Estimating house with recp. assemblies.

[hybwolf]

Does anyone here estimate a new house using recept. assemblies? If so, how much romex do you use in your assembly. I was thinking maybe 30'. Too much?

Thanks

 

[nizak]

No offense, but I have no idea what you are asking. # of home runs?, length of runs?, please explain.

 

[hybwolf]

A pre made assembly that consists of box, device, gnd screw, wire nuts, connectors, device cover, and a length of romex. Then you would count the outlets in a house as assemblies.

 

[satcom]

A pre made assembly that consists of box, device, gnd screw, wire nuts, connectors, device cover, and a length of romex. Then you would count the outlets in a house as assemblies.

That is only a small part of the estimating process, other things to consider are the job conditions, type of construction, schedule issues, how high are the work areas, how much is ladder work, any special supports, equipment schedules, service loads and how many home runs, lighting schedules and footnotes.

 

[hybwolf]

I understand the estimating method, have a few years of commercial/industrial estimating experience where every circuit is measured off.
I have bid million dollar commercial/industrial jobs but will admit that I never estimated a simple house. I am wondering if it's feasible to count just the recp and lighting outlets and just multiply the quanity by an assembly that had say a 30' romex inluded . All other circuits would be taken off with a measurement.

 

[shepelec]

I always used a per sqr ft price. Plugs and switches to code, then had numbers figured for reccessed lights, tv, telephone etc. The price included an OH service and UG was so much per foot. It is much faster and easier plus the builder knew right away what the cost was so it cut down on the estimates.

 

[480sparky]

Depends on the receptacle.

For a general purpose recep, I use 18' of 14/2, the box, device, cover, buchanan, staples, wire nuts, and 1/13th of the breaker and a certain number for labor units, both rough and trim.

For a laundry recep, however, I have the same box, device, cover, staples, 75' of 12/2, 100% of the breaker, and more for labor units, both only for rough.

For the garbage disposal, I have 2 boxes, the same device, cover, buchanan, wire nuts, staples, 75' of 12/2, a switch and cover, 100% of the breaker, and 6' of 12/3, and even more labor units, both rough and trim.

 

[e57]

I do 16' and at #12 - plus labor for a number of choices of situations. (one for surface, one for walls trenched by others to add time for layout, one for cut-in's, one for wide open walls...) Labor gets adjusted with a PITA factor... Trim gets a toggle for material - Leviton vs lutron.

Home run and the CB seperate, which is the hieghtXwidth of the building at 80% - hoping the long ones are over-writen by the shorties...

Then again - maybe thats why I'm sitting on my butt right now???

 

[satcom]

I understand the estimating method, have a few years of commercial/industrial estimating experience where every circuit is measured off.
I have bid million dollar commercial/industrial jobs but will admit that I never estimated a simple house. I am wondering if it's feasible to count just the recp and lighting outlets and just multiply the quanity by an assembly that had say a 30' romex inluded . All other circuits would be taken off with a measurement.

If you had the industrial and commercial estimating experience, then residential is no different, except you will not have the actuals book that a residential estimator would have, we just take the proper assembly (for the condition) add the actuals unit times, and total the sheet

All you need is an actuals book for residential.

If you try to use just the measurements, and do not use your actuals, you will most likely be off on all the estimates.

 

[wireperson]

can anyone write the numbers next to the parts for the assembly? then add labor and the rest that complete the assembly price?I like sparky's assembly , the 18' for gen receptacles and 75', what about home runs? do you mesure it or also 75'?

 

[satcom]

can anyone write the numbers next to the parts for the assembly? then add labor and the rest that complete the assembly price?I like sparky's assembly , the 18' for gen receptacles and 75', what about home runs? do you mesure it or also 75'?

That is a problem, and the reason to use an actuals book, these book are actual job records with time and motion units of completed tasks, and are not something you buy, they are built over the years by the estimator, with feedback from actual work preformed, accurate information.

 

[hybwolf]

The assemblies are made using labor units from a book, it just makes estimating a job a wee bit quicker. You make a list of every item used to install an outlet and inlcude the cost and labor. So you would have: box, gnd screw, device,wirenuts, device cover, mounting screws, stapels, (2) connectors, and an amount of romex. Each item would be listed with your cost and a labor unit from what ever source that you use.

Now all you do is count your outlets and multipy that number by the assembly. The idea is that if say you include 20' in your assembly, that is enough to reach your next outlet . Normally an outlet is 12' or less apart so the extra wire saved between outlets along with the extra wire saved from circuits originating close to the panel will be used in the home runs of circuits farther away. It's not an exact science but I know people who actually use use this method on commercial bids . I'm just wondering what length others are using in their assemblies. As a few have mentioned, this is only used for general purpose outlets and lighting outlets. You should do an actual measured take off for everything else.


Thanks for the replies, some good information.

 

[hybwolf]

The assemblies are made using labor units from a book, it just makes estimating a job a wee bit quicker. You make a list of every item used to install an outlet and inlcude the cost and labor. So you would have: box, gnd screw, device,wirenuts, device cover, mounting screws, stapels, (2) connectors, and an amount of romex. Each item would be listed with your cost and a labor unit from what ever source that you use.

Now all you do is count your outlets and multipy that number by the assembly. The idea is that if say you include 20' in your assembly, that is enough to reach your next outlet . Normally an outlet is 12' or less apart so the extra wire saved between outlets along with the extra wire saved from circuits originating close to the panel will be used in the home runs of circuits farther away. It's not an exact science but I know people who actually use use this method on commercial bids . I'm just wondering what length others are using in their assemblies. As a few have mentioned, this is only used for general purpose outlets and lighting outlets. You should do an actual measured take off for everything else.


Thanks for the replies, some good information.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I just use $xx.xx per device. Separate circuits get a different price, etc.