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Estimating

 
Government Projects FAQ
by
Timothy R. Hughes
| June 2004
| under
  • Your Business

Examine the answers carefully Government contracting involves a litany of legal theories, damages issues and complex analytical problems.

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Marketing for Estimators
by
Eric David
| June 2004
| under
  • Your Business

Even behind-the-scenes employees can help the effort Many estimators think of marketing as something that is done by others in the company. However, electrical contracting is a changing industry, and these days estimators are part of the marketing team.

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Estimating the Cost of an Injury
by
Eric David
| May 2004
| under
  • Your Business

Hidden dangers lead to hidden costs Contractors don’t normally involve the estimating department in safety concerns except for those that affect the actual work of the estimator such as job site visits and the like.

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Insurance and the Estimate
by
Eric David
| April 2004
| under
  • Your Business

A costly item you cannot avoid In a past column, I pointed out the standard procedures and precautions regarding insurance expenses that will affect a final bid price.

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Profitable Installations
by
Wayne D. Moore
| March 2004
| under
  • Your Business

Estimation, training and planning put you in the black What helps make your electrical contracting business profitable? Is it your estimating prowess? Is it your ability to buy your project equipment at the best price and sell it at a good profit? Is it your ability to find and keep good people?

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Pre-Training Decisions
by
Eric David
| March 2004
| under
  • Your Business

What does it take to be an estimator? I am frequently asked what type of courses would help prepare someone to become an estimator.

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Looking for a Few Bright Individuals
by
Eric David
| February 2004
| under
  • Your Business

Many overloaded contractors have uttered something along these lines at one point or another: “I wish I could find someone that’s as smart as I think I am to share some of the load.” But if that load is to support the estimating needs of the company, maybe what they are really looking for is someone

READ MORE
 
Hard Copy to Hard Drive
by
Debbie McClung
| January 2004
| under
  • Your Business

“Twenty years ago, the industry’s estimating tools were pencil, paper and a calculator.

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Reverse This Trend
by
Eric David
| January 2004
| under
  • Your Business

As if contractors and estimators didn’t face sufficient obstacles to bid profitable projects and run a business that produces a healthy return on investment, a new wrinkle has been gaining steam.

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Reverse Auction Nightmare
by
Joe Salimando
| January 2004
| under
  • Your Business

Reverse auctions and construction shouldn’t mix. Almost everyone involved in the business agrees—with the exception of some large clients.

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Software: A Hard Decision
by
John Fulmer
| January 2004
| under
  • Your Business

Construction software has changed the way many contractors do their jobs. But the choices can be daunting and confusing to the first-time buyer, most of whom start out looking at estimating software. Some couple with digitizers (see sidebar), others are AutoCAD-based and one uses scanned drawings.

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Continuing the Search for Greener Pastures
by
Eric David
| December 2003
| under
  • Your Business

As was pointed out in last month’s column, when an electrical contractor expands to a new area of work such as school construction, a new set of parameters enters the estimating picture. Perusal of the specifications becomes a lesson in caution.

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Searching for Greener Pastures
by
Eric David
| November 2003
| under
  • Your Business

It’s certainly no secret that many areas of the country are seeing less viable work to bid, and yet more competition for the jobs that are going ahead.

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Professional Gloom
by
Eric David
| October 2003
| under
  • Your Business

June in Southern California means that the weather is usually cloudy most mornings; residents have come to call the period “June gloom.” This summer’s industry publications brought a different kind of gloom to estimators, no matter what the geography.

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Contractors and Computers
by
John Fulmer
| September 2003
| under
  • Your Business

In the late 1980s, when Accubid Systems president Giovanni Marcelli was developing his estimating software company, he bought an IBM computer with a 10-megabyte hard disk and 640 kilobytes of memory.

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Coming to Terms
by
Eric David
| September 2003
| under
  • Your Business

One factor in learning a new occupation or system is mastering the language being used, or at least the basic meanings of words. Word confusion affects every industry. Take the computer instruction to hit any key.

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Continuing Education for Estimators
by
Eric David
| August 2003
| under
  • Your Business

Summer is here, bringing plenty of distractions. Don’t get sidetracked, as this is the time to consider added training if you are an estimator. The hectic pace of change in our industry is virtually predictable.

READ MORE
 
CAD: Cutting Out the Clicks
by
Claire Swedberg
| August 2003
| under
  • Your Business

Growing numbers of electrical contractors are trying out new technology to increase their efficiency—some products with more success than others. But the CAD (computer-aided design) system has become a staple that contractors cannot ignore.

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Dirty Little Secrets
by
Eric David
| July 2003
| under
  • Your Business

Some of this column’s readers have sent comments and questions, and one of those prompts this month’s column regarding the earthwork on a project.

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Scheduling Considerations of the Estimate
by
Eric David
| June 2003
| under
  • Your Business

A good schedule saves time and money The site for a new, multibuilding high school project was on a hillside requiring massive grading and rock removal. The buildings were of wood and steel construction and housed six classrooms each.

READ MORE

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News and Announcements

IDEAL Gives Away First of Four SignalTEK II Cable Qualifiers
ESFI Encourages "Electrical Safety for All Ages" During 2013 National Electric Safety Month
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Leviton Receives $1 Million Funding to Install Electric Vehicle Charging Stations throughout New York
Bridgeport Found in Contempt in On-going Legal Battle With Arlington
Southwire Circuit Wire Management System Eliminates Wire Spool Hassles
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