Estimating Today October 2014

ET TODAY

ESTIMATING American Society of Professional Estimators OCTOBER 2014

9th Edition Standard Estimating Practice Manual A Step-by-Step Guide to Accurate Cost Estimates ● Practices Common to ALL Disciplines ● Practices Common to SPECIFIC Disciplines ● Professional Estimating Service Samples ● Ethics ● Reference Sources

Also Includes: ● Practical advice for using historical data. ● Key elements that influence production rates. ● Important considerations for construction equipment. ● Key costs to be included in direct labor burden. ● Generally included overhead costs for General Contractors and Subcontractors.

New Purchase Options SEP Manual Only $95.00 SEP Manual and Digital Copy $125.00 Order by visiting the ASPE online bookstore at www.aspenational.org or by calling 615-316-9200 2 Estimating Today

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Estimating Today 3

ET TODAY

ESTIMATING October 2014

Editor Patsy M. Smith Advertising Patsy M. Smith Design & Layout Tanya Graham

Mission To serve Construction Estimators by providing Education, Fellowship & Opportunity for Professional Development

Estimating Today is the official publication of The American Society of Professional Estimators. Material in this magazine may not be reproduced in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy or otherwise) without permission from the editor.

It is the policy of the Society that all materials submitted for publication become the property of the Society and may or may not be published, in whole or in part, at the discretion of the editor.

Opinions and views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the position of ASPE, Estimating Today, or its staff.

Send Submissions to Patsy Smith, Editor Society Business Office psmith@aspenational.org

Contact Us tanya@aspenational.org

American Society of Professional Estimators 2525 Perimeter Place Drive, Suite 103 Nashville, TN 37214

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www.aspenational.org Tina Cooke

Patsy M. Smith Executive Director

tina@aspenational.org

psmith@aspenational.org ●Society Management ●Human Resource ●Membership ●Annual Meeting Planning ●Website ●Advertising ●Accounting ●Marketing ●Chapter Development ●Tradeshows ●Education

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2014-2015

President Doyle T. Phillips, FCPE doyle.phillips@nabholz.com

Northwest Governor Walter Lemon, III, CPE wlemoniii@gmail.com

First Vice President Marcene N. Taylor, CPE mtaylor@mticost.com

Southwest Governor TJ Schwertfeger, CPE javamadxxx@gmail.com

Second Vice President Bruce A. Schlesier, CPE bruce_schlesier@msn.com

Central Plains Governor Mel G. Cowen, CPE mel@c-c-ltd.com

Third Vice President Mike A. Alsgaard, CPE maalsgaard@ftch.com

Southeast Governor Chuck Hesselbein, CPE chesselbein@baldwinshell.com

Immediate Past President Northeast Governor Joseph A. Flemming, CPE James G. Hanna, CPE jflemming@bradburystamm.com jgh@dhuy.com Treasurer (Appointed) Chris Morton, CPE cmortoncpe@comcast.net

4 Estimating Today

Tanya Graham

Society Business Office:

Legal Counsel (Appointed) Jason Isaacson, Evans Law Firm Chattanooga, TN

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Message From the President

doyle.phillips@nabholz.com

Doyle T. Phillips, FCPE National President

Getting the most out of ASPE! Fall is upon most of us by now. Football seasons are well under way and schedules are as busy as ever. It seems that workloads are picking up across the country making work weeks much longer for many of us. With so much going on, it is very easy at times to let our time for volunteer work and activities slide to a less important place in our lives. I would ask that you really think about your time and the value that professional organizations such as ASPE add to your professional and personal development. Your local chapters need you in a big way.

Beyond the local chapter level many of your regions will be having a regional meeting in the near future, if not already by the time you are reading this. If you have not had the opportunity to attend a regional event in the past, I would encourage you to see what you may be missing. Regional meetings generally host great estimating academies, have informative business sessions that keep you apprised of what is going on at the national level and gives you the opportunity to have a voice in shaping possible new directions. Once you go to one, you will be hooked and look forward to the next.

Individuals will usually make time for what is important to them. We prioritize everything we do based on some internal system of merit.

Many do this through goal and objective setting and then determining a plan of action to accomplish the goal. I would challenge you to make increasing your time in volunteering for ASPE a priority in your goal setting. It has been proven that the more you involve yourself in something, the more you get out of that something. Think about the feeling you get when you choose to help someone and you experience their gratitude.

Your volunteer efforts are needed in the leadership of your local chapter. If each of us would take on one or two tasks, then the workload is spread out among many and everyone is less likely to become overwhelmed with the work required. We should make our life’s work about assisting others to be their very best. Everyone has different strengths and passions. I urge you to find yours and work with those strong points to encourage and raise others up to improve your local chapter and your region. When we work together ASPE benefits, but the most important thing is that you become the beneficiary of getting the most out of your ASPE! May God continue to bless you each and every day!

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Estimating Today 5

6 Estimating Today

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A Spillway Improvement Project By: Randy N. Goodwin, CPE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randy N. Goodwin has worked in the civil engineering field for Twenty Five years on several projects all over New England. The first twelve years were spent with Dufresne Henry of North Springfield, Vermont, working as a construction inspector, draftsman and estimator. Projects included water treatment facilities, water storage tanks, pump stations and underground water and sewer utilities. The last thirteen years were spent at Dufresne Group of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, working as an estimator and project manager where he prepares the majority of the cost estimates generated while reviewing those prepared by other staff members. Project types include those mentioned above as well as wastewater treatment facilities and bridges. Randy is a graduate of Vermont Technical College with an Associate Degree in Architectural and Building Engineering Technology.

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Table of Contents Section 1

Introduction

Section 2

Types and Methods of Measurement

Section 3

Specific Factors to Consider for Project Takeoff and Pricing

Section 4

Overview of Labor, Material, Equipment, Indirect Costs and Approach to Markups

Section 5

Special Risk Considerations

Section 6

Ratios and Analysis to Test the Estimate

Section 7

Miscellaneous Pertinent Information

Section 8

Sample Plan and Sections

Section 9

Sample Estimate - Takeoff and Pricing

Section 10

Glossary of Terms

Estimating Today 7

Section 1 – Introduction The purpose of this technical paper is to explain the process of estimating the construction cost of a spillway improvement project. The estimated construction cost of a spillway improvement project for a reservoir can vary significantly given different materials, methods of construction and site conditions. This paper will cover various typical information used to prepare an estimate based on a construction scope that includes conditions such as demolition, cast-in-place concrete, and earthwork (excavation, backfill & steel sheet piling). Cost estimates are typically broken down into different sections or divisions. The most common format used for organizing a construction cost estimate is following the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) 2004 Master Format Divisions. The CSI format serves as a good checklist to ensure that all relevant items have been included in the cost estimate. The CSI format used for this paper is summarized by division as follows: Main CSI Divisions ● Division 02 – Existing Conditions ● Division 03 – Concrete ● Division 31 – Earthwork Main CSI Subdivision ● 02 40 00 – Concrete Demolition ● 03 10 00 – Concrete Forming ● 03 20 00 – Concrete Reinforcing ● 03 30 00 – Cast-in-Place Concrete ● 31 20 00 – Earthwork ● 31 40 00 – Steel Sheet Piling Brief Description In this paper, the author describes the tasks necessary of a construc8 Estimating Today

tion estimator to prepare an organized, complete, and accurate estimate. These tasks include, but are not limited to: · Developing a thorough review of the plans and specifications · Developing an understanding of the types of measure involved for the unit price item quantities · Specific factors to consider while performing quantity take off and pricing · Ensuring that labor, equipment, and material costs for all aspects are considered as well as indirect costs and markups · Considering special risks involved · Testing the estimate to determine the accuracy There are generally four types of estimates including Order of Magnitude, Square Foot / Cubic Foot, Assemblies or Systems, and Unit Price.

