construction estimating software

[Frank Cox]

Does anyone have any recommendations for construction estimating software?

[Da Rock]

----------------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:48:33 -0600
> From: [e-mail]
> To: [e-mail]
> Subject: construction estimating software
>
> Does anyone have any recommendations for construction estimating software?
>
> -- 
> MELVILLE THEATRE ~ Melville Sask ~ http://www.melvilletheatre.com
>
> -- 
> fedora-list mailing list
> [e-mail]
> To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list

I ran into someone who asked me this before- and I think the answer might still be the same (correct me if I'm wrong). I don't think there is any, and most builders either build their own if they're cluey enough or get one built (usually by someone they know who is cluey.

That said, I would be interested in helping you out with this problem. It would depend on your budget though. Reply to me off list if your interested and mark your mail as priority so it grabs my attention.

Cheers
Rocky
IT & Business Solutions
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[John Poelstra]

Frank Cox said the following on 01/28/2008 02:48 PM Pacific Time:
> Does anyone have any recommendations for construction estimating software?

More for calculating maintenance costs: http://www.dwheeler.com/sloccount/

John

[Arch Willingham]

We (www.tuparks.com) use Timberline by Sage but it's not open source :(

Arch

-----Original Message-----
From: [e-mail]
[mailto:[e-mail]]On Behalf Of Frank Cox
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 5:49 PM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: construction estimating software

Does anyone have any recommendations for construction estimating software?

[Ric Moore]

On Mon, 2008-01-28 at 21:35 -0500, Arch Willingham wrote:
> We (www.tuparks.com) use Timberline by Sage but it's not open source :(
>
> Arch
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [e-mail]
> [mailto:[e-mail]]On Behalf Of Frank Cox
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 5:49 PM
> To: [e-mail]
> Subject: construction estimating software
>
> Does anyone have any recommendations for construction estimating software?

Arch, please don't top-post. 
Frank, there is a blueprint program, who's name I have forgotten, but
would something like that suffice along with a spreadsheet? Ric

[Frank Cox]

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:21:44 -0500
Ric Moore  wrote:
> Frank, there is a blueprint program, who's name I have forgotten, but
> would something like that suffice along with a spreadsheet?

Maybe.

A friend of mine is designing a new house.  He's quite the handyman and intends
to build it himself so he was asking me about what he could get for a
estimating program.

If you think of that blueprint program, don't hesitate to post its name.

Thanks for the input!

[Todd Denniston]

Frank Cox wrote, On 01/29/2008 02:18 AM:
> On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:21:44 -0500
> Ric Moore  wrote:
> > Frank, there is a blueprint program, who's name I have forgotten, but
> > would something like that suffice along with a spreadsheet?
>
> Maybe.
>
> A friend of mine is designing a new house.  He's quite the handyman and intends
> to build it himself so he was asking me about what he could get for a
> estimating program.
>
> If you think of that blueprint program, don't hesitate to post its name.
>
> Thanks for the input!

If the blueprint program Ric was talking about does not do it, don't forget 
about needing to estimate time lines (if you are having other people work with 
you).
planner (included with fedora) works pretty good (almost as good as MS 
Project) for laying out estimating time lines.

[Dave Stevens]

On Tuesday 29 January 2008 06:39:16 am Todd Denniston wrote:
> Frank Cox wrote, On 01/29/2008 02:18 AM:
> > On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:21:44 -0500
> >
> > Ric Moore  wrote:
> > > Frank, there is a blueprint program, who's name I have forgotten, but
> > > would something like that suffice along with a spreadsheet?
> >
> > Maybe.
> >
> > A friend of mine is designing a new house.  He's quite the handyman and
> > intends to build it himself so he was asking me about what he could get
> > for a estimating program.
> >
> > If you think of that blueprint program, don't hesitate to post its name.
> >
> > Thanks for the input!
>
> If the blueprint program Ric was talking about does not do it, don't forget
> about needing to estimate time lines (if you are having other people work
> with you).
> planner (included with fedora) works pretty good (almost as good as MS
> Project) for laying out estimating time lines.
>
> --
> Todd Denniston
> Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
> Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter

what about Google Sketchup?

