Table of Contents

• PART I INTRODUCTION TO ESTIMATING
• Chapter 1 THE ART OF ESTIMATING
• Chapter 2 OVERVIEW OF THE ESTIMATING AND BIDDING PROCESS
• Chapter 3 INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL
• PART II THE QUANTITY TAKEOFF
• Chapter 4 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE QUANTITY TAKEOFF 
• Chapter 5 CONCRETE
• Chapter 6 MASONRY
• Chapter 7 METALS
• Chapter 8 WOODS, PLASTICS, AND COMPOSITES
• Chapter 9 THERMAL AND MOISTURE PROTECTION
• Chapter 10 OPENINGS
• Chapter 11 FINISHES
• Chapter 12   FIRE SUPPRESSION
• Chapter 13 PLUMBING
• Chapter 14 HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR-CONDITIONING (HVAC)
• Chapter 15 ELECTRICAL
• Chapter 16 EARTHWORK
• Chapter 17 EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS
• Chapter 18 UTILITIES
• PART III PUTTING COSTS TO THE ESTIMATE
• Chapter 19 MATERIAL PRICING
• Chapter 20 LABOR PRODUCTIVITY AND HOURS
• Chapter 21 LABOR RATES
• Chapter 22 EQUIPMENT COSTS
• Chapter 23 CREW RATES
• Chapter 24 SUBCONTRACT PRICING
• Chapter 25 MARKUPS
• Chapter 26 PRICING EXTENSIONS
• Chapter 27 AVOIDING ERRORS IN ESTIMATES
• PART IV FINALIZING THE BID
• Chapter 28 SUBMITTING THE BID
• Chapter 29 PROJECT BUYOUT
• Chapter 30 THE ESTIMATE AS THE BASIS OF THE SCHEDULE
• Chapter 31 ETHICS
• PART V ADVANCED ESTIMATING
• Chapter 32 CONVERTING EXISTING FORMS
• Chapter 33 CREATING NEW FORMS
• Chapter 34 Other Estimating methods
• Appendix A REVIEW OF ESTIMATING MATH
• Appendix B SAMPLE JOB COST CODES
• Appendix C SAMPLE LABOR PRODUCTIVITY RATES
• Appendix D SAMPLE EQUIPMENT COSTS
• Appendix E MODEL SCOPES OF WORK

About the Author

Steven J. Peterson is a professor of construction management at Weber State University, where he joined the faculty in 2000. Steven received an MBA and a BS in engineering from the University of Utah. He is a licensed professional engineer and a member of the Design-Build Institute of America.

Steve’s area of expertise is the business side of running a construction company and managing construction projects. He is the author of Pearson’s Pocket Guide to Construction Management (Pearson 2012) and two textbooks, Construction Accounting and Financial Management (Pearson 2013) and Construction Estimating Using Excel (Pearson 2017). He is the coauthor of a third textbook, Estimating in Building Construction (Pearson 2015).

In 2011, Steven was named Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 6 Outstanding Educator. This was one of three awards given from regions around the country. The award recognizes someone who contributes to construction education, excels in teaching, and is dedicated to the construction profession.

Before coming to Weber State, Steven spent 15 years working in the construction industry. He has worked on the design and construction of hazardous/radioactive waste landfills, numerous multi-family projects, and other commercial construction.