The Order of Magnitude estimate is used for initial project planning, is based on historic data and attempts to reflect a +/- 20% accuracy. The Square Foot estimate is generally based on building use, used when only approximate size and basic parameters are known and typically produces estimates with +/- 15% accuracy. The Assemblies estimate is used during the design development stage, contains groups of individual items combined into a convenient unit of measure and may reflect a +/- 10% accuracy. The Unit Price estimate requires the use of working drawings and specifications can be done at various stages of the drawings and specifications development and has been shown to produce an accuracy of +/- 5% typically.

For this paper, the author discusses the preparation of a unit price estimate to determine the probable construction cost of a project just before the project is bid. The estimate will be based on plans and specifica-

tions that marked bid documents are out of the design phase and are ready for construction. In preparing the estimate, there are direct costs such as materials, labor, subcontractor(s) and project overhead. There are also indirect costs such as taxes and insurance, overhead and profit, and bonding to be considered. These direct and indirect costs are discussed later in this paper at Section 4. The quantity determined for each direct cost item will be multiplied by a unit cost to come up with a total unit amount.

The total unit amounts are then tallied to give a subtotal of the cost.

The indirect cost items are then factored as well as any contingencies to give a total probable construction cost.

Section 2 – Types of Methods of Measurement The unit of measurement is typically dictated by the types of measurement for a spillway project that can include the following components: · Demolition of existing concrete walls or slabs would be measured in linear feet (LF) for structural members of a common thickness or by cubic yard (CY). · Forming for cast-in-place concrete construction would typically be based on square feet of contact area (SFCA) for walls or linear feet (LF) for slab forming. · Steel reinforcing for the castin-place concrete would be measured by the pound (LB) or ton (TN) depending on the quantity. · Purchasing, delivery and placement of cast-in-place concrete would be measured by the cubic yard (CY). · Finishing of cast-in-place concrete would typically be measured in square feet (SF).

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·

·

Earthwork such as common excavation, select support materials, backfill or stone fill would be measured by the bank cubic yard (BCY) for material being excavated, loose cubic yard (LCY) for material being hauled or rip rap stone placement and compacted cubic yard (CCY) for material in place being compacted.

Steel sheeting would be measured in square feet (SF).

As stated above, concrete slab demolition or purchase, delivery and placement of concrete for walls or slabs of the spillway construction would be measured by a CY. A CY is equivalent to 27 cubic feet (CF) and is a three dimensional measurement of volume. For footings, walls and slabs being demolished or constructed, the dimensions for each can typically be found on the project plans, sections, details or a combination of all three. After determining the total CF of volume, this amount will then need to be divided by 27 to determine the CY volume.

For earthwork, a BCY is an in-place three dimensional volume measure determined by the length and width of the work area to be excavated, multiplied by the depth for the required excavation. The horizontal dimensions would be determined from the plans with the depth of excavation determined by looking at sections or profiles. The depth would need to account for the deepest portion of the constructed piece such as the bottom of the footing or slab plus an added depth for any select support materials that are called for under the footing or slab.

When material is excavated, the quantity of material will expand to greater than the bank or in-place status and become a LCY. A LCY can be calculated by using the BCY quantity multiplied by 1.25 for a 25% “swell” factor. If the excavated mawww.aspenational.org

terial needs to be hauled away for storage or wasted, the estimator will need to account for the material quantity in the LCY or swelled state.

Determining the volume necessary for the select support backfill materials under a concrete structure can be found by determining the area of the structure (including extra widths typically required) multiplied by the depth of material called for. The volume required for backfill around constructed structures can be determined by obtaining the length, width, and depths remaining from the excavation with the constructed structures in place. Since the backfill material is usually compacted in place, the estimator must account for the additional compaction or “shrinkage” of the material from an in-place BCY state to a CCY. The volume for a CCY can be calculated by dividing the calculated in-place BCY volume by 0.9 for a 90% shrinkage factor. Consideration should also be given that a certain percentage of the select materials can be lost/spilled in the process of getting it from the truck dump site to the in place location. For rip rap stone fill, the required volume for placement can be determined by obtaining the length, width and depth to be filled. There will need to be a swell factor of 25% to 50% applied to account for the loose placement of the rip rap stone fill.

Steel reinforcing, if not included in the concrete CY cost, would be measured by the LB or TN. The quantity by the LB can be calculated by multiplying the length of the rebar by the published weight per foot of a particular size and grade of rebar. If there is a large quantity of rebar, the quantity can be converted to TN simply by dividing the LB obtained by 2000.

For steel sheeting, the SF quantity can be found by multiplying the horizontal length of sheeting required, found on the plans, by the vertical length required, found on the sections. The vertical length would in-

clude the amount below grade as well as what is above grade.

For forming of a concrete wall the SFCA is determined by obtaining the length and width of the forming required to construct the wall multiplied by 2 to account for both sides of the forms. The quantity for slab forming measured in LF is simply obtained by measuring the perimeter of forming required around a slab to be constructed.

Section 3 – Specific Factors to Consider for Project Takeoff and Pricing There are specific factors to consider for estimating the takeoff and pricing such as small quantities vs. large quantities, geographic location and the seasonal effects on work.

Small Quantities vs. Large Quantities In general, smaller quantities will have a higher unit cost than larger quantities. With a larger project, the various fixed costs can be spread out over the larger quantities resulting in a lower cost per unit. For a smaller project, the same fixed costs are still present but need to be spread over fewer quantities resulting in a higher cost per unit. There are other factors that increase pricing for smaller projects. For concrete construction, a project that contains a wall that is 30 feet long would cost more per CY to construct than a wall that is 120 feet long.

One of the factors that contribute to this is concrete forming. A wall that is 30 feet long would require 30 feet of forming. If there is only 30 feet on the project, the forms would only be used once. If the project contains 120 feet of wall, the same forms that were used to form 30 feet could be used again three more times therefore spreading the cost of the forming out over the entire 120 feet for a lower cost per CY. The savings would be realized in the reduced materials needed as well as the laEstimating Today 9

bor required to build the additional forms.

Geographic Location The cost of construction can be impacted by geographic location. Supplies such as lumber or concrete will be more expensive to get to a project in a remote location vs. a project that is in the same town as the lumber yard or concrete batch plant.

Room and boarding expenses during the week for a construction crew or crews working away from home in a remote area can also be a factor.

For a larger project, these expenses can have a significant effect on the final cost. Excavation methods and costs can also vary with geographical location. In an area where ledge is present, the excavation required for an underground component will be more expensive than an area where soil that can be easily excavated by an excavator is present.

The ledge will require hammering or blasting to be broken up first and then removed by the excavator.

state for a period of time during curing.