Dave

[Robert L Cochran]

I wrote a program once for the original IBM PC that calculates material
quantities and costs based on the pricing at a local lumberyard. I'm not
even sure where the code is now. It would be an interesting project to
enhance because it could go out on the web and fetch materials and
prices from vendors like Lowes and calculate price variations hourly.

But as another poster mentioned here, you need to consider the timing.
In house construction timing is a very important factor in controlling
costs. From the excavator to the roofer, you need to plan and time the
work of a large number of specialists plus usually a crew of laborers. I
don't know what to suggest these days.

Bob Cochran
Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

Frank Cox wrote:
> Does anyone have any recommendations for construction estimating software?

[Frank Cox]

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:36:47 -0500
Robert L Cochran  wrote:
> But as another poster mentioned here, you need to consider the timing.
> In house construction timing is a very important factor in controlling
> costs. From the excavator to the roofer, you need to plan and time the
> work of a large number of specialists plus usually a crew of laborers. I
> don't know what to suggest these days.

It's my understanding that he's mostly interested in a materials list, though I
could be wrong.  The way that he explained it to me, he wants to be able to
design and draw his house, then get a list of "582 2x4's, 96 bales of
insulation, 250 sheets of plywood" and so on.

[William Fidell]

Frank Cox wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:36:47 -0500
> Robert L Cochran  wrote:
> > But as another poster mentioned here, you need to consider the timing.
> > In house construction timing is a very important factor in controlling
> > costs. From the excavator to the roofer, you need to plan and time the
> > work of a large number of specialists plus usually a crew of laborers. I
> > don't know what to suggest these days.
>
> It's my understanding that he's mostly interested in a materials list, though I
> could be wrong.  The way that he explained it to me, he wants to be able to
> design and draw his house, then get a list of "582 2x4's, 96 bales of
> insulation, 250 sheets of plywood" and so on.

Having trained and worked in civil engineering I can say that I can't 
remember anyone ever using any but a spreadsheet. Usually split into 
logical sections (eg phase 1, phase 2 or roads, drainage) and 4 columns 
(description / spec, number of units, price per unit, total price). 
Grand totals stuck in whenever needed.

You can add man hours and plant hire to this easily because the unit can 
be a number, hour or day, or fixed price.

W

[Robin Laing]

Frank Cox wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:36:47 -0500
> Robert L Cochran  wrote:
> > But as another poster mentioned here, you need to consider the timing.
> > In house construction timing is a very important factor in controlling
> > costs. From the excavator to the roofer, you need to plan and time the
> > work of a large number of specialists plus usually a crew of laborers. I
> > don't know what to suggest these days.
>
> It's my understanding that he's mostly interested in a materials list, though I
> could be wrong.  The way that he explained it to me, he wants to be able to
> design and draw his house, then get a list of "582 2x4's, 96 bales of
> insulation, 250 sheets of plywood" and so on.

I have seen one of these in use.  It was a custom spreadsheet designed 
for the lumber company that I was at.  They would enter in the details 
of your design (garage in my case) and then modify the details.

If you wanted to use 2X10's then it would change the 2X8's to 2X10's and 
recalculate.

I wonder if there is a script that could pull the lumber details from a 
*.dxf file created in qCad.

One thing I learned is many estimations used by lumber companies come up 
short if you do a better quality job.

Also, I wouldn't build a house out of 2x4's any more.  The energy 
savings for 2x6 or 2x8 are well worth the extra cost.  :)  I say this as 
I see the Melville Sask in your message and it is bloody cold out.

[Frank Cox]

On Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:39:20 -0700
Robin Laing  wrote:
> I say this as 
> I see the Melville Sask in your message and it is bloody cold out.

Hey, it's only been -50 outside here for the past couple of days (and the rest
of the week, apparently.)  Good excuse to stay inside -- I'm rebuilding my
kitchen ceiling this week.

