Construction Cost Estimating in the Design Process

This paper describes an information processing approach to forming accurate construction cost estimates durning the design process. The process contains three major phases comprising 19 stages which cover the multiple facets of factors which affect such an estimate. Also presented are some general concepts, strategies, conclusion, and generalized flow charts of the overall process. The contents of the paper were derived from heuristic analyses of two such estimates carried out by the author which produced results very close to the amounts of subsequent construction bids for a hospital alteration project and a school addition and alteration project in the $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 range. The purpose of the paper is to methodology a generalized mothodology and consideration of the many factors which can lead to high accuracy in carrying out construction cost estimating in the design process.