Estimating - Labor Units

[MyCleveland]

Trying to put together an Excel sheet for Estimating.
I would like to use it for budgeting only but I am getting no where when it comes to labor assignments.

I am reaching out in hope I can work with an EC that works in commercial/industrial work for help with the labor units.

I will do the programming and EC can have an Excel program that would hopefully be useful for both of us.

EC must have Excel on their computer.

Must be willing to talk / discuss via telephone.

I would buy the NECA labor book, but every local EC I have discussed with has told me they have never been helpful...too high.

Please PM for further discussion.

 

[Strathead]

Trying to put together an Excel sheet for Estimating.
I would like to use it for budgeting only but I am getting no where when it comes to labor assignments.

I am reaching out in hope I can work with an EC that works in commercial/industrial work for help with the labor units.

I will do the programming and EC can have an Excel program that would hopefully be useful for both of us.

EC must have Excel on their computer.

Must be willing to talk / discuss via telephone.

I would buy the NECA labor book, but every local EC I have discussed with has told me they have never been helpful...too high.

Please PM for further discussion.

Why?

The time involved is not worth it in today's environment. You can buy an estimating program for the time it will take. But if you insist, then buy a Means book and the NECA manual. Just because the NECA manual is too high doesn't mean it isn't proportional. And I still use NECA labor rates for a difficult remodel.

 

[cdslotz]

"buy a Means book and the NECA manual."

all due respect, Means is confusing and really high...and not really a labor unit book

and NECA is high...

I've been retired for a while, but I'm sure there are still labor unit publications out there for nut & bolt units

But you could get an inexpensive software like Vision EBM and it has materials and labor units, and you can build infinite assemblies and save the library you create.

Then you can transfer to a spreadsheet...and the assemblies can easily be edited and updated

https://www.visioninfosoft.com/electrical-estimating-software/

 

[gadfly56]

"buy a Means book and the NECA manual."

all due respect, Means is confusing and really high...and not really a labor unit book

and NECA is high...

I've been retired for a while, but I'm sure there are still labor unit publications out there for nut & bolt units

But you could get an inexpensive software like Vision EBM and it has materials and labor units, and you can build infinite assemblies and save the library you create.

Then you can transfer to a spreadsheet...and the assemblies can easily be edited and updated

https://www.visioninfosoft.com/electrical-estimating-software/

You can also use Means on-line software. It's subscription based, but it allows you to create modules and change labor rates to what you think they should be.

 

[Strathead]

"buy a Means book and the NECA manual."

all due respect, Means is confusing and really high...and not really a labor unit book

and NECA is high...

I've been retired for a while, but I'm sure there are still labor unit publications out there for nut & bolt units

But you could get an inexpensive software like Vision EBM and it has materials and labor units, and you can build infinite assemblies and save the library you create.

Then you can transfer to a spreadsheet...and the assemblies can easily be edited and updated

https://www.visioninfosoft.com/electrical-estimating-software/

I didn't want to recommend one in particular, but that is what I bought for my company. I did some research have some experience and it is not the best, but it is the best for the money, hands down.

 

[cdslotz]

I didn't want to recommend one in particular, but that is what I bought for my company. I did some research have some experience and it is not the best, but it is the best for the money, hands down.

I have bid many jobs from $500K to $1M on EBM

 

[Strathead]

I have bid many jobs from $500K to $1M on EBM

My highest was 2 million. The biggest drawback is that the ability to take off typical rooms and let the program do the math but also allowing future modification is limited. Say you have a hotel with three room types. With other programs you can take off each type once, and then tell the program there are 51 of type one, etc. If they make a change and add a receptacle to one room type you go in and add one receptacle to the typical and it automatically adds all 51. Really the only major complaint I have about EBM.

 

[cdslotz]

My highest was 2 million. The biggest drawback is that the ability to take off typical rooms and let the program do the math but also allowing future modification is limited. Say you have a hotel with three room types. With other programs you can take off each type once, and then tell the program there are 51 of type one, etc. If they make a change and add a receptacle to one room type you go in and add one receptacle to the typical and it automatically adds all 51. Really the only major complaint I have about EBM.

I used to get around that by having a "master" typical room and then copy/paste times 50. So if my master room changes (and it always did), I could re-copy/paste

I think the program has drastically improved their audit trail abilities to cut/paste/multiply typical and repetitive work