6 - CE Flashcards
for the programming phase, what are 3 ways cost estimates can be performed?
- unit cost, such as per hospital bed, per theater seat
- historical data based on similar type of projects perviously completed
- cost per sq.ft.
what cost estimating method is used during the SD phase?
preliminary, rough; based on major elements, such as structural system, MEP systems
what cost estimating method is used during the DD phase?
detailed pricing based on the actual components being considered, including windows, curtain walls, finishes, & equipment
what cost estimating method is used during the CD phase?
complete & final pricing based on direct quotes from suppliers, installers, sub-contractors, & manufacturers
can only be done once nearly everything in the building has been specified, a great deal of effort
final check before construction begins, allows for revision to design as needed to meet budget
what factors can have an effect on cost estimates?
- availability of labor & material, labor rates, material prices, resources to produce material, convenience of transportation, location (more remote = more costly), less predictable costs in rural areas
- high interest rates = less housing construction = lower material prices
- increased cost of living = increased union wages & higher labor costs
what is the typical profit margin factored into the construction cost estimate?
15-20% for small projects
10-15% for med-large
5-10% for very large
what are the typical fees of the MEP consultants?
as a % of construction cost: mechanical = 15% electrical = 12.5% civil = 10.5% structural = 9.4%
cost estimating with parameter costs can be adapted to a city by using _____ or adding an inflation factor
ENR 20 Cities Building Cost Index
what is a pro-forma, who does it, and during what phase of a project is it typically done?
financial analysis of the building project showing costs & ROI
typically done by client at beginning of project to determine if project will be profitable
what is general obligation bond?
a municipal bond that is issued when a state or local government wants to raise money for a project
shareholders are guaranteed to be repaid using future tax revenues
what is a revenue bond?
a type of municipal bond
shareholders are promised payment form the revenue collection of the projects (e.g. tolls from a new bridge)
interest rates are higher than general obligation bonds
describe the 5 phases many firms use to help in cost estimating
pre-planning/proposal phase: unit cost coming from occupancy of building
programming: function of spaces & unit costs come from similar buildings
SD: begin to determine major elements & systems in buildings
DD: more defined materials
CD: finishes in place, should reflect pre-bid cost breakdown
define depreciation
federal tax benefit given for the decrease in the value of assets over time
with regard to project budget, how are quantity & quality related?
a change in one will result in a change in the other
what 4 conditions are out of the architect’s control when it comes to cost estimates?
- market conditions
- inflation & cost of goods & services
- contractor means & methods of construction
- unknown site conditions
what is the project development budget?
the budget for the entire project, including but not limited to site acquisitions, construction costs, professional service fees, permit & inspection costs, financing costs, & contingencies
name 7 steps in the project development budget
- site acquisition & purchase
- construction: off-site & on-site
- professional services (architect, engineers, & consultants)
- miscellaneous fees (bids, permits, or reports)
- inspections & testing
- contingencies
- financing costs
what are 5 contract elements between owner & architect?
- description of services to be provided
- fees or services
- name, address, & license number of architect
- provision for additional services
- termination clause
which method of compensation for architectural services reduces the risk to the architect?
direct personnel expense
instead of a multiple of employee salaries, the client is billed for the salaries of staff working on the job, plus the cost of their benefits, and a set amount for overhead & profit
since the is the exact cost of the employee for the architect, this approach is best for new clients with speculative work, as it minimizes risk to the architect
multiple of direct salary expense, direct personnel expense, and hourly billing rate are all examples of what type of billing method?
these are all time-based methods of billing
define fast track schedule
construction documents are issued in phases, construction begins while design is still being completed
describe a typical project schedule, itemized by phase
SD - time to complete affected by size & complexity, quality of client’s program information, decision-making ability of client, design team (usually 1-2 months)
DD - time to complete affected by complexity of project (usually 2-6 months)
CD - affected by complexity of project (usually 3-7 months)
Bidding & Negotiation - usually 3-6 weeks
CA - varies depending on size/complexity of the project; may require years to complete
name at least 4 negative effects that might be experienced from shortening the project schedule
- overtime work: costly & inefficient
- hire mor people: inexperience, time to train
- reduce man hours: poor quality of drawings
- overall, causes higher costs for design & construction, and lower quality project
define CPM (critical path method)
path with the longest required time is the critical path, and the activities on that path are called critical activities
reducing the critical path reduces the whole schedule & increases job costs, but decreases overhead costs
describe what happens when a project is fast tracked
also called accelerated or telescoped
CD’s are issued in phases, requires coordination and precludes against major design revisions
requires staged bidding - may get many contractors & therefore makes it hard to get a fixed price early on; usually needs a CM to oversee
who is responsible to pay for labor & materials?
the contractor (unless otherwise provided for in the contract documents)
AIA201 3.4.1
does a contract allowance cover labor, installation, or overhead costs?
no - only covers cost to contractor of materials & equipment delivered to site & all required taxes
costs for unloading, handling, labor, installation, overhead, & profit are not included in allowances (included in contract sum instead)
if a construction change directive provides for an adjustment to the contract sum, what is the adjustment based on?
