How to Estimate Building Materials for Home Construction
How to Estimate Building Materials for Home Construction?
Building a home is a life-long goal for many people. They all want to see their dream home come to life in the way they always imagined. It is possible to achieve that if the building material estimates are accurate. Estimating building materials is a step that is the foundation of the construction; without that, the project is incomplete.
We all know that whether it is a builder, contractor, or a homeowner who is building a home, having a material estimate is crucial. Still, the question remains on how to estimate building materials for home construction. Read this short but detailed article to understand how to ensure you have the correct cost of building materials for home construction.
Understanding the Steps for a Successful Building Estimate
The following steps will help in estimating accurate building materials.
1. The Scope of the Project
Every home construction should start with understanding its scope. Review the specifications, foundation, framing, roof structure, design, dimensions, and layout. Once you comprehend how your project will be constructed and its specifications, the entire process of calculation materials will begin smoothly.
2. Creating Sections for the Materials
In a home construction project, there are many materials, which include foundation, flooring, interior and exterior painting, plumbing, walls, roofing, doors, windows, driveway, garage, and many more. Creating sections for each material makes the estimation more manageable and reduces the place for mistakes.
3. Use the Correct Formulas
The materials are calculated by using their formulas. Here are a few examples of materials and their formulas.
- Concrete Formula: The formula for any kind of concrete construction is length x width x height.
- Brickwork Formula: To calculate brickwork, the volume of the wall will be divided by the volume of one brick.
- Tile Flooring Estimation: The formula to estimate tile flooring is the floor area divided by the tile area. For example, if the floor area is 100 and the tile area is 4, the calculation will be 100/4 to find the total tiles required.
- Lumber Estimation: Lumber can be estimated by multiplying the thickness, width, and length and dividing it by 12. (thickness x width x length/12)
- Drywall Estimation: For a 4x8 sheet of drywall the formula is total area divided by 32 (2000/32). For a 4x12 sheet of drywall, the formula is total area divided by 48 (2000/48).
4. The Waste Factors
The biggest mistake committed by a builder, contractor, or homeowner is the exclusion of waste factors in the total estimation. There is no home construction where materials are not wasted due to slippage, damage, or other circumstances causing a significant material loss. Therefore, it is essential to always order materials with a slightly higher percentage than what the actual calculations indicate. How much extra percentage needs to be added depends on the material. To make it simpler, here are two examples- add a 5% extra estimation in the concrete calculation, or if it concerns flooring, add a 10% extra estimation.
5. Estimation Solution
Once all the information about the scope, quantity, and waste has been gathered, the usage of software assists in adding them all and generating a detailed cost estimation statement. Bluebeam Revu, Planswift, and CoConstruct are a few software for calculations. Another tool- AutoCAD- is used to examine the designs and dimensions of the project.
Three Ways to Improve Estimation
There are three methods that you can use to improve home building material estimation: the unit price method, the rule of two, and the square foot method. These help in quick calculations and ensure no mistakes are made, making the construction organized.
- In unit pricing, there are three units: square foot, cubic yard, and meter. For an accurate calculation, estimate the home building materials based on the based on per-unit.
- In the rule of two method, we order double the quantity. The reason for that is the same as mentioned above- to make for the wasted materials. However, it is always better to order a barely higher quantity- sufficient to cover the wasted materials so there are no undue portions left.
- The square-foot method is the least stressful way to find estimates. To get precise expense cost calculations, multiply the total square footage by an average cost per square foot.
Do Your Research
Now that you know what to include in the estimations and how to estimate building materials for home construction, the other thing to keep in mind is to never overlook the material research. Surprises always cause the whole plan of the project to not go as planned. Push back surprises and unexpected costs by doing in-depth research on the market.
Research tells you more about the current markets, which makes the estimations more accurate. It helps you compare material prices, such as wood, concrete, lumber, etc. and helps order the highest-quality resources. By researching, you have a comparison of different materials from various manufacturers, helping you make the most cost-effective decisions. When the decisions are made right, the budget is precise, and the entire construction is built within the budget with no extra cost spent or an underestimate of orders.
What Materials are Needed for Building a Home?
- Concrete, cement, sand, gravel, bricks, steel, stone, and aggregates for foundation.
- When a roof is being constructed- roof beams, concrete slabs, roofing sheets, insulation, and waterproof sheets are the materials required.
- The materials for the project's electrical stage are wires, cables, switches and sockets, circuit boards, lights, and conduits.
- Insulation has various materials: moisture barriers, roof coating, and insulation panels.
- Plumbing is part of the construction and includes PVC pipe, cast iron, brass, copper, taps, sinks, drainage systems, and fixtures.
Estimation of building materials for home construction is done with ease than expected. By following the steps for estimation, ways to improve calculation, and doing in-depth research every estimation made is accurate. Have the home construction in your control now that you are aware of how to generate accurate estimates of building materials for your dream home.
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