Estimating Building Costs for the Residential and Light Commercial Construction Professional / RSMeans (PDF)

How to succeed in the construction business--step-by-step
guidelines for estimating

To be competitive, contractors and homebuilders need to know how
to generate complete, accurate estimates for labor and material
costs. This book guides readers through the entire estimating
process, explaining in detail how to put together a reliable
estimate that can be used not only for budgeting, but also for
developing a schedule, managing a project, dealing with
contingencies, and ultimately making a profit.

Completely revised and updated to reflect the new CSI
MasterFormat 2010TM system, the Second Edition of this practical
guide describes estimating techniques for each building system and
how to apply them according to the latest industry standards. Cost
considerations and quantity takeoff and pricing are included for
virtually every type of work found in residential and light
commercial projects, from demolition, concrete, and masonry to
windows and doors, siding, roofing, mechanical and electrical
systems, finish work, and site construction.

Complete with many new graphics and references to professional
construction cost databases, the new edition provides experienced
contractors and novices alike with essential information on:

* How to correctly interpret plans and specifications, reflecting
updates to contract documents since the first edition

* Computer estimating techniques and new estimating software for
performing quantity takeoff

* The best methods for conceptual estimating as well as the
extremely useful topic of parametric estimating

* How to allocate the right amounts for profit and contingencies,
and other hard-to-find professional guidance

* How a unit price estimate is built along with labor issues and
budgeting for subcontractor work