For excavation or backfilling, the seasonal effects would include freezing temperatures that create frost in the ground that is more difficult to excavate as well as frozen backfill material that cannot be adequately placed or compacted. Both of these conditions would have an impact on the schedule. In rainy weather, excavation or backfill could be hampered by slippery conditions or the need for de-watering activities.

Freezing, extreme hot weather or rain/snow could all have an impact on the workers and equipment as well, that will adversely affect productivity. In some climates, winter construction is halted or shutdown during a period when the weather is too cold to work productively. The estimator will need to review and consider what weather conditions may be at certain times of the year.

This will result in the need to plan and make corresponding adjustments for efficiency of work in the estimate.

Seasonal Effect on Work There are several seasonal effects found with concrete, sheeting and site work required for a spillway project. When considering concrete, if the work is done during cold weather such as winter, the concrete forming as well as the concrete will need to be protected from freezing. This can be as simple as placing insulated blankets or as complex as building an enclosure and placing temporary heat within the enclosure. Specifications may require that the concrete be kept at a minimum of 50 degrees for a period of 7 days or more during curing time. Conversely, during extremely hot dry weather, the concrete will need to be protected to prevent rapid surface evaporation.

This may require that either the concrete is in a constant wet or damp 10 Estimating Today

Section 4 – Overview of Labor, Material, Equipment and Indirect Costs and Approach to Markups This section of the paper provides information on how labor, material, equipment, indirect costs and approach to markups factor in to develop an accurate estimate.

Labor Costs Labor is a direct cost associated with performing the work necessary to do the project. It is recommended to use historical production rates and costs for labor from previous projects. This historical production information can be obtained from past project records if available. The production used should be of a similar

nature of work for the estimate being prepared. If the historical production is not available from a previous project, industry standard production rates can be obtained from a number of estimating production source books. Labor is usually delivered in the form of a cost per unit measured to then be multiplied by the quantity obtained to come up with a unit labor cost for that item. The estimator will need to use either “open shop” rates if the union rates do not apply or use the prevailing wages for the area if union rates do apply to the project.

Material Costs The cost of materials is another direct cost that is associated with providing the materials necessary for the construction. The cost for the materials can be obtained by contacting the supplier of the materials required such as lumber for forming, concrete or select support and backfill materials as required for this estimate. An estimator may also choose to refer to an estimating production source book for the material cost. Material costs are offered in the form of a cost per unit that will need to be multiplied by the quantity estimated for a total unit cost for that item. When estimating a quantity for the material, the estimator will sometimes need to round up to the nearest quantity. As an example, if a quantity of concrete is determined of 35.7 CY, the estimator will need to round the quantity up to the next whole CY or 36 as 0.7 CY of concrete is not available from a batch plant.

Equipment Costs Equipment cost, another direct cost, is the cost of the equipment necessary to construct the project. Some equipment necessary for a spillway project would include excavators, bulldozers, cranes, concrete pumps, de-watering pumps and miscellawww.aspenational.org

neous small tools. These costs are usually applied to the estimate by determining the unit costs for the equipment that is then multiplied by the quantity obtained to come up with a total unit cost for that item.

Indirect Costs Indirect costs are the costs incurred by a company that do not become a final part of the installation but are required for the orderly completion if the installation. Examples of such costs include labor burden, overhead and general conditions. The labor burden and overhead costs are based on the company’s requirements or desires to do business and be successful. The general conditions typically include bonds, permit fees, taxes and may include project requirements such as field trailers, administration and supervision and costs for miscellaneous work and project cleanup. Indirect costs are usually applied to the estimate as a percentage of the estimate cost.

Markups Markups are costs applied to an estimate that can include profit desired on the project or contingencies if there are unknowns about the project. Markups are also applied to the estimate as a percentage of the estimated cost. The profit considered would typically be a fixed percentage when preparing an estimate for probable construction cost. However from a contractor’s point of view, factors such as current work, backlog of work and competition from other contractors bidding are considered. For instance, when a contractor has sufficient work and backlog and the competition is low, they may consider raising the percentage of profit. However, when there is not a sufficient workload or backlog, the contractor may consider reducing the percentage just to secure the work. They may also reduce the www.aspenational.org

percentage if there is significant interest from other contractors bidding.

If the project is difficult or contains risks or unknowns, a contingency may be factored into the project to cover costs that are not known at the time of the estimate but may be encountered during construction.

Again this would be factored in as a percentage of the estimate cost.

The markups for risks, competition, and backlog may be significant and can overshadow the other factors used in preparing an accurate cost estimate.

Section 5 – Special Risk Considerations There are several special risk considerations the estimator should account for when preparing an estimate for the construction of a spillway improvement project. Such considerations include weather, site access, confined work areas, safety, weight restrictions for area roads and quality control. For example: · Rain can cause delays and damage to work in progress at a spillway improvement project. A rain event can raise the level of the reservoir and if too much, flooding into the work area can occur delaying the progress to continue work. The flooding can also undermine walls or footings that have been completed causing potential damage. · Site access needs to be considered. A spillway can be located in a remote portion of a reservoir where an access road may need to be built to gain access for deliveries and construction. · Confined work areas, a potential factor at a spillway project, can have an impact on the project cost. Limited room may mean materials and equipment need to be stored at another location off

site. Production may be slowed also due to equipment having to operate around other equipment or constructed work. · Safety when working at a spillway project needs to be carefully considered. The height at which workers are working from can be significant. Fall protection will need to be provided to mitigate the risk from a fall hazard. Workers can also be working adjacent to water which will make it necessary to provide adequate water type rescue equipment. · Weight restrictions on area roads can affect a project schedule. In some areas of the country roads are posted for weight limits during the late winter/spring months while the frost is leaving the road. As such, deliveries of materials or mobilization of equipment to the site may need to be delayed. ● Quality control for a spillway project is important. Steel sheeting that is incorporated into a cast-in-place wall must be driven plumb in order to ensure the wall construction is as well. The estimator must know the soil type in the area of sheeting installation. If the soil has cobbles or boulders, extra time for sheeting installation or correction will need to be factored in.

Section 6 – Ratios and Analysis to Test the Estimate Historical cost data is the best resource for analysis after the estimate has been prepared. Even though each spillway improvement project will likely have a different scope of work and different types of materials, there are usually enough similarities such as earthwork and concrete Estimating Today 11

construction to use the historical information for overall costs per unit and production rates from past spillway projects or projects containing these components to make a comparison of bid prices. Also, historical pricing for general conditions and profit margins from past projects of a similar nature can be compared as well. A good estimator will enhance their ability to develop a complete estimate, maintaining historical data and learning how to consistently incorporate the feedback data to prepare an accurate estimate reflective of construction costs at that moment in time at that particular location.

and different trench requirements in addition to the different price to purchase. The estimator should be familiar with the different funding requirements in order to ensure all factors are considered in an estimate.

Section 8 – Sample Plan,Sample Sections ● See page 13

Section 9 - Sample Estimate Takeoff and Pricing Sheets ● See page 13

Section 7 – Miscellaneous Pertinent Information Section 10 – Glossary of Terms A project can be funded by many different sources. Whether it by local funding, state funding, federal funding or, a combination of any of these types, each funding package has their own requirements. One of the requirements may be the wage rates that a contractor must pay for a project. A locally funded project may contain no wage restrictions meaning the local wages of that area would be used.

