First time poster. I have found that the Means square foot pricing is actually low. The per item prices are OK, but not necessarily excessive. I don't use per item for electrical pricing, because I use an estimating program, but for things like trenching, coring, and concrete, I have found that I want a little more in my estimate than they give. Like any time estimate that is not your own, you need to figure out what is actually covered. Look at NECA labor. It has worked as a base for years, but is obviously tweaked by each estimator and job.