ASTM E2514-06

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: E 2514 – 06
Standard Practice for
Presentation Format of Elemental Cost Estimates,
Summaries, and Analyses
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 2514; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope E 2168 Classification for Allowance, Contingency and Re-
serve Sums in Building Construction Estimating
1.1 This practice covers the concurrent use of relevant
ASTM standards for the preparation of elemental cost esti-
3. Terminology
mates, summaries, and analyses and specifically their presen-
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this prac-
tation in a concise, consistent, and logical manner.
tice, refer to Terminologies E 833 and E 631.
1.2 While the style and directions use construction terms
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
applied to buildings, the principles apply equally well to other
3.2.1 elemental cost plan, n—an estimate, summarized and
forms of construction where appropriate elemental classifica-
presented in element groups, that has been sanctioned by the
tions exist.
owner/client.
1.3 This practice is not an estimating manual, nor is it a
3.2.1.1 Discussion—In practice an elemental cost plan in-
guide to the skills and knowledge required of an estimator or
cludes the high level presentation figures contained in any of
other cost professional.
the relevant presentation formats referenced in this standard
NOTE 1—The skills and knowledge acquired by a trained and experi-
which, when sanctioned, become the benchmark figures
encedestimatorareessentialtothesuccessfulapplicationofanyelemental
against which subsequent estimates are compared.
presentation format. They are the foundation of any estimate and the
3.2.2 element, n—in construction planning, design, specifi-
underpinningknowledgerequiredwhenapplyingtheelementaltechnique.
cation, estimating and cost analysis,isasignificantcomponent
2. Referenced Documents part of the whole that performs a specific function, or func-
tions, regardless of design, specification, or construction.
2.1 ASTM Standards:
3.2.2.1 Discussion—While through analysis, or by direct
E 631 Terminology of Building Constructions
measurement, construction estimates categorized into elements
E 833 Terminology of Building Economics
(functional elements) with their allocated costs may be sum-
E 1557 Classification for Building Elements and Related
marized in an elemental cost summary or elemental cost
Sitework—UNIFORMAT II
analysis; elements also provide a framework for consistent
E 1699 Practice for Performing Value Analysis (VA) of
preliminary description, outline, and performance specification
Buildings and Building Systems
through all stages of planning, design, construction, and
E 1804 Practice for Performing and Reporting Cost Analy-
maintenance.
sis During the Design Phase of a Project
3.3 For additional guidance on certain other terminology
E 1836 Classification for Building Floor Area Measure-
related to estimates, budgets, cost plans, and cost models refer
ments for Facility Management
to Appendix X1.
E 2083 Classification for Building Construction Field Re-
quirements, and Office Overhead & Profit
4. Summary of Practice
E 2166 Practice for Organizing and Managing Building
4.1 This practice covers the concurrent use of several
Data
ASTM standards that together form a valuable and tried
framework for elemental cost presentation especially when
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Perfor-
used for design stage construction cost estimating of buildings,
mance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.81 on
and also:
Building Economics.
4.1.1 Identifies three arrangements, estimate, summary, and
Current edition approved Nov. 15, 2006. Published February 2007.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or analysis, of elemental cost presentation;
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
4.1.2 Provides conventions for use in completing these
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
presentations; and
the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
E2514–06
4.1.3 Provides suggestions for some typical uses, including throughtheplanninganddesignstages.Thetwosystems(trade
reporting, error checking, change tracking, and comparison, and elemental) are compatible in that they both relate to the
through the planning, design, construction and final archival
same end product, for example, a building; they differ solely in
record stages common to all building projects.
the way cost is aggregated. Each estimate form can be
4.2 This practice is about arrangement, format, and presen-
converted to the other by coding or allocating each construc-
tation only. It is not an estimating manual and relates solely to
tion component to an appropriate trade/product division or
the presentation of elemental estimates or costs, or both, in a
element. During design evolution, changes in design and
very specific format.
specificationcanmaketradeestimatesdifficulttocomparewith
4.3 For the purposes of this practice an estimate is deemed
previous, and/or other, estimates and so can hinder the process
to be the whole corpus of measurement, description, and
of cost control during the design phase.
pricing detail that together make up the total sum. The two
5.2.6 Additional Narrative Information—While costs pre-
formats referred to in this practice, elemental summary and
sented in these formats are descriptive in themselves they do
elemental analysis, are either a summary arrangement or an
nottellthefullstoryofaproject’sdesign.Narrativedescription
analysis arrangement of this underlying estimate detail. These
of the construction work should also be an integral part of any
formats represent a high-level presentation of the basic esti-
complete presentation. Reference and description of this nar-
mate. An elemental estimate is different in that there is no
rative form can be found in Practice E 1804, and in Classifi-
underlying detail and so, in this case, the presentation is the
cation E 1557 Appendix X3—Preliminary Project Description
estimate, using the elemental analysis format.
(PPD).
5. Significance and Use
5.3 A detailed description of the presentation formats now
5.1 Significance:
follows.Thesedescriptionsareprovidedineightsections,each
5.1.1 The application of elements (see 3.2.2 and Terminol-
intended to aid understanding of a particular facet of the
ogy E 833) to the description and the summary and analysis of
formats:
building construction cost provides a consistency, commonal-
Appearance Section 6
ity, and utility through all stages of design that other forms of Element Inclusions and Exclusions Section 7
Basic Rules Section 8
estimate presentation do not.
Layout Section 9
5.1.2 This practice describes a simple format for elemental
Numeric Precision Section 10
cost analysis presentation that is both valuable and informative Estimate Calculation Section 11
Analysis Calculation Section 12
when used during the various design stages of construction
Variations and Additions Section 13
development.
