ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
You’re spot on about the “unknowns”—they’re what keep me up at night during a project. Even with all the data and careful planning, there’s always something lurking behind the drywall or under the slab. I agree, RSMeans is solid for ballpark figures, but it’s definitely not tailored for folks without some construction background. I’ve tried to bridge the gap with custom spreadsheets and tracking every little change order, but it’s still a moving target.
Getting multiple local bids is probably the most practical advice, even if it’s time-consuming. I’d add that building in a healthy contingency (I usually recommend at least 10-15%) helps soften the blow when those surprises pop up. No tool or site can really predict how a particular site or market will behave, especially these days with supply chain hiccups and labor shortages. It’s a bit of a balancing act—data helps, but experience and flexibility matter just as much.
ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
Couldn’t agree more about the “unknowns”—they’re what make or break a budget, especially with custom or high-end builds. I’ve leaned on RSMeans too, but honestly, it’s only as good as the assumptions you feed it. For luxury projects, finishes and fixtures can swing costs wildly, and those databases rarely capture that nuance. I’ve had situations where a client falls in love with some imported tile halfway through... there goes the spreadsheet.
I do think local bids are essential, but sometimes even those can be all over the place depending on how busy subs are or if they’re just not interested in your project. I usually cross-check with BuildZoom or even Houzz for rough ranges, but take them with a grain of salt.
Contingency is non-negotiable—though lately I’m leaning closer to 20% just because of how unpredictable things have gotten. Anyone else notice that? Even with all the tech and data, nothing beats walking the site and talking to people who’ve built nearby. There’s always some curveball waiting behind a wall or under a slab...
ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
I totally get the pain of those “surprise” expenses. When we did our kitchen, I thought I had everything mapped out with spreadsheets and a couple of online calculators, but then my partner wanted a custom backsplash... and suddenly the numbers just didn’t add up anymore. I’ve found that even the best tools can’t predict taste changes or supply hiccups. Now, I always pad my budget more than feels comfortable—20% sounds about right these days. It’s not fun, but it’s saved me from panic more than once.
ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
Honestly, even after years in the biz, I still get blindsided by “little” changes—like someone suddenly needing heated floors. I use Buildertrend and RSMeans for ballparks, but nothing beats a fat contingency buffer. Spreadsheets are great until real life happens...
ESTIMATING BUILDING EXPENSES: WHAT TOOLS OR SITES DO YOU TRUST?
Those “just one more thing” requests are brutal. Heated floors, custom wine cellars, or someone suddenly wanting a steam shower—they always throw the numbers off. I’ve leaned on RSMeans too, but honestly, it’s only useful up to a point. The minute you’re talking about imported tile or specialty lighting, you’re back to calling vendors and hoping their quotes stick for more than a week.
I used to think spreadsheets were my safety net, but they don’t catch the curveballs—like when a client changes their mind mid-install. These days, I keep a running list of recent supplier invoices and use that as a gut check. Nothing fancy, just real-world prices from jobs I’ve finished in the last year or so. And yeah, I pad the contingency pretty hard now... learned that lesson the expensive way.
Honestly, no app or site has ever nailed it as well as just having a good memory for what things *actually* cost last time.
