Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum 1 Apr 10, 2011 12:47 pm Ive been looking for a a cost estimating service to do the quantity take off of my home. I have the plans and building spec but lots of the sample estimates I see on estimating websites I dont really think I will be able to make sense of them enough to order the materials. Can someone point me in the direction of someone they have used who was abit more owner builder friendly as it were. I have only been able to find one service so far that says they are "owner builder specialist" but as luck would have it they dont have sample estimates online to download. Has anyone used http://www.restimating.com. Also is this type of thing a case of you only get value for money if you pay a good amount. I have seen massive price differences from one compared to the other, im after a good price but want something that is everything i need. Cheers Nick Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 3Apr 22, 2011 8:00 pm Hi NickS Yes they do and yes this company is one of them I used them on my last project. This is my second owner builder project and i stumbled across the same problem you are having on my first project. I ended up annoying the guys i got the estimate off asking them to explain things to me lol. This time however it was clear and the service was professional. And being an owner builder we all like that phrase "value for money". Hope that was helpful. Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 4Apr 24, 2011 12:35 am We used west coast estimating in perth Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 5Apr 24, 2011 3:33 pm dont assume because quotes are higher that your getting better quality or workmanship in the same token dont assume because quotes are cheaper that your getting an inferior job sometimes tradies quote high on a job because they are too busy to do the job but if your going to pay their inflated fee then they will slot you in. stay safe happy building Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 6Apr 25, 2011 1:11 pm Cheers Guys thanks for the feedback, has anyone used a difference cost estimating service in Brisbane by any chance. I couldn't find many at all. These guys look like more or less it. ???? Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 7May 02, 2011 5:45 pm though i would update.... I have since used the guys at restimating.com and i got what i was after. They ended up beating my quote from phd estiamting by 10% which meant i could buy myself a case Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 8May 13, 2011 6:48 pm Mum always told me you should share gold if you find it. They now include free project assistance to each customer by way of an online email/chat thingy now. Worth a look me thinks. Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 9May 25, 2011 1:22 pm Cheers Nick, Used their services on your recommendation and glad i did... took them up on the two stage owner builder estimating thingo. Turned out I was pretty well designing something i couldnt afford in my mind. Bit of a blow but rather that then a blow to the bank account. Cheers again. Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 10May 25, 2011 9:58 pm Nik, Going to an estimator might not be the very accurate and could be costly. if you're plan is drafted already and you have a soil test and engineering done then i would suggest you send out and get actual quotes. I would suggest that you at least a couple of quotes for each trade and materials. See a plumber,Concreter for slab, carpentar, timber yard (you may need a carpentar to create a timber list for you which they charge for around $300 - $400)., plumber, select bricks, windows quotes, roof, flooring scaffolding etc. You then will have a rough idea of what the house will cost you. Have you submitted you're plans on the forum. I could have a look and might be able to give you some ideas on pricing. I am owner building my first house at the moment so I am in tune with pricing in Melbourne Vic. Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 11May 29, 2011 8:31 pm Hey BigO I got the estimate for a few reasons but you are right in that I'm at the stage where I could get quotes. But I have herd a lot about owner builders ordering the wrong amounts for some core materials and as a result the project has to stop (which costs money) until you get things sorted. I like to think I'm pretty bright but it stands to reason someone who does it for a living can do a better job than me and faster. Biggest reason though was my lender urged me to get one. He said having it saved me several thousand on my loan. they like to see you have done a lot of planning and a Bill of Quantities and an estimate for all the work helps massively convincing them of this, more so than chicken scratch on paper and costs based on m2 rates. So in the end I looked at it as costing me nothing but actually saving me money. That being said I don't expect the build to come out that close to the amount on the estimate but I did it more for the BOQ so I had everything in front of me. plus I get project assistance which to me seems like a bloody sweet deal. Most trades I am looking to now also have found it helpful and I suspect its saving me money there too. As you said my builder who is going to do the joinery work for me could create a timber list for 400 of so, but I got a whole BOQ and estimate for just $650. I was also finding a lot of trades and suppliers were a little frustrated with dealing with owner builders from past experience they have had. We know our stuff to a point but let's be honest were not pros. I think some trades and suppliers charge more if they feel you're going to need a bit of servicing as a customer. But having the BOQ handy makes it easier for me to tender certain trades and supplies quicker and like I said I suspect cheaper. I did do some shopping around as well but I found there is a massive difference between a Surveyor and an Estimator. From what I can gather Surveyors do the bigger stuff like apartment blocks and town house developments. And if you want them to do a house they will charge you triple what an estimator will who deals in homes. Something to do with the bare minimum they work for I suspect. Re: Owner Builder Friendly Estimator, do they exist? 12Jun 24, 2011 2:05 pm Seeming as this post is getting a bit of a looky loo i thought i would update it. So far all the measurements have come out the same as what my suppliers are taking off the plans and quoting me on. price is a little off but they told me to expect that (im not the best negotiator). They all seem surprised which makes me think occasionally some get it wrong. The MVH model is coming in handy too. Its a god sent when dealing with tradies and trying to explain what i mean. I can understand plans to a degree but having the two side by side is making my life easier and getting my head around it. Had to change my cladding from brick veneer to primeline and they measured this for me at no cost which was great too. After some ideas on making our patio kid friendly . Currently we have exposed aggregate. The patio faces west and is always in sun even though it has a shade directly… 0 3521 Hi VK, I am now retired however I have stood beside over 300 owner builders in the past 18 years that have successfully built their own homes. First of all a building… 10 22569 |