National Construction Estimator 2026

By: Richard Pray

Current building costs for residential, commercial, and industrial construction

74th Annual Edition - Current building costs for residential, commercial, and industrial construction. Estimated prices for every common building material, the labor cost to install the material and a total "installed" cost. For those jobs where you can't rely on your past experience to estimate, rely on the prices in this national standard of construction costs to get you safely in the ballpark.

Provides manhours, recommended crew, and the labor cost for installation of every job and practically every type of material in construction. Provides clear descriptions on what is included in the job being estimated so you know exactly what the job and the prices for that job entail. Every cost is carefully described. It even provides suggested crew sizes, and equipment rates.

Costs include: pollution control costs for motor generator sets, costs of hydronic boilers, windstorm certified roof turbine fans, wind turbine generators, garage exhaust fans, hybrid central and heating and cooling, LEED certified boilers, and LEED certified hydronic hot water generators.

Labor & Material Costs, Manhours and City Cost Adjustments for All Residential, Commercial and Industrial Construction

Assemblies - Carpentry, Concrete, Electrical, Masonry, Plumbing, Roofing

Cabinets - Corner, Custom, Island, Metal, Utility, Wall, Wood

Carpentry - Assemblies, Framing, Glu-Iam Beams, Moulding, Paneling, Piecework Rates, Sheathing

Concrete - Beams, Finishing, Forming, Foundations, Pouring, Reinforcing, Slabs

Cooling - Air Handlers, Chillers, Condensers, Cooling Fans, Cooling Towers, Heat Pumps

Demolition - Asbestos, Building, Curbs, Flooring, Foundations, Framing, Roofing, Walkways

Doors - Closet, Colonial, Entrance, Fire, French, Glazed, Screen, Sliding

Electrical - Breakers, Conduit, Fixtures, Lighting, Panels, Switches, Wiring

Excavation - By Equipment Type and Hand, Backfilling, Clearing, Grading, Trenching

Finishes - Acoustical Ceilings, Lath and Plaster, Paint, Wallboard, Wallpaper

Flooring - Carpet, Composition, Masonry, Tile, Treads and Risers, Vinyl, Wood

Hardware - Door Closers, Framing Connectors, Locksets, Straps, Weatherstripping

Heating - Baseboard, Ducting, Fans, Furnaces, Heat Pumps, Hydronic, Radiant, Steam, Wall

Insulation - Fiberglass, Foil, Perlite, Polystyrene, Urethane, Vermiculite

Lumber - Cedar, Fir, Pine, Plywood, Posts, Redwood, Siding, Spruce, Trim

Masonry - Accessories, Assembl ies, Block, Brick, Flagstone, Marble, Pavers, Reinforcing

Metals - Decking, Joists, Pre-Engineered Buildings, Structural Steel, Trusses

Pipe - Cast Iron, Concrete, Corrugated Metal, Clay, Ductile Iron, PVC, Transite

Plumbing - Cleanouts, Drains, Fire Protection, Pumps, Rough-in, Sinks, Tubs, Water Closets

Roofing - Assemblies, Built-up, Corrugated, Elastomeric, Flashing, Shingles, Slate, Tile

Site Work - Clearing, Curb and Gutter, Fencing, Irrigation, Landscaping, Paving, Piping

Windows - Awning, Casement, Double Hung, Louvered Glass, Sliding, Skylights

Optional: Subscribe to National Estimator Cloud a Web app that makes it easy to compile and print estimates, bids and invoices for nearly any type of construction project. See details inside the front cover.

Contents: (from prior version)

How to Use This Book, 3-5
Abbreviations and Symbols, 6
Craft Codes and Crews, 7-9
Residential Division Labor Cost, 10
Adjusting Labor Costs, 11
Area Modification Factors, 12-15
Credits and Acknowledgments, 16
Residential Division, 17-321
Adhesives, 17
Basement doors, 23
Building permit fees, 29
Cabinets, kitchen, 30
Carpentry, rule of thumb, 32
Carpentry, assemblies, 34
Carpentry, piecework rates, 38
Carpentry, detailed breakdown, 40
Carpentry, finish work, 52
Carpentry, steel, 57
Ceilings, suspended, 81
Concrete work, 86
Decking, 99
Demolition, 101
Doors, jambs, frames, and trim, 106
Electrical work, subcontract, 128
Elevators and lifts, subcontract, 131
Excavation and backfill, 134
Fences ,141
Fire sprinkler systems, 149
Flooring, 152
Framing connectors, 159
Garage doors, 164
Glass, glazing, 165
Gutters and downspouts, 167
Gypsum drywall and accessories, 168
Hardware, 169
Heating and cooling, 172
Insulation, 176
Insurance and bonding, 180
Landscaping, 182
Lighting fixtures, 187
Log Home Construction, 190
Lumber and plywood, 192
Markup (Overhead and Profit), 218
Masonry, 219
Mouldings, 230
Paint removal, lead-based, 240
Paints, coatings, and supplies, 241
Paneling, 249
Paving, 251
Plastering, 252
Plumbing fixtures and equipment, 252
Plumbing and heating piping, 258
Roofing, 269
Sheet metal, 280
Siding, 287
Skylights, 292
Stairs, 296
Taxes, 300
Tile, 302
Wallcoverings, 308
Windows, 312
Construction Economics Division, 322
Industrial & Commercial Division Labor Cost, 322
Industrial and Commercial Division, 322
01 General Requirements, 326-347
02 Existing Conditions, 348-354
03 Concrete, 354-388
Concrete formwork, 355
Reinforcing steel, 362
Foundations, 383
04 Masonry, 388-400
Reinforcing and flashing, 389
Brick and block walls, 390
05 Metals, 400-407
Structural steel, 400
Steel floor and roof decking, 402
06 Wood and Composites, 407-415
Framing carpentry, 407
07 Thermal & Moisture Protection, 415-430
Thermal insulation, 416
Roof insulation, 417
Membrane roofing, 420
08 Openings, 430-440
Metal doors, 430
Hardware, 436
09 Finishes, 440-456
Gypsum wallboard, 440
Ceilings and flooring, 446
10 Specialties, 457-466
Partitions, 459
11 Equipment, 466-484
12 Furnishings, 484-488
13 Special Construction, 488-495
14 Conveying Equipment, 495-498
21 Fire Suppression, 498-500
22 Plumbing, 500-538
Pipe and fittings, 500
Hangers and supports, 520
Valves, pumps, gauges, 522
23 HVAC, 538-544
Gas fired heaters, 538
Hydronic & steam heating, 540
26 Electrical, 545-592
Rigid steel conduit and wire, 546
EMT conduit and wire, 548
PVC conduit and wire, 554
Conduit hangers & supports, 558
Wire and cable, 561
Lighting, 586
27 Communications, 592-598
31 Earthwork, 598-612
Excavation and backfill, 600
Shoring, bulkheads, piles, 608
32 Exterior Improvements, 612-629
Paving and curbs, 612
Fencing and gates, 620
33 Utilities, 629-642
Pressure water pipe, 629
Drain pipe, 633
Index, 643

Softcover
672 pages
8-1/2 x 11 in.