Conversely, a federally funded project may require that Davis Bacon wage rates are used which can increase the overall construction cost of the project. The estimator will need to ensure the additional money for a worker’s hourly rate is factored into the bid for a project with that type of funding. A federally funded project may require open and free competition on materials that are used for the project. This may mean a water main project will need to specify ductile iron pipe, PVC pipe and polyethylene pipe as choices for the water main material. All three of these pipe types carry a vastly different price per foot to purchase. The estimator will need to consider how each type will affect production rates

1. Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) 2004 Master Format – A standard developed by CSI for organizing specifications and other written information for commercial building projects in the United States. The purpose of the format is to assist the user in locating specific types of information from within the standardized outline form. The 2004 Master format contains nearly 50 sections whereas the pre 2004 format contained only 16.

2. Open Shop Rates – Wage rates that are non union influenced. Typically well below the union rates per position.

3. Prevailing Wages – A defined hourly wage, including benefits and overtime, paid to the majority of workers, laborers and mechanics within a particular area. Prevailing wages are determined by regulatory

agencies for each trade and occupation employed in public works type of work as well as State Departments of Labor.

4. Contingency – An amount included in a construction budget to cover the cost of unforeseen factors related to the construction.

5. Davis-Bacon Wage Rate – Wages for a contractor or subcontractor performing work on a federally funded or assisted project for the construction or repair of public buildings or public works.

These rates must be no less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits, where the work is to be performed, for corresponding work on similar projects in the area. u

Click the URL address box below to be linked to submitted copies of the Sample Plan, Sample Section and Sample Estimate. http://www.aspenational.org/userfiles/fi le/ET2014/Tech%20Papers/Section%208%2 0Sample%20Section%20October%2014.jpg

http://www.aspenational.org/userfiles/file/ET20 14/Tech%20Papers/Section%209%20Sample%20Esti mate%20%20Takeoff%20and%20Pricing%20October %2014.pdf

Section 8 - Sample Plan for How

Section 8 - Sample Section for

Section 9 - Sample Estimate -

to Estimate the Cost of a

How to Estimates the Cost of a

Takeoff and Pricing for How to

Spillway Improvement Project

Spillway Improvement Project

Estimate the Cost of a Spillway

http://www.aspenational.org/userfiles/f ile/ET2014/Tech%20Papers/Section%208 %20Sample%20Plan%20October%2014.jpg

Improvement Project.

Stormy with a chance of estimating David M. Watson Chief Estimator KBE Building Corporation Nutmeg - Chapter 60

The perfect storm is starting to clear and the turmoil seems to be passing. As the field of misnomers is becoming more evident through the mist, we strive to move forward.

Sounds like the start of a New York Times best selling novel, but it is not. This is what most construction companies and their estimators have lived through the past few years.

The fallout from these unprecedented events is the hope that we have all gotten a little smarter.

As 2008 started, it looked like any other year, but…the storm was brewing The backlogs were looking good and there seemed to be enough work to go around. Then like a slow moving train, it gained speed over several months (or years, depending on whom you talk too). It was the perfect storm: the combination of corporate greed, a mortgage balloon ready to pop, and the same old government blind‐eye tactics created a condition we have not seen since the Great Depression. We have only heard of such an event from our fathers and grandfathers. In the construction world, projects seemed to disappear.

As in my last article, Ethics and Estimating in an Uncertain Economy, there was a tale from every estimator that had worked their way through dealing with change. Large companies that could not find the sizeable projects they were used to bidding started to diversify and, with that, started bidding smaller projects because the small projects seemed to be the only ones around. Then the residential contractors hard hit by the mortgage bust and with virtually no housing starts, entered into the commercial market.

They knew little about the market but had hopes of securing work to keep their companies from going under. The result was an overcrowded pool of piranha chasing after the same meal. I had heard of projects where General Contractors were taking projects not only flat (no profit), but going in with cuts across the board of up to 5% and maybe more in the hopes of buying‐out enough to recover

14 Estimating Today

the cut and perhaps a minuscule fee to stay afloat. This was insane!

Right in the middle of the storm, I was at a pre‐bid for a new Walmart Supercenter in a small Pennsylvania town. I usually go to these events early to see who my competition will be when I overheard the project manager from Walmart telling his architect “this economy has been great for us. We have been extremely busy trying to get as many stores up as soon as possible. With the current pricing we are getting on these stores… every fifth store is free!” I could not believe what I just heard.

What a statement on the dismal state of the industry.

Now let us fast forward to late 2013‐the aftermath There are so many different opinions on how the construction market is currently performing that it is hard to know what is really happening. Some companies have had reliable lists of clients that have helped them weather the storm, but with little profit. Others diversified into different markets that were more consistent and not as affected by the climate. Still others suffered through the turmoil known as hard bidding and took what they could get to stay afloat. A good indication of construction performance is the Architecture Billing Index (ABI), which is typically reliable predictor of what’s coming down the road.

So have the owners changed from this experience?

Some have, but most have not. The typical developer is still about the “low number”, even though they talk about quality and relations. A one‐off client is working with an unrealistic budget and hoping that if he goes out to 10 or 15 GC’s, he can find someone to do it for his price. Then there are the others that have learned a great lesson after taking the low number and struggling through the project only to be stuck in litigation for several years trying to get closure. Still other projects where the GC walked or went belly‐up part way through the project. It has not been pretty.

Continued Page 16

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Estimating Today 15

Continued from Page 14

Have the GC’s learned anything from this perfect storm?

The smarter GC’s have focused more on Negotiated/GMP/CM at Risk contracts. This is a win‐win for both parties. Although there are many versions of these methods, they usually have the same outcome, a mutually agreeable result for all parties involved. Even the Design Build market is making a slow comeback. Unfortunately, not enough owners have taken this path. The smart companies doing competitive bidding have narrowed down their opportunities by using go, no‐go filtering to give them the best chance to win, rather than simply being a bidding service for owners.

What happened to ABC drywall? Their phone number seems to be disconnected.

The industry has seen a spike in subcontractor defaults over these past few years, and some companies have not recovered. I am sure any of you reading this article can count several companies that were there at the start of this downturn and are no longer with us today. It is like the law of the jungle, only the fittest survive. Some of the bidding frenzies have resulted in knock‐down, drag‐out, value engineering rounds until the owner is satisfied he has squeezed the last ounce of blood from the

16 Estimating Today

rock. A bid that usually took 2 to 3 weeks now sometimes takes months of back‐and‐forth pricing with many more GCs fighting for the same project. This process puts a great strain on estimating departments’ budgets and the estimators themselves. Projects that typically would take a few thousand dollars to bid in a typical once‐and‐done market, now can take upwards of tens of thousands of dollars depending on how many times the owner requests pricing revisions.

It has been an interesting ride, to say the least. We are all looking around at the changing landscape of clients and competition strategizing on how to get a piece of the pie going forward. Now that we have weathered the storm, per say, let us recap on what we have learned: ● Learning from our past experiences is key to survival (lessons learned) ● Bid for quality projects, not quantity ● Develop clientele, not excuses ● Adapt to change or… die hard! u

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Estimating Today 17

DEMYSTIFYING THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A FELLOW IN ASPE Lewis Finkel, FCPE Chairman, Council of Fellows President – Professional Construction Services, Inc.