[John Summerfield]

Robin Laing wrote:
> Frank Cox wrote:
> > On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:36:47 -0500
> > Robert L Cochran  wrote:
> > > But as another poster mentioned here, you need to consider the timing.
> > > In house construction timing is a very important factor in controlling
> > > costs. From the excavator to the roofer, you need to plan and time the
> > > work of a large number of specialists plus usually a crew of laborers. I
> > > don't know what to suggest these days.
> >
> > It's my understanding that he's mostly interested in a materials list, 
> > though I
> > could be wrong.  The way that he explained it to me, he wants to be 
> > able to
> > design and draw his house, then get a list of "582 2x4's, 96 bales of
> > insulation, 250 sheets of plywood" and so on.
>
> I have seen one of these in use.  It was a custom spreadsheet designed 
> for the lumber company that I was at.  They would enter in the details 
> of your design (garage in my case) and then modify the details.
>
> If you wanted to use 2X10's then it would change the 2X8's to 2X10's and 
> recalculate.

Interestingly, we used to use four by two &c, before we went metric.
> I wonder if there is a script that could pull the lumber details from a 
> *.dxf file created in qCad.
>
> One thing I learned is many estimations used by lumber companies come up 
> short if you do a better quality job.
>
> Also, I wouldn't build a house out of 2x4's any more.  The energy 
> savings for 2x6 or 2x8 are well worth the extra cost.  :)  I say this as 
> I see the Melville Sask in your message and it is bloody cold out.

Sask didn't mean anything to me, now I assume it's a cold province of .ca.
>

[Frank Cox]

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:17:06 +0900
John Summerfield  wrote:
> Interestingly, we used to use four by two &c, before we went metric.

Pretty much everything here is now measured in metric, with the exception of
building materials.  We have 464g butter packages instead of 1lb, and so on.

The grocery store that I do most of my shopping at posts the prices per pound
on their produce and whatnot, but when it rings up on the cash register the
price is always per kg.

Building materials, though, are still all in imperial measure.  At least, I
have never seen metric building materials around here with the sole exception
of a pallet of cement blocks that I ordered a few years ago that showed up
measured in metric.
> Sask didn't mean anything to me, now I assume it's a cold province of .ca.

That's it.  Saskatchewan, Canada.  Where you can watch your dog run away from
home for three straight days.

[Ric Moore]

On Tue, 2008-01-29 at 14:23 -0800, Dave Stevens wrote:
> On Tuesday 29 January 2008 06:39:16 am Todd Denniston wrote:
> > Frank Cox wrote, On 01/29/2008 02:18 AM:
> > > On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:21:44 -0500
> > >
> > > Ric Moore  wrote:
> > > > Frank, there is a blueprint program, who's name I have forgotten, but
> > > > would something like that suffice along with a spreadsheet?
> > >
> > > Maybe.
> > >
> > > A friend of mine is designing a new house.  He's quite the handyman and
> > > intends to build it himself so he was asking me about what he could get
> > > for a estimating program.
> > >
> > > If you think of that blueprint program, don't hesitate to post its name.
> > >
> > > Thanks for the input!
> >
> > If the blueprint program Ric was talking about does not do it, don't forget
> > about needing to estimate time lines (if you are having other people work
> > with you).
> > planner (included with fedora) works pretty good (almost as good as MS
> > Project) for laying out estimating time lines.
> >
> > --
> > Todd Denniston
> > Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
> > Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter
>
> what about Google Sketchup?

Frank, whatever came of this? Did he find something to use? Ric

[Frank Cox]

On Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:50:12 -0500
Ric Moore  wrote:
> Frank, whatever came of this? Did he find something to use?

The last time I talked to him (yesterday, in fact) he said that he was
experimenting with the program that you recommended:  Cycas. http://www.cycas.de

He said that it has a pretty steep learning curve but he will persevere with it
for a while and see what happens.

So thanks a lot for the recommendation (to everyone who responded to my
query.)