Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lowering Construction Costs

Top Tips To Lower Construction Cost

The construction of a building not only demands great capacity and handiness in management, but also a magnitude of expenditure for the wide range of materials that are needed. Also, operating costs for labor are often underestimated by project managers, whether they are of the trained or self-taught variety. It is best if you complete an initial round of estimating before you complete a first sketch of your plans. By doing so you will have an approximate budget to aim for at an early stage. This will be your target against which you will try progressively for lower construction cost.

Here are some tips to guide you when estimating your building costs, with a view to keeping them low:
1.Use materials that are typical and have a high rate of supply because they are easier to get hold of. In addition, they cost less and can lessen inaccuracies in matching and avoid holdups and interruptions. You must also consider removing features that are not really necessary or are just plain expensive for you. Reducing the size and number of windows and avoiding vaulted ceilings can cost less.

2.If you want to conserve energy, go for a square or rectangular shape for your building. This is probably the most practical shape to use because it costs less energy for cooling and heating due to its lesser amount of wall surface open to the elements on its exterior. Furthermore, buildings with these shapes cost less to build because you don’t have to put in additional work and equipment for curved walls and so on. Remember that you can utilize your materials more efficiently with fewer angles and corners.

3.The roof is probably the supreme design highlight that is most drawn attention to but it need not be highly expensive. Compared to hip roofs, gable roofs are cheaper because they don’t require additional framing and minimize details. Besides employing your roof as protection from heat and cold, consider insulating your building to the utmost degree. This might cost a little more but will make the interior environment of the building more comfortable and will also save energy over time.

4.It may be a good idea to inquire from builders within the area you’ll be setting up the construction about the assortment of costs that you’ll have to pay because they can give you a ball-part figure on the approximate expenses according to the designs you wanted. Also, it is better to choose builders within that particular area because they are more familiar with the overheads and regulations there.

5.Choose a relatively standard size for the building and round this up to a percentage of two feet. The most cost-effective way is to use even numbers to reduce discarded resources. Not only does the building’s size affects its cost but also the lot in which you plan to construct it. When selecting the site, it’s better to use a leveled lot so you can avoid spending on filling soil or getting rid of trees.

Once you have an approximate idea of the expenditures that your project will entail, you will have a guide in modifying any adjustments you need for your budget. It is important to specify all the necessary details beforehand so that you won’t experience shortage and will also avoid too many changes to the designs and features. Its also a good idea to prepare an extra amount for unanticipated costs.

http://www.constructioncostguide.com/commercialconstructioncost.html

1 comment:

Estimate said...

Once you have an approximate idea of the expenditures that your project will entail, you will have a guide in modifying any adjustments you need for your budget.