Electrical & Construction Estimating Books, Costbooks,
Take-Off Tools and Software

- a must-have for construction company owners, CEOs, project managers, and supervisors

Agile Construction for the Electrical Contractor provides the tools and guidance needed to transform a traditional, reactive project management style to a new, proactive, profitable, and productive business management model - one that can quickly respond to changing industry needs and remain a profitable enterprise, even during the toughest of times.

In this groundbreaking new book, Dr. Daneshgari applies proven managerial techniques from other industries to electrical construction through the introduction of Agile construction - a new scientifically-based tracking system based on jobsite dynamics and the bottom-line impact of the three sources of cost drivers: money, materials, and manpower. - more

Architects Contractors Engineers Guide to Construction Costs 2012

Since 1969, architects, contractors and engineers alike have looked to the ACE Guide to Construction Costs as a practical resource for all their construction needs.

Whether the job is for general construction, remodeling, building maintenance, or repair, the ACE Guide to Construction Costs provides the most accurate and up-to-date data for material and installation costs, labor and equipment rates, and even adjusted allowances for overhead and profit.

The Guide also features square foot costs for a wide variety of building types, "quick estimating" pages that make preliminary estimates a breeze, plus regional cost modifiers for over 280 metro areas throughout the country.

What's more, the 2012 Edition features a companion online tool that let's you instantly recalculate every cost item in the book based on your own labor rates! The output is a customized version of the entire book in pdf format. - more

Includes Free PDF version of this book that you can customize! - more

Construction Estimating is a comprehensive introduction to estimating practices used in the construction industry.

This textbook contains 15 chapters covering estimating practices and methods and features content applicable to ledger sheet, electronic spreadsheet, and estimating software use.

The Sage Timberline Office Estimating Products CD-ROM provided with the textbook includes a demonstration release of the Sage Timberline Office estimating Extended Edition. - more

STOP PROFIT-ROBBING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT DISPUTES BEFORE THEY START

With this expanded new edition of Contractor's Guide to Change Orders in hand, contractors working on projects of any size - from remodeling jobs to skyscrapers - will have all the ammunition needed to:

Keep hidden construction delays and expenses from draining profit. (Only a fraction of chargeable amounts are ever identified by the owner or architects involved.)

Identify trouble spots in the contract, plans, specifications and site that are likely to result in added costs or delays.

Find, document and negotiate payment for every added delay and expense that slips past your "early warning system."

Negotiate and resolve change order disputes at every level so you are always a step ahead. - more

The most comprehensive contractor’s forms and letters reference available comes with a CD-ROM that allows users to easily and effectively manage every area of their contracting business!

This extraordinary CD resource contains a user-friendly interface in which all of the forms and letters are easy to find and utilize in both Microsoft Word and Excel formats.

Together, the book and CD provide over 150 of the most useful forms and letters available on topics such as general company and staff communications, customer correspondence, accounting notices, and more

The Reference Guide for Professional Electrical Estimating

The DEWALT Electrical Estimating Professional Reference Second Edition is a practical guide for electricians to successfully estimate and bid jobs anywhere.

Based on real-life experience from the angle of a professional electrical estimator, this detailed book covers every step of the process from pre-bid to the contract being awarded, and everything in between.

This reference guide is the perfect tool for professional building and technical trade contractors, service technicians, maintenance personnel, plant managers, engineers, designers, and architects.  - more

DM S50L measures interior room dimensions up to 50 feet (15 m) and includes Zircon’s exclusive laser targeting to ensure accuracy.

Point the laser to the far wall, click the READ button, and the distance appears on the easy-to-read LCD screen in feet and inches or metric units.

DM S50L automatically measures length and calculates area, volume, and double segments. Easy-to-follow, on-screen graphics prompt users through functions for length, area, and volume measurements.

Laser targeting pattern shows the area of the cone-shaped sonic beam for more accurate measurement positioning. - more

40+ Essential Forms at your Fingertips!