"The highest honor and form of membership in ASPE is that of Fellow. "

Let me start by dispelling a common misconception that in order to become a Fellow you need to have been a National President of ASPE. At the present time there are 21 living Fellows – 10 have been a National President before being named Fellow – 11 have not been National President before being named a Fellow.

The requirements are to have worked as a volunteer for ASPE, volunteered in your community and worked for the betterment of the estimating profession.

The application is broken up into four sections: ● Professional Experience – maximum 30 points ● Personal Profile Activities – maximum 93 points ● General – maximum 30 points ● Discretionary Points for Judges to award – 14 points At the present time – there are a maximum of 167 points – in order to even be considered for elevation to Fellow you need to have a minimum of 100 points.

If you are active in ASPE and might possibly think that becoming a Fellow is in the cards sometime in the future, it is a lot easier to put the application together if you have kept copies of articles, offices held, committee assignments, conventions attended, etc.

Included in the sections that are considered are:

The ASPE Fellow Application can be found by visiting www.aspenational.org

18 Estimating Today

(Note – there are a minimum number of points in each section, but you do not need to have points in every line item)

Professional Experience ● Being a CPE ● Putting detailed labor and material estimates together ● Supervising estimators as a Chief Estimator, Estimating Manger, etc.

Personal Profile Activities ● ASPE Offices held on a Chapter, Regional and/or National level ● Committee participation on the Chapter, Regional and/or National level. ● Publishing technical articles on the Chapter level, Regional level and/or National level. ● Being a speaker at a Society Seminar, Estimating Academy or Workshop at the National, Regional and/or Chapter level. ● Attendance at National Conventions and Regional Meetings

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General ● Contributions to other construction industry organizations ● Technical articles for local and national magazines ● Any books that you have written ● Contributions as a volunteer in your community.

(Not-for-profits, school groups, churches, temples, synagogues, hospitals, little league, Red Cross, etc.)

The Process 1. Compile all the information required 2. Have the application submitted in the appropriate format to the Society Business Office by noted due date on application.

3. Once received, the Chairman of the Council of Fellows will select five Fellows to be the judges.

These Fellows will judge the application(s) inde-

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pendently. They will not know who else is judging the applications. They will submit their findings to the Chair of the Council of Fellows. If four of the judges say the applicant has enough points the process continues based on any limitations the Board of Trustees has imposed on number of Fellows allowed to be awarded in any particular year. The Executive Director is informed so the SBO has time to prepare the appropriate materials for the convention.

Being a Fellow is a high honor and having the F in front of the CPE designation is cherished by those who have been awarded that designation.

The Fellows (as a group) are currently acting as a “think tank” for the society. They are doing research and writing white papers on topics that can benefit the society. u

Estimating Today 19

Membership Update NEW MEMBERS

Member

Chpt. Name

Chpt. Number

Member Company

Matt L. Seewald

Denver

5

Palace Construction

David A. Lingen

New York

10

Irwin Contracting Inc

Darryl Edward Dean

Atlanta

14

Tectonics of Georgia , LLC

Robert D. Norris

Detroit

17

Pullman SST, Inc.

Vincent J. Carbone

Boston

25

Commercial Construction Consulting

Tim J. Jarett

Southwestern Ohio

38

OK Interiors Corp.

William A. Niswender

Greater Lehigh Valley

41

D'Huy Engineering, Inc.

Mike A. Trout

Puget Sound

45

Wayne's Roofing, Inc.

Matt B. Borders

Tampa Bay

48

Riehl Ceilings, Inc.

Alvin B. Williams

Tampa Bay

48

E-Home Building Estimates Inc

Wanda V. Perez

Gold Coast

49

MKA Inc

Douglas S. Hess

Central Pennsylvania

76

J.K. Mechanical, Inc

Harvey C. Green

Magnolia

81

McCarty Company-Construction Group

Patrick Curtis Kelly

Richmond

82

Kelly Consulting Services

Paul D. Workman

SW M-A-L

91

Workman Construction Advisors

Mettananda AD Karunatilaka

SW M-A-L

91

ABV Rock Group LTD

20 Estimating Today

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NEW CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL ESTIMATORS Name

Chpt. Name

Chpt Number

Company

Philip A. Smith, CPE

Arizona

6

Wespac Construction

Kenneth Bruce Bucklin

Baltimore

21

Project Management Services, Inc.

Charles Tosoian, CPE

Detroit

17

U.S. Building Group

Jeffrey Threet, CPE

Sacramento

11

Stephen G. Manukas, CPE

Three Rivers

44

Mark W. Krogen, CPE

Viking

39

Vanir Construction Management Mascaro Construction Company Faithful + Gould

Message Board ATTENTION:

Please be advised that ASPE’s annual event has been re-branded and a new date assigned. See changes below:

ESTIMATING TODAY

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Estimating Today 21

By: Lewis Finkel, FCPE

In Memory of Huey Breaux, FCPE On September 21, 2014 we lost one of the true gentlemen of ASPE, Huey Breaux. He was 79 years old.

Huey was always there to help with whatever was needed for ASPE. He served as National President in 1993. He was elected to the Council of Fellows in 2006 and wore the FCPE proudly.

His firm Huey P. Breaux Estimating Service Inc. was instrumental in budgeting many projects including the New Orleans Convention Center, Boomtown Casino and the 1984 World’s Fair.

His favorite person in the entire world was Janie, is wife and partner in life for 52 years. They worked together, they traveled together and raised a wonderful loving family together. They had a deep understanding of their faith and that helped guide them through the good and the bad of what life threw at them. Huey and Janie attended most of the ASPE National Conventions by rolling in with an RV or traveling by train.

Huey had a number of passions from traveling to making puzzles to collecting stamps. But his two major passions were working with youth and being a doting father, grandfather and great grandfather for his fabulous family.

When friends visited them in Metairie, they showed them the town. There are many stories of Huey and Janie including this quote from Bob Pratt FCPE, “My last convention as National President was in New Orleans in 1984, and Huey and Janie were effectively the honorary King and Queen of the Convention. Their hospitality was second to none, and we had a great time with the various banquets and Mardi Gras-like festivities.”

Jack Stemm, FCPE said “Huey held the Society together with statesmanship and dignity when he was National President.”

It is impossible to put into a few paragraphs the true sense and soul of a person. Huey was one of the nicest, smartest, moral and friendliest people you would ever want to meet on this earth. He will truly be missed.

22 Estimating Today

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Estimating Today 23

Initiative Firing and Being Fired- An Independent Estimating Consultants Experience By: Joshua Huck- Owner& Estimating Consultant, Precision Estimating We live and die by them. We love them and occasionally loathe them. Their business is what pays for our vacations and also what keeps us up late at night.

These people, owners, developers, architects, general contractors, subcontractors are our clients. We value them and treasure them to no end. Without them, we would be working for someone else. For the most part, we as consulting estimators are able to keep them extremely happy and they are able to keep us paid.

So what happens when this otherwise good relationship turns sour? What happens when you get fired by a client or you have to “fire” them?

After doing this for twenty years as an estimator for a General Contractor and now three years on my own, I’ve gained some insight on both topics.

While each client and scenario is different, as is how you would handle them, I’ll share what I have learned, and what I have done when both fired and being the one to end the relationship.

