NECA for estimating

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Fred B

Fred B

Senior Member
Location
Upstate, NY
Occupation
Electrician
What is anyone's experience in using NECA manual in estimating a job? How accurate is time tables?
Got a job looking to quote and some aspects not familiar with the time required to complete and definitely don't want to under estimate for them and would like to use the NECA numbers.
One particular part is the time shown for excavation, it seems high?, maybe, but don't know. Got 2 trenches through a paved parking lot total of 350 ft. Want to compare cost to do it ourselves vs hiring a company to come in.
 
Fred B said:
What is anyone's experience in using NECA manual in estimating a job? How accurate is time tables?
Got a job looking to quote and some aspects not familiar with the time required to complete and definitely don't want to under estimate for them and would like to use the NECA numbers.
One particular part is the time shown for excavation, it seems high?, maybe, but don't know. Got 2 trenches through a paved parking lot total of 350 ft. Want to compare cost to do it ourselves vs hiring a company to come in.
Click to expand...
Why would you even consider cutting a 350 foot long trench through a paved parking lot yourself.
 
Without putting pen to paper, my best guess on a 12W x 24D trench is about 160/hrs to cut and remove the asphalt, dig the trench, install conduit, and backfill/compact. Assuming loamy soil conditions.

I’ve done a few of these. Typically i cut the asphalt and peel it out with an excavator, and use a loader to haul it off. Before digging I’ll lay tarps out to keep the dirt out the asphalt. Use the loader to drop the backfill in 6” lifts before compacting. And this assumes you can use the dirt you hauled out for fill. You’ll need some manual labor to drop the last of the backfill in because you don’t want to run the loader bucket down into the tarps and asphalt. And if you’re using a track loader you’ll have to go slow and use caution to not tear up the asphalt.

Make sure to contractually cover yourself on the existing soil conditions. Might even want to take some core samples.

Also I have no idea what conduit you are installing. If a 4” wide trench will work, that would be much easier; I was just basing that off my experience which has always been at least a 12” wide trench for dropping new primaries/secondaries to outparcels.


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Fred B said:
What is anyone's experience in using NECA manual in estimating a job? How accurate is time tables?
Got a job looking to quote and some aspects not familiar with the time required to complete and definitely don't want to under estimate for them and would like to use the NECA numbers.
One particular part is the time shown for excavation, it seems high?, maybe, but don't know. Got 2 trenches through a paved parking lot total of 350 ft. Want to compare cost to do it ourselves vs hiring a company to come in.
Click to expand...
Check your specs. Backfill may need to be sand and cement slury mix
 
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