- mutual acceptance of a lump sum properly itemized & supported by sufficient data
- unit prices stated in the contract documents or subsequently agreed upon
- cost to be determined in a manner agreed upon by the parties and a mutually acceptable fixed or percentage fee
AIA A201 7.3.3
what items does the architect assist the owner with during the bidding or negotiation phase?
- establishing a list of prospective contractors
- obtaining either competitive bids or negotiated proposals
- confirming responsiveness of bids or proposals
- determining the successful bid or proposal
- awarding and preparing contracts for construction
what specific responsibilities does the architect have in bidding the project?
- distribute bidding documents to prospective bidders, maintaining a log of distribution
- organize & conduct a pre-bid conference for bidders
- prepare responses to questions from bidders & issue addenda
- organize & conduct the opening of the bids & distributing bid results
what services is the architect responsible for regarding negotiated proposals?
- distribute proposal documents to prospective contractors
- organize and participate in selection interviews with prospective contractors
- participate in negotiations with prospective contractors
- prepare a summary report of the negotiation results
what is AIA A201?
general conditions of the contract for construction
sets out duties, responsibilities, & relationships of the 3 parties (owner, architect, contractor) during construction
under what conditions may the contractor request the owner to provide evidence of financial ability to fulfill the requirements of the contract?
before the commencing of work, the contractor may request the owner to provide reasonable evidence that the owner has made financial arrangements to fulfill the owner’s obligations under the contract
after work has commenced, when can the contractor request evidence from the owner of financial ability to fulfill the contract requirements?
after work has commenced, the contractor may only request evidence when:
- owner fails to make payments to the contractor
- change in work that changes the contract sum
- contractor identifies in writing reasonable concern regarding the owner’s ability to fulfill obligations under the contract
AIA A201 2.2.1
what documents is the owner required to give the contractor?
the owner shall furnish surveys, legal limitations, utility locations, & a legal description of the site
also, the owner must furnish all information or services required by the contract documents
do the contract documents include bidding instructions?
no, the contract documents consist of:
- owner-contractor agreement
- conditions of the contract (general, supplementary, & other)
- drawings & specifications
- addenda issued prior to executing the contract
- modifications issued after the execution of the contract
who establishes the requirements for a construction schedule?
the architect
the contractor prepares the actual schedule of how the work will be performed
drawings or additional instructions that modify the contract documents after they have been issued to bidder (but before receiving bids) are known as ______
addenda
contract documents are often modified before & after bidding. the changes made before bids are received (but after drawings were issued) are addenda - and must be sent to all bidders
what is the difference between a change order & a construction change directive?
construction change directive = used when parties can’t agree to the terms of a change order, or if time is of the essence
an invitation to a selected list of contractors to solicit bids for a project is known as….. ?
an invitation to bid
a forecast of the likely cost of the work, as opposed to a firm bid, is called an…..?
estimate
what is an allowance?
an amount set aside to cover the cost of certain items not yet specified
e.g. 1k allowance in a bid for a dishwasher, since the actual has not yet been selected
how does AIA A201 define the contract sum?
total amount payable by the owner to the contractor for performance of the Work under the contract documents
AIA A201 9.1
what is a schedule of values and how does the architect use this document?
submitted by contractor to the architect prior to first application for payment; allocates entire contract sum to the various portions of the Work; used as a basis for reviewing the contractor’s application for payment
AIA A201 9.2
what conditions must be present for the contractor to stop the Work?
if the architect does not issue a certificate for payment through no fault of the contractor, or if the owner does not pay within 7 days after the date established in the contract documents, then the contractor may, upon 7 additional days’ written notice to the owner & architect, stop the Work until payment of the amount owed to the contractor is received
AIA A201 9.7
during a site visit, the architect discovers a portion of the Work was covered prior to a required inspection. what can the architect require of the contractor?
the portion of the work must, if requested in writing by the architect, be uncovered for examination & be replaced at the contractor’s expense without a change in the contract time
AIA A201 12.1.1
if Work uncovered at the architect’s request is found to be in accordance with the contract documents, who is responsible for the expense of the change order?
the architect may request to see work and it shall be uncovered by the contractor. if such work is in accordance with the contract documents, costs of uncovering & replacement shall (by appropriate change order) be at the owner’s expense.
if such Work is NOT in accordance with the contract documents, such costs & cost of correction shall be at the contractor’s expense.