“You’re fired!” is a phrase no one likes to hear. It immediately brings on thoughts and feelings of inadequacy and casts a large shadow of self doubt.

I was recently fired by a client and it was not a pleasant experience. I was fired because this client “didn’t think I was a good enough estimator” to serve his organization. Ouch, that stung. That was a very long hour and a half drive back to the office. We had been doing business for over two years on large earthwork projects and his business brought in about a thousand dollars a month. So while not huge, being a small 24 Estimating Today

sole proprietor a thousand dollars extra income a month is important.

I tried not to take the defensive route.

I asked my client “After two years of working together and repeated jobs won/pats on the back for a job well done, why don’t you want to work together anymore?” Were my estimates not panning out on the jobsite and money was being lost? Nope. Was the format wrong? Nope. Was the way I conducted myself professionally an issue? Nope. The reason I was fired was because my level of detail in my estimates “had suffered”. This is fair criticism. I had gotten sloppy. Instead of breaking out all the components of a drainage line system, I knew what he ultimately charged per LF, so to save him time and money on my end, I started estimating this way. After countless reviews he never mentioned this once.

Since there are usually more reasons to an issue than is what is discussed, I tried to pry further. No luck. So I said to him, I’m sorry, I was under the impression that you were happy with my means and methods. If you want to revert to the way we did things at the beginning I will. Your happiness is my ultimate priority. He said “you missed a pipe fitting. How could you miss something so easy like that?” I wanted to reply “Well you asked me on late Monday night to estimate a 2 million dollar project that you wanted to review on Wednesday…I had to cut corners, as long as the bottom line works out then you should be okay”. I didn’t say this though because that is not the right answer. I offered to waive the fee for that project and the next one to show him how valuable he was to me as a client.

Too late. I pride myself on my level of detail, my clients know me by this, and I had slipped because I thought it was okay to focus more on speed than thoroughness.

So what did I learn from this experience? Several things: 1. Whatever protocol you establish at the beginning of a relationship, keep this throughout 2. It is tempting to “get comfortable” with someone and let your means/methods slip a bit, don’t.

3. Always ask questions about your service, no matter how long you are working with that person. Constantly ask: Is everything going okay? Can I improve in any way? Don t just assume 4. Offer to salvage the relationship financially…usually one of the best ways. Is it worth sacrificing one thousand dollar invoice to keep a twenty thousand dollar a year client and to keep them happy? I think so Ultimately though, there might come a time when you get fired for whatever reason. It could be that the client is difficult and is looking for an excuse not to pay. It could be, as in my case, that my communication and level of effort were not sufficient. For whatever reasons it may be, use it as a means of self improvement. Even if there are unanswered questions, by assuming the worst I used the experience to remind myself to improve and maintain a certain level of detail, skill and professionalism. www.aspenational.org

This leads to the next topic…when you have to fire a client. There can be many reasons but realistically the main reasons most likely stem from constant slow payment, lack of payment, unrealistic deadlines and just plain difficulty in dealing with. I have had to fire three clients so far.

It is industry standard to be paid, as a consultant, within sixty days of submitting an invoice. I have a fifteen day payment policy which I set knowing that it will usually get me paid in thirty. This works 95% of the time. I even offer electronic payment forms such as PayPal invoicing and credit card payments to help speed up the collection process; sometimes though this is not enough. I have had to resort to collection agencies to collect payment.

I have had to call clients using different phones from different area codes to “trick them” into taking a phone call to get paid. Then, when I finally collect, they have the audacity to ask for me to perform more work. So I have had to say “Thank you for your business up to this point, however in light of your unwillingness to pay me for my services within a reasonable time frame as agreed upon, I am forced to terminate our relationship. I wish you the best in your future endeavors”. It is concise, it is polite and it lets me leave on a professional note.

I have had to fire slow payers. I had a client for two years that generated a lot of income; however this came with constant emails, phone calls and even collection agency threats to get them to pay on time. They paid eventually but each invoice took around ninety days to pay. Ultimately the headaches and frustrations and keeping me awake late at night led to me realizing that the income was not worth it. I spent more time fretting and chasing this guy for money…time that could have been spent more on marketing, or taking on more work from clients that I know paid. So, I had to fire this person. It was not fun, I felt bad, but ultimately this is business. While relationships are paramount, so is getting

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paid and having someone holding up their end of the bargain.

The hardest by far though has been having to fire a difficult client. They paid in a timely manner, they sent work over regularly, but every meeting with them was painful. It was a long drive to their office but they insisted on in person meetings. They dissected each estimate, as they are entitled to, but with an adversarial method. They got upset easily and thought it was okay to be verbally insulting. They just weren’t fun to deal with. When I showed up and when I left they were happy but all the times in between were pure misery. But, since they paid, I dealt with it, especially early on because I really needed the money. In the end I had to meet with the owner and tell him that I cant do business with him any longer because of his actions and his behaviors. He apologized but then added that this is construction and I just needed to have a tougher skin. As an estimator, you do develop a very thick skin, as you are constantly questioned by owners, project managers, superintendents…so you learn quickly not to take things too personally. As long as you can present your case, you should be fine. This being said there are still some people in this world that are impossible to please and that you have to just distance yourself from to save your sanity.

Since 2011- The author of this article, Joshua Huck Josh has worked as Chief Estimator and Director of Pre-construction for general contractors. His firm, Precision Estimating, established in 2011, has been serving Owners, A/E Firms, General Contractors, Subcontractor and suppliers in New England, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Texas, California and Hawaii, with experience in commercial construction, military, and high end residential construction experience. See more at www.precision-estimating.com The subject of “Firing and Being FiredAn Independent Estimating Consultants Experience” is part of a regular discussion on the CERT (Consulting Estimators Round Table) site on Linked-In, along with good forums on many interesting issues related to having your own estimating business. Please join us there to express your concerns, ask questions, and help formulate your own personal strategies to help us all be better, more responsive and responsible business consultants.

So to sum up, getting fired and firing people is never fun. I’m not saying what I did to handle the situation was the best way; I’m simply sharing with you fellow readers how I went about it so that when you encounter a similar situation, perhaps you can refer back to this to use as a stepping stone to how you handle your situation. u

Estimating Today 25

26 Estimating Today

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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Are You in The Swing of the New ASPE Year?

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS The membership renewal period has ended and the members that have not sent in their 2014-2015 renewal have now been dropped from the membership list. Unfortunately, this means they will no longer receive correspondence from ASPE and the chapters are losing valuable assets as well. ● Does you chapter have in place a personal contact method to reach out to those who have not renewed? ● Have you determined “why” they aren’t renewing? ● Have you “asked” them to retain their membership and offered them a way to get involved?

Each month the chapter president is sent a complete listing of the chapters’ members.

The non-renewals have been shown in RED for each of the last three months reports so the chapter can easily see who needs to be focused on to encourage their renewal.

So many times something as simple as a phone call to that non-renewing member is all they needed to make them continue. PLEASE take a moment and make that call – it will definitely benefit your chapter as you retain your membership size – and, it helps the Society nationally as it gives us a bigger voice in the industry to educate about the value of estimators!

