A Civil estimator is a construction professional who bids on civil projects that have gone to tender. Civil estimators typically have a background in civil engineering, construction project management, or construction supervision. Estimators are responsible for obtaining tenders, obtaining of material costs, calculation of tenders taking into consideration project management and overheads. [1] The role of an estimator can be a very pressured one, and requires a great level of concentration, some of which will result in erratic office hours to ensure tender return dates can be achieved.
To date, there is not currently a professional qualification or regulatory body for civils estimating within the UK. As a consequence, the learning curve from a trainee estimator to senior estimator could be an undisclosed amount of time and largely falls into the responsibility of the employer and or senior estimator to determine time scale and progression of trainee estimators.
Commonly used civil estimating software programs include B2W Estimate by B2W Software, HCSS HeavyBid and SharpeSoft Estimator. There are also a variety of different tools used for the digitization of plans from engineers, such as Planswift or PrebuiltML X.
Increasingly, civil estimators have been offering their services to the highest bidder on the open market.
The average salary of a Civil Estimator normally falls within the following categories:
In addition to the above salaries, civil estimators often have further incentives from cash rewards and a bonus system as an OTE.
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that have human occupancy or use as their principal purpose. Etymologically, the term architect derives from the Latin architectus, which derives from the Greek, i.e., chief builder.
Construction engineering, also known as construction operations, is a professional subdiscipline of civil engineering that deals with the designing, planning, construction, and operations management of infrastructure such as roadways, tunnels, bridges, airports, railroads, facilities, buildings, dams, utilities and other projects. Construction engineers learn some of the design aspects similar to civil engineers as well as project management aspects.
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science of forming objects, systems, or organizations. It comes from the Latin word constructio and Old French construction. To 'construct' is a verb: the act of building, and the noun is construction: how something is built or the nature of its structure.
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers have the responsibility of the planning, procurement and execution of a project, in any undertaking that has a defined scope, defined start and a defined finish; regardless of industry. Project managers are first point of contact for any issues or discrepancies arising from within the heads of various departments in an organization before the problem escalates to higher authorities, as project representative.
Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of safety, technical, economic, and environmental concerns, but they may also consider aesthetic and social factors.
Facilities engineering evolved from plant engineering in the early 1990s as U.S. workplaces became more specialized. Practitioners preferred this term because it more accurately reflected the multidisciplinary demands for specialized conditions in a wider variety of indoor environments, not merely manufacturing plants.
The German civil servants called Beamte have a privileged legal status compared to other German public employees, who are generally subject to the same laws and regulations as employees in the private sector. For example, the state can only fire Beamte if they commit a felony.
Design–bid–build, also known as Design–tender, traditional method, or hardbid, is a project delivery method in which the agency or owner contracts with separate entities for the design and construction of a project.
Gautrain is an 80-kilometre (50-mile) higher-speed express commuter rail system in Gauteng, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kempton Park and O. R. Tambo International Airport. It takes 15 minutes to travel from Sandton to O. R. Tambo International Airport on the Gautrain and 35 minutes from Pretoria station to Park Station in Johannesburg. The Gautrain has 10 stations. Buses, shuttles and midibus services are available to transport passengers to and from all stations excluding the O. R. Tambo International Airport Station.
Construction management (CM) aims to control the quality of a construction project's scope, time, and cost to maximize the project owner's satisfaction. It uses project management techniques and software to oversee the planning, design, construction and closeout of a construction project safely, on time, on budget and within specifications.
A cost estimate is the approximation of the cost of a program, project, or operation. The cost estimate is the product of the cost estimating process. The cost estimate has a single total value and may have identifiable component values.
A building estimator or cost estimator is an individual that quantifies the materials, labor, and equipment needed to complete a construction project. Building cost estimating can concern diverse forms of construction from residential properties to hi-rise and civil works. Both estimators and quantity surveyors must have a background education in the construction industry. Representative professional bodies which regulate property professionals:
Construction bidding is the process of submitting a proposal (tender) to undertake, or manage the undertaking of a construction project. The process starts with a cost estimate from blueprints and material take offs.
Cost engineering is "the engineering practice devoted to the management of project cost, involving such activities as estimating, cost control, cost forecasting, investment appraisal and risk analysis". "Cost Engineers budget, plan and monitor investment projects. They seek the optimum balance between cost, quality and time requirements."
Construction cost estimating software is computer software designed for contractors to estimate construction costs for a specific project. A cost estimator will typically use estimating software to estimate their bid price for a project, which will ultimately become part of a resulting construction contract. Some architects, engineers, construction managers, and others may also use cost estimating software to prepare cost estimates for purposes other than bidding such as budgeting and insurance claims.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to project management:
Pre-construction services are services that are offered to support owners, architects, and engineers in making decisions. They are used in planning a construction project before the actual construction begins. The stage where these services are offered is called pre-construction or "pre-con".
Estimation is the process of finding an estimate or approximation, which is a value that is usable for some purpose even if input data may be incomplete, uncertain, or unstable. The value is nonetheless usable because it is derived from the best information available. Typically, estimation involves "using the value of a statistic derived from a sample to estimate the value of a corresponding population parameter". The sample provides information that can be projected, through various formal or informal processes, to determine a range most likely to describe the missing information. An estimate that turns out to be incorrect will be an overestimate if the estimate exceeds the actual result and an underestimate if the estimate falls short of the actual result.
Basis of estimate (BOE) is a tool used in the field of project management by which members of the project team, usually estimators, project managers, or cost analysts, calculate the total cost of the project. Through carefully planned equations, hierarchical listing of elements, standard calculations, checklists of project elements and other methods, the project team adds in all expenses of a project, from labor to materials to administrative costs. These calculations formulate a Basis of Estimate which is, when completed, a number that can be used to determine the ability of the firm or company to carry out the project, or used as a tool in competing for a contract bid or otherwise proposing the project to another.
The following is a glossary of terms relating to construction cost estimating.