costs, 146
Chapter 7
Pricing With a Computer 153
What's on the National Home Estimator Disk, 154
Installing National Home Estimator, 155
Using National Estimator, 156
Opening the Costbooks, 157
Your First Estimate, 158
Splitting the Screen, 159
Copying Costs to Your Estimate, 160
Changing Wage Rates or Costs, 163
Adding Tax, Overhead and Profit, 166
Printing and Saving Your Estimate, 167
Converting Estimates With Job Cost Wizard, 168
Amount of Detail on Invoices, 170
QuickBooks Account Names, 171
Exporting an Estimate to QuickBooks, 173
Turn an Estimate into an Invoice, 175
Your Jobs in QuickBooks, 176
Chapter 8
Cost Recording, 177
Why Keep Cost Records? 178
Essentials of a Cost System, 179
Cost Records Check Current Jobs, 182
Classifying Labor Costs, 182
Using Cost Data, 187
Chapter 9
Planning Overhead, 191
Start With Last Year, 192
The Annual Budget, 196
My Budget for AEI Builders, 200
The Preliminary Budget Bottom Line, 208
Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail, 213
Chapter 10
Estimating Overhead & Profit, 215
Your Normal Markup, 216
The Right Markup for Your Estimates, 218
But Will We Make More Money? 222
Develop a Profit Curve, 222
Your Own Best Profit Range, 227
Chapter 11
Smart Bidding, 229
Adjustment for Risk, 229
Asset Utilization Adjustments, 240
Identify Under-utilization, 242
Project Adjustments, 248
What Is the Net Effect? 251
Chapter 12
Pricing Strategies, 253
Learn About Your Competition, 255
Graph Your Competition, 260
Let’s Wrap This Up, 264
Index, 265
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