REGIONAL CONFERENCES I hope you are planning on attending the conferences being held for your regions. Three of the regions have planned a Fall Regional Conference: ● October 10 & 11 – Central Plains Region – Cincinnati, Ohio ● November 7 & 8 – Southwest-Northwest Joint Regional – Phoenix, Arizona See the full details and registration information on our website under the “Events” tab. ● The Southeast & Northeast Regions are in the process of planning their “First Joint Regional Conference to be held in February, 2015, in Tampa, Florida.

Watch for full information to come on our website under the “Events” tab!

MEETING UPDATES ● 2014-2015 ASPE President Doyle Phillips, FCPE, and the Awards Committee met at the Society Business Office for a planning and brainstorming session on revising and updating the current national awards. Announcements regarding some of the changes will be released the end of October. “Stay Tuned”! ● The Education Committee held their meeting in September at the Society Business Office and formulated plans for producing a brand new non-dues revenue program to offer estimating topic training to individuals on-line. They plan to introduce this new program shortly after the first of the new calendar year. “Stay Tuned”! ● The Board of Trustees will be meeting at the SBO on October 17 & 18. There are four new members on the Board this year that will be bringing new ideas so, “Stay Tuned”!

Until Next Month. u

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Estimating Today 27

Upcoming Chapter Meetings ARIZONA

Inland Empire Ch. 68

GEORGIA

MARYLAND

Arizona Ch. 6

Where: Richie’s Diner | 40651 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd., Murrieta Date: 3rd Tuesday of Month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner • 6:30 pm Program Contact: Todd Caha • 760.533.5296 tcaha@baker-electric.com

Atlanta Ch. 14

Baltimore Ch. 21

Where: Cross Creek Café - 1221 Cross Creek Parkway, Atlanta Date: 3rd Thurs. of month Time: 12:00pm Lunch & Program Contact: LaTarsha Bailey • 404.609. 9006 • lbailey@palaciocollaborative.com or ccarroll@mkainc.com

Where: Varies Date: 2nd Thurs. of month Time: 5:30 pm Social • 6pm Dinner & Program Contact: Shana Carroll 410.458.0289 shana.m.carroll@gmail.com

Where: Doubletree Suites Phoenix Sky Harbor - 320 44th St., Phoenix Date: 2nd Tues. of the Month Time: 5:30pm Social Hour • 6:30pm Dinner • 7pm Meeting Contact: Paula Daly 602.296.1496 • pdaly@haydonbc.com

COLORADO Old Pueblo Ch. 53 2015 Info not submitted

ARKANSAS

Denver Ch. 5 Where: VQ Hotel at Mile High, 14th Floor - 1975 Mile High Stadium Circle, Denver Date: 2nd Tues of Month Sept. - May Time: 5pm Social • 6pm Dinner • 7pm Program Contact: Stacie Flynn • 720.570.5750 stacie@jordyconstruction.com

Arkansas Ch. 33 Where: American Pie Pizza Date: 3rd Fri. of Month Time: 12:00 Noon Contact: Chris Sublett, CPE • 501.666.4300 • csublett@cdicon.com

NW Arkansas #79 Where: Varies - www.aspechapter79.org Date: 3rd Fri. of month (Sept - June) Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm Contact: Thom Thibodeau • thomas.thibodeau@walmart.com

CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Ch. 1 2015 Info not submitted

Golden Gate Ch. 2 Where: AIA East Bay, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland, CA Date: Check with Chapter Contact below Time: Check with Chapter Contact Below Contact: Melissa Giordano • 510-735-6444 mgiordano@mticost.com or melissa.giordano@vanir.com

CONNECTICUT Nutmeg Ch. 60 2015 Info not submitted Yankee Ch. 15 Where: Varies Date: Non-Scheduled Contact: Bill Jacabacci, CPE • 203.257.3928 • jacabacci@gmail.com

DELAWARE Delaware Ch. 75 Where: Varies Date: 2nd Wednesday of month Time: 5:30 pm Social • 6pm Dinner • 7:00pm Program Contact: Rob Belfiore • 302.421.5700 rbelfiore@ediscompany.com

Where: Varies Date: 3rd Monday of Month Time: TBD Contact: James Moore • 408-279- 2277 jmoore@bothman.com

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Where: Varies each month Date: 3rd Thurs. of month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner 7pm Program Contact: Jeremy Adkins,CPE 314.462.9363 • jadkins@theadkins-group.net

Old Fort Ch. 65 Where: TBD - www.aspechapter65.org Date: TBD - see website Time: TBD - see website Contact: Chad David • 260.490.7449 cdavid@weigandconstruction.com

Quad Cities Ch. 71

Greater DC Ch. 23

Where: Granite City Food & Brewery 5270 Utica Ridge Road, Davenport, IA Date: 4th Tuesday of the Month (September May) Time: 5:00pm Social • 6:00pm Dinner • 7pm Program Contact: Dave Furness • 563.386.5151 dave.furness@treiberconstruction.com

FLORIDA

Silicon Valley Ch. 55

Central Indiana Ch. 59

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

San Diego Ch. 4

Where: Rancho Cordova City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 Date: 2nd Friday of every month (excluding June, July, August) Time: 11:30 - Lunch Provided Contact: Natalie Ghilain • 916.441.6870 • nghilain@ottoconstruction.com

Where: Brio Tuscan Grille - 330 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard Date: 3rd Thurs. of Month (excluding June, July, August and December) Time: 5:30 pm Social • 6:15 pm Dinner • 7pm Program Contact:Dave Westfall, CPE • 815.806.1705 dwestfall@aspen-group.com

IOWA

Orange County Ch. 3 2015 Info not submitted

Sacramento Ch. 11

Chicago Ch. 7

INDIANA

Where: Hill International, Inc. - 1225 Eye Street, NW, Suite 600 Date: 3rd Thursday of month Time: 6pm Program Contact: Keith Buchanan, CPE • 202. 408.3043 keithbuchanan@hillintl.com

Where: TBD Date: 3rd Tues. of Month Time: 5pm Social • 6pm Dinner • 7pm Program Contact: Michael Moyers, CPE 858.737.7316 michael.moyers@bestinteriors.net

ILLINOIS

Tampa Bay Ch. 48 Where: Brio-Tuscan, International Plaza, 2223 N. West Shore Blvd. Tampa Date: 3rd Thurs. every month Time: 5:45pm Social • 6:30pm Dinner • 7:15pm Program Contact: Steve Masucci • 941.587.5061 smasucci@manhattanconstruction.com

Gold Coast Ch. 49 2015 Info not submitted Orlando Ch. 50 Where: Cate Trastevere, 825 N Magnolia Ave., Orlando, FL 32803 Date: 3rd Tues. of month Time: 5:45pm Social • 6:15pm Dinner • 6:45 pm Program Contact: Danny Chadwick, CPE • 407.739.8912 • dkchadwick@bellsouth.net

MASSACHUSETTS Boston, Ch. 25 Where: Courtyard Marriot Cambridge, 77 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA Date: Third Wednesday of the Month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6:30pm Dinner • 7:00 Program Contact: Gail Cullatti • 617.394.6291 • gcullati@bondbrothers.com

MICHIGAN Detroit Ch. 17 Where: Varies Date: 2nd Thursday of each month Time: 5:30 PM Contact: Glenn Frank • glenn.frank@ymail.com

Western Michigan Ch. 70 Where: Grand Rapids BX - 4461 Cascade SE, Grand Rapids Date: 1st Thurs. of Month Time: 7am Contact: Brent Balkema • 616.881.6252 bbalkema@rockfordconstruction.com