• Accounting Forms
• Business Forms
• Contract Forms
• Estimating Forms
• Field Forms

With 2 copies of each form, you'll have all you need to efficiently run your Electrical business. - more

The Electrical Contractors' Business Forms CD-ROM is loaded with essential forms created just for the electrical industry.

These forms will help ensure that your business transactions always look professional and organized.

Available in both Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word format, you can fully customize each of the over 40 forms for quick and polished documents every time. - more info

DigiRoller Plus II
 

LE-CI6425 $169.95  $139.95

DigiRoller Plus II -
Digital Distance Measuring Wheel

Easy, One-Person Operation -
Take Fast, Digital On-Site Measurements!

Get fast, accurate measurements for all your on-site linear, area and volume estimates. Built-in functions automatically calculate and store square footage, cubic volumes and more for up to 9 different areas. Works and converts in all U.S. and Metric units.
Weighs just 3 lbs. and includes new kickstand. - more

Developed as a handy, easy-to-use resource for electrical estimators, contractors, electricians, and apprentices, the Electrical Field Reference Handbook is the ultimate desk and field reference.

Now updated to the National Electrical Code® 2008, it covers the most frequently used on-the-job information, such as: standard symbols for blueprints, drawings, and instrumentation, key formulas and calculations, common NEC® 2008 tables, motor and transformer calculations, and more.

A section devoted to first aid and OSHA safety standards demonstrates the book's commitment not only to accuracy and currency, but also to safety.  more.

Here is all the information you need for estimating and bidding construction and home improvement projects.

Guaranteed to improve your estimating skill and bidding results: What to look for in the plans. How to scope out the last 5% of job costs. Immunize yourself against common estimating mistakes.

Explains what you need for a career as a construction estimator, how to construct a take-off from the plans, how to check the details of an estimate, prepare a schedule, deal with subs, and calculate project overhead and profit.

Includes the National Estimator stand-alone estimating program with a 50,000 item database for residential, commercial, and home improvement work. - more

Like taking a class in how to estimate materials and labor for residential and commercial electrical construction. A complete estimate for a commercial building is included, starting with the scope ofwork, the materials and equipment to use, installation requirements and a complete set of plans for the elestrical system. - more

Create your own Customized Estimating Program!

Most builders estimate with Excel because it's easy to learn, quick to use, and can be customized to your style of estimating. Here you'll find step-by-step how to create your own customized automated spreadsheet estimating program for use with Excel 2007.

You'll learn how to use the magic of Excel in creating detail sheets, cost breakdown summaries, and linking. You'll put this all to use in estimating concrete, rebar, permit fees, and roofing. You can even create your own macros.

Includes a CD-ROM that illustrates examples in the book and provides you with templates you can use to set up your own estimating system. - more

Current Labor and Material Cost Estimates for Residential, Commercial and Industrial Work

True Laser Measuring – Easy to Use, Fast and Precise

Measures to 100-feet with accuracy of 1/8-Inch or better over the entire range

The PREXISO X2 is a one-person laser measuring tool for distances, areas and volumes. It is easier and faster to use than a tape measure, and more accurate than ultrasonic measures.

Quick, accurate measurements will help you make accurate material estimates, which will save you time and money. - more

From operations turnover and document review to critical path analysis and the final project schedule, this complete guide to the management of residential integration projects breaks the planning down to eight basic steps.

Comprehensive coverage features detailed job descriptions for each member of the team, from project manager and lead installer to basic installer and technician.

Readers will learn how to define and estimate a project, develop a scope plan, write a scope statement, store project documents, and more as they develop a solid foundation for understanding project management in the context of the residential integration industry. - more

Filled with case studies and illustrations, this state-of-the-art design tool covers new solar technologies…design implementation techniques…energy conservation…the economics of solar power systems…passive solar heating power…and more

An invaluable "how to" reference manual on the practice of estimating construction projects - NEW LEED & BIM Estimating Sections

The American Society of Professional Estimators' new Eighth Edition of Standard Estimating Practice is an invaluable "how to" reference manual on the practice of estimating construction projects. It includes basic information applicable to all aspects of estimating and also includes specific information on a wide variety of specialty estimates arranged in the CSI format.

