2012 Construction Estimating Benchmark Survey

2012 Construction Estimating Benchmark Survey - By Software Advice

Thanks for participating in our survey. This should take you roughly 10 minutes to complete. Please be sure you are the only individual from your organization participating in our survey.

This survey is sponsored by:

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Q.1

What is your industry / trade? Choose one: *

Q.2

What type of projects do you work on? Check all that apply: *

Commercial
Government - Federal
Government - State
Industrial
Residential
Other:

Q.3

Including the owner, how many full-time and part-time people are employed by your company? *

1 to 5
6 to 10
11 to 20
21 to 25
26 to 50
51 to 100
101 to 250
251 to 500
500+

Q.4

How big is your company? Select your annual revenue: *

Less than $1 million
$1 million to $5 million
$5 million to $10 million
$10 million to $25 million
$25 million to $50 million
$50 million to $100 million
$100 million to $500 million
$500 million to $1 billion
Greater than $1 billion

Q.5

How are you currently estimating? *

Create estimates by hand (i.e. pen and paper)
Spreadsheets (e.g. Excel)
Estimating software
Custom or “homegrown” software
Outsourcing to an estimating service
Other:

Q.6

Does this current system meet your requirements? *

We are extremely pleased with our system
Our system meets our needs
Our system needs improvement
We lack an adequate system

Q.7

Please explain why or why not. *

Q.8

How satisfied are you with the following features in your estimating system? *

	Not at all	Somewhat	Satisfied	Very satisfied
Onscreen takeoff
Cost database
Proposal generator
Assembly management
3D takeoff
Report generator
Subcontractor / vendor quote comparison
Calculator and conversion tool
User interface (i.e. ease-of-use)
Conceptual estimates

Q.9

How satisfied are you with the services provided by your estimating software vendor?

	Not at all	Somewhat	Satisfied	Very satisfied
Training
Email and phone support
Implementation and deployment
Product enhancement updates
Version upgrades
User knowledgebase
User conference

Q.10

Below are common benefits of using estimating software. Rate each item. 1 means you don't agree or have not experienced this benefit; 4 means you highly agree or have experienced this benefit. *

	1	2	3	4
Faster estimate creation
More accurate estimates
Standardization of estimating process
Better collaboration while creating estimates
Improved project profitability
Able to bid on more jobs
Able to bid on larger projects
Fewer resources needed to create an estimate
More professional presentation of bids
Access to detailed bid history
Rapid creation of project budget

Q.11

Who prepares bids and estimates at your company? *

Owner
Project manager
Dedicated estimator
Other:

Q.12

Roughly, how many bids/estimates do you submit each month? Choose one: *

1 - 5
6 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 50
51 - 75
76 to 100
Over 100

Q.13

What is the average size of your bid? Choose one: *

Q.14

How long does it take you to turn around a bid on average? Choose one: *

Q.15

Roughly, what percent of projects do you win out of those you bid on (i.e. wins/bids). Choose one: *

Q.16

How often do you over estimate bids? *

Some of the time (0 to 33%)
Most of the time (34% to 66%)
Almost all the time (67% to 100%)

Q.17

How often do you under estimate bids? *

Some of the time (0 to 33%)
Most of the time (34% to 66%)
Almost all the time (67% to 100%)

Q.18

What are the most difficult costs to estimate? *

	Not Difficult	Somewhat Difficult	Difficult	Very Difficult
Materials
Labor
Equipment
Mark-up or Profit Margin
Financing Costs

Q.19

What is holding you back from bidding on more projects? Rate each item. 1 means "this never holds us back;" 4 means "this always holds us back." *

	1	2	3	4
We don't have enough staff to create estimates
We don't have adequate estimating systems
We don't have the resources to take on more projects (i.e. capital, equipment, etc)
There are not enough projects to bid on
We don't have the experience required for certain types of jobs
We have too many competitors

Q.20

Below is a list of common estimating errors. Assign a rating to each item. 1 means you don't have this problem; 4 means you experience this problem a lot. *

	1	2	3	4
Overlooking or omitting minor costs (e.g. scaffolding)
Overlooking transportation and haulage costs
Using the wrong wage rates for labor
Using incorrect units of measure
Using incorrect material and supply pricing
Failure to consider building codes and permits
Incorrect measurements taken from plans and specs
Failure to account for contingencies
Inaccurate overhead charges
Arithmetic errors
Failure to review subcontractor bids
Failure to account for future material price increases

Q.21

Below is a list of common estimating challenges. Rate each item. *

	Not a challenge	Somewhat challenging	Challenging	Very challenging
Creating accurate bids and estimates
Creating bids and estimates quickly
Ensuring project profitability
Automating and/or standardizing your estimating processes
Creating more professional looking proposals
Lacking estimating staff and/or experience
Maintaining organized and legible documents

Q.22

What are your top estimating priorities for 2012? *

	Not a priority	Low priority	Medium priority	High priority
Improve accuracy of bids and estimates
Improve speed of bids and estimates
Improve profitability of projects
Automate and standardize estimating process
Create more professional looking estimates/bids
Hire or train staff
Improve document management and quality

Q.23

Will you invest in new estimating systems (i.e. software and technology) in 2012? *

Yes
No
Unsure

Q.24

Optional: enter your email address if you would like a copy of our survey results.

(e.g. john@example.com)

Q.25

Please enter your question here.

(e.g. 1 201-234-5678)