Fundamentals of Construction Estimating

Accurate construction estimates begin with careful measurement—and continue through pricing, subcontractor review, overhead, and the final bid. David Pratt’s Fundamentals of Construction Estimating lays out that process in practical stages, giving learners a clear framework for understanding how building costs are assembled.

Follow the estimating process from takeoff to bid

The book starts with the purpose of an estimate and the work of preparing a bid, then explains quantity takeoffs and measurement. Its chapters apply those principles to sitework and excavation, concrete, masonry, carpentry, and other building items. This progression helps connect the question of what must be measured with the later question of how that work should be priced.

See how project costs are built up

Pratt covers pricing for labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and general project expenses. The discussion also addresses bid preparation and closing, budget estimates, elemental estimating, and life-cycle costing. Together, these subjects show how estimating reaches beyond quantities to consider the wider costs and decisions involved in a construction project.

Learn through two continuing examples

Worked estimates for a house and an office/warehouse project recur through the book, illustrating how estimating tasks fit together across different building contexts. Chapter objectives, summaries, review questions, and a glossary provide a useful structure for study and reference.

For students and working estimators

This construction estimating textbook is chiefly intended for people beginning to learn the discipline, including students and those newly responsible for estimating. Construction managers, supervisors, and practicing estimators may also consult it for its explanations of methods and estimating data.

The fourth edition includes expanded attention to basement excavation, unit-price development, subcontractor bid analysis, and spreadsheet use. For readers building a foundation in construction cost estimating, it offers a guided route from measurement to a complete bid.