Standard Estimating Practice presents a standard set of practices and procedures proven to create consistant estimates. From the order of magnitude, to conceptual design, design development, construction documents, to the bid and the various types of contracts you'll run up against. Every step is covered in detail -- from specs and plan review to what to expect on bidding day. - more

Sweets Electrical Cost Guide 2012 -

McGraw-Hill Construction Sweets Electrical Cost Guide 2012 from BNi Building News and McGraw-Hill Construction gives you more value and better data than any similar guide available. Flip through the book for the industry's most precise, most thoroughly researched electrical construction costs. Your estimates, bids, specifications, and cost checks will come in in right on target with this annually updated guide.

2012 Sweets Electrical Cost Guide provides contractors, architects, engineers, and all other building professionals the highest available level of precision in predicting unit costs for:

Sitework - Electrical Materials and Methods - Wiring - Power - Low-Voltage Distribution - Lighting - Alarm and Security Systems - Communications - Sound and Video - Special Construction - Conveying Systems - Local Multipliers - And more

Scale Master Pro

NEW, Improved Affordable Plan Measuring Tool!

Scale Master Pro XE
w/ PC Interface Kit
 

LE-CI6335 $149.95 $129.95

The included PC Interface cable lets you transfer rolled values from the Scale Master® Pro XE directly into commonly used spreadsheets or estimating programs, saving countless keystrokes, saving time and reducing the potential for costly transcribing errors.

For: Contractors, Estimators, Engineers, Landscapers, Pipeline Builders, Excavators, Concrete Contractors, Electrical Contractors, Plumbers, HVAC, Fencing Specialists, Telecommunications, Cable System Contractors, Pavers or anyone needing fast, accurate takeoffs from plans or blueprints.  - more

Scale Master Pro XE
 

LE-CI6135 $99.95  $89.95

Portable, Digital Take-Off Tool With 91 Built-in Scales & PC Interface - For Construction Estimators, Contractors or Anyone Who Works with Blueprints.

The recently updated Scale Master® Pro XE makes it easy to do Linear, Area and Volume takeoffs with speed, accuracy and confidence when estimating, bidding or planning.  - more

Just select the built-in scale factor to match the plan and roll the PlanWheel XLU2. The measurement is displayed instantly. PlanWheel XLU2 can be used Stand-Alone, or with your computer using XLU2 Interface kit (sold separately). - more

The industry standard take-off tool for entering linear measurements from your blueprints, maps, or plans into any Windows program. Just roll the scaler wheel along your print, then click to instantly transfer the measurement into your program. Scale-Link USB  includes the scaler wheel, connecting cable and transfer software. - more

The "First-Ever" Wireless Plan Wheel!  Scale-Link Wireless PlanWheel lets you scale dimensions into your PC up to 25 feet away!  
111 of the most common Architectural, Engineering, Map and Metric scale-factors built in. - Thousands of available user-defined scale-factors - Calculate auto-scale factors from reduced, enlarged or odd-scale drawings - Create any custom scale-factors for reduced, enlarged or unknown scale prints - Create, store and retrieve 2 user-defined scale factors... - more

Ultra Scale Master Pro -

NEW! - Affordable Area Takeoff Tool and Digitizer System

Great for residential and light construction contractors:

• Measure and calculate areas, lengths and volumes for all types of polygons
• Fast and easy-to-use
• Affordable, portable and powerful
• Works with or without a PC - more

Take full advantage of your Ultra Scale Master® Pro digitizing capabilities by using Smart Takeoff!™- an affordable and simple-to-use graphic digitizing program that provides two- and three-dimensional perspective graphic display of digitized images.

When combined with the speed and accuracy of the Ultra Scale Master® Pro digitizing tool, this system is invaluable as part of any construction cost estimating system. - more