Materials List Revisited

[Ed_Downunder]

Is it time to revisit the materials list?

The promo video promises much but fails to deliver. The second last video titled ‘Cost Estimating’ is a big feature if it delivered.

In my view it’s nearly there but needs a major rethink on how it calculates. For example under the Foundation heading the materials list reports concrete for the second floor. There are many examples of incongruous reporting. (My foundation is under the 1st floor. My first floor is a 100 mm concrete slab.)

To be workable it should report how we design and how we build. For an exercise build a small 2 story with double brick and cavity to see how it reports. It reports the inner wall as framing the outer wall as siding and the internal hard wall as wall board.

A more elegant solution would be a wall category. So in my view a materials list that reported the foundation, Floor, Wall, Ceiling, Roof as the structural elements and of course cabinet’s, electric, windows, doors etc.

Another incongruous observation is reporting the foundation. We pour the footing and then we pour the floor. The materials list reports the steel in the footing but not the concrete. It seems to add the footing to the slab. That is not a very good idea even if it was a single pour we need to know how much concrete and where it is going.

It’s true that the model has to be accurate if the right hinges are to be part of the cost estimating process. In our office before we get to accurate cost estimating we take our clients through the design process. This primarily is about the layout, home size roof design and other big ticket items. It’s this part of the promise I want to see working not struggling with a work around.

Like many we have abandoned this part of the program in search of an alternative. Our solution is to pay wages to staff doing this work. Post GFC we have to work smarter in our office to survive in a tough market. We need to turn our concepts into committed builds as quickly as possible; this is done with reasonably accurate estimating of the structural elements (walls, floor, roof etc.)Because this leads to a floor plan that fits the client’s budget.

The details: cabinets, tiling bathroom, kitchen and other elements are selected when we get past the concept stage and our client can exercise discretion over the quality of fittings.