AIA A201 12.1.2
what is the warranty period for the contractor’s work?
according to the A201, general conditions, the contractor must correct any work not found to be in compliance with the contract documents within 1 year of substantial completion
AIA A201 12.2
what is the warranty period for work performed after substantial completion?
the one-year period for correction of Work shall be extended with respect to portions of the Work first performed after substantial completion by the period of time between substantial completion and the actual completion of that portion of work
A201 12.2
who is responsible for the costs related to tests & inspections?
the contractor shall make arrangements for tests & inspections and shall bear all related costs of tests, inspections, and approvals as indicated in the contract documents
the owner shall bear costs of tests, inspections, or approvals that do not become requirements until after bids are received or negotiations are concluded; and tests, inspections, or approvals where building codes prohibit the owner from delegating costs to the contractor
A201 13.5
when may the owner terminate the contract for convenience?
the owner may, at any time, terminate the contract for the owner’s convenience and without cause. upon receipt of written notice from the owner of such termination, the contractor shall cease operations, take actions necessary for the protection & preservation of the work, and terminate all existing subcontracts except for Work directed to be performed prior to the effective date of termination.
what conditions must exist for the contractor to terminate the contract?
upon 7 days written notice to the owner & architect, the contractor may terminate:
- if work is stopped for 30 consecutive days through no act or fault of the contractor
- acts of government or court order stopping work
- non-payment by owner
- owner fails to furnish financial evidence of being able to complete requirements of contract
when may the owner terminate the contract for cause?
owner may terminate the contract w/ 7 days written notice if contractor:
- repeatedly refuses or fails to supply enough workers or proper materials
- fails to make payment to subcontractors
- repeatedly disregards applicable laws, codes, etc.
- is guilty of substantial breach of the contract documents
A201 14.2
according to AIA B101, name 3 services, other than architectural services, that are part of the architect’s scope of basic services
structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering services are part of the scope of the architect’s basic services
the architect is responsible for coordinating what 4 documents during the CD phase?
- contract drawings (project plan set)
- project manual (specs, general/supplementary conditions)
- invitation to bidders / instructions to bidders
- updated estimate of the cost of work
according to the AIA B101, if the owner suspends the project for reasons other than the fault of the Architect, what number of days must pass before the Architect can terminate the agreement?
90 cumulative days
according to the AIA B101, if the owner suspends the project for more than 90 cumulative days for reasons other than the fault of the architect, how many days of written notice must the architect give before terminating the contract?
7 days written notice
what does AIA B102 define?
standard form of agreement between owner & architect without a predefined scope of architect’s services
provides agreement terms only, does not include scope of architect’s services, this must be inserted into article 1 or attached as an exhibit
B102 also contains provisions for mediation & arbitration of claims & disputes
which AIA document, other than the B101, provides the architect’s scope of basic services?
AIA B201 - standard form of architect’s services: design & construction contract
this is based on the 5 traditional phases: SD, DD, CD, Bidding/negotiation, & CA
is AIA B201 a standalone document?
no, it must be incorporated into an owner-architect agreement, such as AIA B102
what are the architect’s responsibilities during schematic design?
- prepare preliminary evaluation of owner’s program
- exploration of different design alternatives
- meeting w/ local officials
- meeting w/ preliminary coordination consultants
- submit to the owner an estimate of the cost of work
what basic responsibilities does the architect have during the CD phase?
- prepare construction documents
- prepare written specifications
- prepare the project manual
- prepare drawings for submittal to local agencies
- coordination of consultant drawings
what is the responsibility of the architect in reviewing shop drawings?
review only for limited purpose of checking for conformance w/ the contract documents, and compliance w/ the design intent
what information is contained within the project manual?
- specifications
- conditions of the contract for construction:
- general conditions
- supplementary conditions
- other conditions - invitation to bidders/instructions to bidders
what forms would be part of the Bidding Requirements?
- invitation to bid
- prequalification forms
- instructions to bidders
- information available to bidders
- bid forms
what could be some of the supplements to the bid forms?
- bid security form
- subcontractor list
- substitution list
what forms could be included as part of the contract between owner & contractor?
A101 - agreement between owner & architect
performance bond & payment bond (A312)
certificates of insurance