MINNESOTA Viking Ch. 39 Where: Varies Date: 3rd Thurs. of month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner & Program Contact: Rich Schwarzinger • 763.287.5156 • rich.schwarzinger@mortenson.com

MISSISSIPPI Magnolia Ch. 81 2015 Info not submitted

Greater Des Moines Ch. 73 Where: TBD month-to-month Date: 3rd Thursday of month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner Contact: Lee Holatz • 515.229.5291 • leeh@hansencompany.com

LOUISIANA New Orleans Ch. 9 Where: VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 7th Avenue, Metairie, LA Date: 2nd Wednesday of Month Time: 5:30 Social; 6:30 Dinner / Program Contact: Christine Barnhill 504.915.0647 • billbar1@bellsouth.net

MAINE

MISSOURI St. Louis Metro Ch. 19 Where: TBD month-to-month Date: TBD Time: Varies - Check with Contact below Contact: Jerry Dorhauer, Sr. • 314.446.4719 • jdorhauer@schneiderelec.com

Heartland Ch. 32 Where: TBD month-to-month Date: Last Tuesday of the Month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner Contact: Kelly Jarman,CPE • 816.292.8671 • kelly.jarman@jedunn.com

Maine Ch. 37 Where: Embassy Suites Hotel -1050 Westbrook St., Portland Date: 1st Wed. in Oct., Dec, Feb, Apr & June Time: 6pm Social Hour • 6:30pm Dinner • 7:15pm Program Varies Contact: John Brockington, CPE • 207.774.2756 ext.3251 • jbrockington@woodardcurran.com

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Upcoming Chapter Meetings NEBRASKA

Southwestern OH Ch. 38

TEXAS

Great Plains Ch. 35

Where: Embassy Suites Hotel - 4654 Lake Forest Drive, Blue Ash, Ohio Date: 3rd Thurs. of month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner •7:00 pm Program Contact: Henry Frondorf, CPE • 513.861.8866 hfrondorf@hgcconstruction.com

Houston Ch. 18 2015 Info not submitted

Where: DJ’s Dugout, 636 N. 114th St., Omaha, NE Date: 2nd Weds of the month, occasionally different based on speaker availability Time: 11:30am Contact: Justin Monroe • 402.977.4530 justin.monroe@kiewit.com

OKLAHOMA NEVADA

Landrun–Oklahoma City Ch. 80

Reno Ch. 12 2015 Info not submitted

Where: Ingrid’s Kitchen Date: 1st Wed. Of each month Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm Contact: John Smartt, CPE • 405.254.1050 jsmartt@manhattanconstruction.com

Las Vegas Ch. 72 Where: Desert Pines Golf Course Date: 2nd Thurs. of each month Time: 5:50pm Social • 6pm Dinner & Program Contact: Neil DeMent • 775.745.8791 • neil@ndireno.com

NEW JERSEY Garden State Ch. 26 2015 Info not submitted

Roadrunner Ch. 47 Where: Fiesta’s - 4400 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque Date: 1st Wed of month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner • 6:30pm Program Contact: Glynnette Hale,CPE• 505.823.4449 ghaleyes@msn.com

NEW YORK

OREGON Columbia-Pacific Ch. 54 Where: University Place - 310 SW Lincoln St., Portland Date: 3rd Tues. of month (except Dec & Jan. January is join with CSI) Time: 5:30pm Social • 6:15 pm Dinner & Program Contact: Curt Kolar, CPE 503.962.8840 kolarc@trimet.org

Greater Lehigh Valley Ch. 41 Where: Notices will be emailed.

Date: TBD Time: TBD Contact: James G. Hanna, CPE 484.357.6466 • jgh@dhuy.com

Three Rivers Pittsburgh Ch. 44 2015 Info not submitted

New York City Ch. 10 Where: TBD Date: TBD Time: TBD Contact: Peter Wellstood • 914.665.0083 imagineering@verizon.net

Empire State Ch. 42 Where: Reel Seafood, Wolf Road, Albany, NY Date: Sept 16; Dec 9; March 24; June 16 - 2014 Time: 5:00 Social • 7:00 Dinner/Program Contact: James Madison, CPE• 914.755.8994 jmadison@arriscontracting.com

Philadelphia Ch. 61 Where: Double Tree Hotel - 640 W. Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting Date: 3rd Wed. of month Time: 5:30pm Social • 6:30pm Dinner/ Program (see website for topic and time) Contact: Nick Vermont • aspe61.Philadelphia@gmail.com

Central PA Ch. 76

Contact: Benjamin Nodine 585.720.5772 • ben.nodine@wegmans.com

Where: TBD Date: 2nd Wed. of Month Time: 6pm Social • 6:30pm Dinner & 7:00pm Program Contact: Daniel Dennis, CPE • 717.735.6010 dd@EGSConstruction.com

OHIO

TENNESSEE

Buckeye Ch. 27 2015 Info not submitted

Middle Tennessee Ch. 34

Western NY Ch. 77

Northeastern OH Ch. 28 2015 Info not submitted

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Where: Texo - Dallas AGC Office Date: 3rd Thurs. of each Month Time: 5:30 pm Social • 6:00pm Dinner 6:30 Program Contact: Chris Sonderby, CPE • 682.239.9657 cs6423@gmail.com • www.aspe-dfw.org

UTAH Salt Lake City Ch. 51

PENNSYLVANIA NEW MEXICO

Rio Grande Ch. 40 2015 Info not submitted Dallas/Fort Worth Ch. 43

Where: TBD Date: Third Thursday of Month Time: TBD Contact: Daniel Miller • 801.680.0647 dmiller@suresteel.com

All Chapter Meetings are on a monthly basis unless otherwise noted.

If you do not see a Chapter Meeting listing in your state/area call 615.316.9200.

Chapter Presidents should contact the SBO with any updates as needed.

VIRGINIA Richmond Ch. 82 Where: Baskervill Architects - 101 15th St., Richmond Date: 4th Weds. of Month in Spring & Fall Time: 5pm Social • 5:30pm Dinner •6:00pm Program Contact: Mike Gray • 804.371.7545 michael.gray@dgs.virginia.gov

WASHINGTON Puget Sound Ch. 45 Where: Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Deter Ave. N, Seattle, WA Date: 3rd Tues. of Month ( September - May, excluding December) Time: 5pm Social • 6pm Dinner • 7pm Program Contact: Mike Booth, CPE • 206.793.8504 electricbooth@msn.com

WISCONSIN Brew City Ch. 78 Where: Charcoal Grill - 15375 West Greenfield Ave., New Berlin Date: 2nd Tues. of Month (Sept - May) Time: 5:30pm Social • 6pm Dinner & Program Contact: Deanne Goodlaxson, CPE 608.838.2985 • dgoodlaxson@casgroupinc.com

Where: Kraft CPA - 555 Great Circle Road, Nashville Date: 1st Fri. of Jan, March, May, August & October Time: 11am Social • 11:30am Lunch • 12pm Program Contact: Ricky Sanford: 615.895.9000 ricky.sanford@rogersgroupinc.com

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Design Cost Data

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Viewpoint

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OnCenter

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ProEst

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SmartBidNet

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