Prior to commencing if we are to represent ourselves or route all mechanical
and electrical queries, a copy of your mechanical and electrical discounts
the client want us to use, overhead and profit to apply to the prime costs,
this produces the selling mechanical and electrical schedule of rates.
After receiving the tender drawings and specification we convert them to
PDF (portable file documents).
Our M&E Estimating System has three advantages for our clients.
They will have a secured stored version of the tender drawing on the
DVD we return back to the client. So even if the original drawings become
lost or damaged the tender drawings can always be printed off.
Drawings can be sent out to the supply chain without any copying costs
being incurred.
There is no cost in supplying all drawings to the supply chain.
We review the M&E Estimating documents supplied by
the M&E contractor and raise any request for information. We liase on
the clients behalf with the mechanical and electrical consultant. Where the
estimate needs mechanical or electrical design input to create the M&E
estimate we would appoint an ACE registered M&E consultant to design electrical
or mechanical elements of the estimate. A fee is agreed with the ACE consultant
and agreed with the M&E contractor before appointing them to design the
M&E services.
We lift off the mechanical and electrical quantities from the tender drawings
onto our take off sheets ESS4, this lists the item usually as a symbol and
the M&E drawing reference.
We email out enquires to mechanical or electrical specified suppliers and
sub-contractors, along with the M&E contractors terms and conditions health
and safety documents, bills of quantities, schedule of rates, method statements,
main planners programme. All with the mechanical and electrical drawings and
specification pages relevant to the sub-contractor to allow them to prepare
and estimate for the mechanical or electrical services. We also send our ESS6
which is our letter of appointment on the clients letterhead informing the
supply chain that UK estimating support are undertaking the M&E estimate
on behalf of the electrical or mechanical contractor.
After quotes are received back the quote is evaluated for compliance with
the M&E drawings and specification. The quotation is converted to PDF
and stored in the quotation section of the electronic folder.
On a progressive basis we will prepare the mechanical or electrical estimate
on the estimate software. The software we use is SEC
and allows the electrical and mechanical discounts to be uploaded and applied
to the estimate. The M&E database has over 500,000 items which are updated
weekly, by SEC subscription process.
Finally the estimate is modelled to accommodate the contractors labour rates.
Although we use £15 per our, the M&E contractor usually calculates
prime cost of labour using the HVAC or ECA published labour rates which are
based on the JIB agreed rates, these are increased annually. We uplift the
whole prime cost by 15% onto the discounted material costs and net sub-contractor
costs. The M&E contractor may calculate a preliminary uplift to apply
to the prime cost.
Whilst preparing the estimate we will look for value engineering (VE) opportunities
and schedule these for consideration by the M&E contractor. The M&E
contractor may then choose to use or hold back to a relevant stage of the
tender negotiation process.
After completeing the estimate will email the print outs on word document
to the client along with all quotes and post a DVD containing the estimate
drawings, take off sheets, schedule of rates, RFI, document register, model
tender letter.
The model tender letter will include technical and commercial clarification
for the M&E contractor to use. this is on a word document for editing
by the client.