UK Estimating Support act as independent Mechanical and Electrical Cost Consultants providing advice for mechanical and electrical building services.
We can prepare cost plans, budgets, undertake value Engineering VE, and
prepare whole life cost plans.
After a project has been designed and tendered it’s often found to
be over budget. We can assist in the process through VE to bring the project
back to budget. The process will involve a detailed review of the scheme.
Following the review we will discuss with the designer what elements maybe
changed. We can also undertake life cycle cost plans and budgets. In our roll as Mechanical and Electrical Cost Consultants we can liaise
with all parties.
For improved result we can become part of the design team to produce estimates
for the M&E works as the design progresses. The estimate can be used to
influence changes which will help to prevent projects coming in over budgets
which inevitably lead to delays.
Budgets
As part of our roll as Mechanical and Electrical Cost Consultants we can prepare budgets for M&E schemes and provide outline specifications
to support the budgets. Data is taken form a variety of sources. SPONS 2010
mechanical and electrical price book, square metre rates, and historical costs
accumulated for previously estimated work. The rates are applied to gross
external square metres of the building.
They are intended to give an overall indication of the estimated price of
a work, but exclude specific contract or time risk elements. These can be
used to provide cost plans.
Cost plans
Cost plans are much more detailed than budgets and may involve discussions
with specialist Sub-Contractors to input market price data. The process will
also involve preparing approximate quantities. The quantities will be derived
from outline design principals. We will use BISRIA rules of thumb to assist
with this process. We may engage an external consultant to assist with the
design elements. The SEC software will be used to provide detailed reports.
The elemental cost heads will be broken down into central plant elements and
energy distribution systems. The cost plan can be used to model design decision
which will help in the value engineering process.
Value Engineering VE
Value engineering will involve an initial assessment of the intended use of
the building including occupant levels, hours of use, any critical operations
to the business, FM regimes, attitude to risk, life expectancy of the as built
environment.
After the initial appraisal we can asses major and minor items of capital
value and major and minor elements of maintenance costs and using pareto effect
we can hone in areas to consider and areas to dismiss.