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A panel of industry experts gathered at the first annual Tilt-Up Convention Oct. 12-14 in Atlanta to discuss estimating tilt-up construction projects.

The panel was led by Jim Baty, technical director for the Tilt-Up Concrete Association. Baty was joined by Clay Fischer, president of Woodland Construction Company, a Jupiter, Fla., tilt-up subcontractor; John Neyer, P.E., president of Neyer Construction, Inc., a Cincinnati general contractor; Philip Kopf, P.E., president of The Kopf Consulting Group, an Atlanta engineering firm; and Laurence Smith, P.E., a partner and director at J.W. Lindsay Enterprises, Ltd., a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, design-build contractor.

Baty: Thank you all for joining this panel and participating in this important discussion. One of the hottest topics in the tilt-up industry is estimating. At TCA’s headquarters, we receive many calls a week about how to best estimate a tilt-up project. Why don’t you start by sharing some tips on how you approach estimating a tilt-up project.

Kopf: From an engineering perspective, it is very important to begin the estimating process by gathering site specific information. I believe in developing a cost estimate based on local codes and conditions — not merely previous cost histories. You have to be careful if you just use historical data to put together your estimate as it doesn’t account for the changes in the codes. For example, though a project may be very similar in size and scope to a project I worked on a few years back, pricing from the past project would not account for recent changes in the code regarding seismic issues. From snow and roof design loads to bay spacing and how the roof will be drained, etc., site specific information is key for successful estimating. In my opinion, if you are an engineer, you are doing your clients a disservice if you simply estimate based on past experience and adjust for today’s cost of materials.

Neyer: Since we operate in a design-build environment, we often don’t get much information from which to put together our estimate. If we get a schematic, we can make an educated guess as long as we are estimating the foundation, slab and walls as one package. The biggest question I have is how many pounds of reinforcing will be in the wall since this price changes so drastically. Also, my biggest threat and competition is precast, so many times my estimates are more about speed of delivery than about dollars.

Fischer: As a tilt-up subcontractor, we often get a lot of jobs that are somewhat designed with regard to the roof, but not the panels. Therefore, one of the first things we do to make sure we assemble a realistic cost estimate is to get an experienced structural engineer involved. I should note that we are careful to match the right engineer with the right project. For example, on more complex projects, we’ll opt for an engineer with that specialty, while that engineer may be overkill for a box warehouse. When it comes to conceptual projects, though, such as a multi-building school campus, estimates are a challenge. In such cases, by partnering with our engineering consultant, we can assemble our best estimate based on historical data coupled with today’s prices. On simpler buildings, if we get involved early enough — which is easier with private developers — we can pull the engineer in right away. If we have the opportunity to use one of our engineers, we’ll commit to his/her budget because we trust their experience. This is a win-win situation for us as well as the owner/developer since we are willing to stand behind our number and the numbers are pretty firm.