5.2 Use—Users include owners, developers, contractors,
6. Presentation Format—Appearance
cost professionals, estimators, architects, engineers, quantity
6.1 Elemental Cost Estimate—It is not always readily ap-
surveyors, facility managers, and others involved in property
parent whether an elemental presentation format is actually an
development, construction, maintenance, and management.
elementalcostestimate,oranelementalcostanalysis.Theyare
5.2.1 Reporting—Cost reports structured by elements pro-
quite specifically designed to be consistent in appearance with
vide estimates, summaries, and analyses by applying “Cost to
a common, structured, layout that permits the ready compari-
Function.” This application works whether the approach is
“Design to Cost” or “Cost to Design.”Value analysis is greatly son of one with another. Elemental cost summaries are obvi-
ously different in appearance however. An example elemental
assisted through the allocation of estimated cost to elements.
5.2.2 Controlling—Comparison of progressively more de- cost estimate is included as Appendix X2.
tailed estimates is simplified where cost is allocated to appro-
6.1.1 The least used of the three elemental presentation
priateelementsregardlessofdesignorspecification,permitting
arrangements. While outwardly identical in appearance to the
efficient review and checking of new estimates. Design esti-
analysisformat,thederivationofthedatadisplayedwithinitis
matingusingelementsallowsforbenchmarkingandthesetting
quite different.
of cost limits (baseline) for a building design from the outset,
6.1.2 Its limited use is primarily caused by its intent. It
and also permits the establishment of an elemental cost plan
provides a means of preparing a structured estimate for a
(see 3.2.1). Baseline records and cost plans are accessed and
project when little, if any, design information is available, by
compared with current reports.
using the results of elemental analyses from other, similar,
5.2.3 Recording—Historic and baseline cost records are
designs.
easily kept for all forms of building construction, and in a
6.1.3 Once design has commenced each succeeding esti-
format that can be used for the planning and design of future
mate is prepared using the increasingly more detailed design
projects.
documents. Consequently, there are construction details that
5.2.4 Other Uses—Elemental summaries and analyses are
can be identified, quantified and estimated very early in the
equally useful in forensic estimating and in quantitative risk
process,whichwillbecomeprogressivelymoredetailed.These
analysis.
updates will be consistently presented in a format that is
5.2.5 Relationship to “Trade” Estimating—Traditional
trade (or construction) estimating summarizes cost to a prod- valuable in tracking cost by means of comparison and so
quickly become either an elemental summary or an elemental
uct, or trade classification. This is valuable when construction
work has been fully specified or contracted, but is less so analysis.
E2514–06
6.1.4 Hierarchy of Use—An elemental cost estimate re- 6.3.1 Applying analysis at a high-level permits a relatively
quires the use of cost figures derived from other, pre-existing, simple and concise, yet sophisticated, review and report on a
analyses. constructionproject’sforecastcostthatcanbeappliedthrough-
out the design phase. Whether the information available for
6.1.4.1 The estimate presentation uses high order parameter
estimating is scant (before design has been commenced) or
ratios and unit rates derived from a database of elemental cost
extensive (when design has progressed or is finally complete),
analyses of similar work.
the analysis format remains unchanged.
6.1.4.2 The retention of analyses from previous projects is
an essential prerequisite to the successful preparation of an 6.3.2 To maintain this consistency in reporting and analysis
the “high level” element, or parameter, quantities used in the
elemental estimate presentation.
analysismustbeobtainableandmeasurableat,andthrough,all
6.1.5 The preparation of continuing estimates through the
stages of design.
design and documentation phases is an iterative process, while
preparationoftheinitialcostestimateisnot.Continuingdesign 6.3.3 The consistent format makes comparison between the
current elemental cost analysis and other elemental cost
estimate presentations, based on increasingly developed design
detailwillfaroutnumberthoseofaninitialcostestimateduring analyses easy. Frequent comparison is an essential activity
when maintaining control of cost while allowing the design
the design life cycle of a project.
details to develop and increase in complexity through a
6.1.6 Cost modeling, based upon empirical knowledge, an
project’s design phase.
understanding of basic requirements, and data obtained from
elemental cost analyses of similar, completed, projects, can 6.3.4 Cost modeling techniques can generate sophisticated
also be used to generate an elemental cost estimate, summary underlying cost estimate detail that can make good use of this
or analysis presentation. “high level” analysis also.
6.1.7 An initial cost estimate will be very simple and brief,
7. Presentation Format—Element Inclusions and
although the presentation will appear to be identical to an
elemental cost analysis of a detailed estimate, or a complex Exclusions
cost model.
7.1 ASTM Standards—Several existing ASTM standards
6.2 Elemental Cost Summary—This format is primarily
arecombinedtoprovidetheessentialcomponentsthattogether
used for reporting as it provides a summary of the underlying,
create an elemental format suitable for estimating, analysis and
detailed, estimate in a simple, consistent, form. An example
control.
elemental cost estimate is included as Appendix X3.
7.1.1 Classification E 1557 provides the primary elemental
6.2.1 It is a cost summary only and makes no attempt to
components. It describes and delineates the physical elements
analyze the result.
in a three level hierarchy. By itself Classification E 1557 does
6.2.2 It provides more information than a total cost lump
not provide a complete hierarchy suitable for use in cost
sum by showing the distribution of estimated cost among the
estimating as it omits other essential non-physical elements
various building elements and, when sanctioned by the owner/
that are part of any estimating process and are an integral part
client,maybecometheelementalcostplan.Thiscostsummary
of any cost presentation.
not only permits the speedy comparison of the various,
7.1.2 Classification E 2083 provides additional elements
ongoing, design estimates for the specific project, but with
without which any estimate will be incomplete.
estimates for other projects too.
7.1.3 Classification E 2168 provides further elements that
6.2.3 The comparisons made are usually between two cost
are essential in any estimate prepared before design is com-
summaries: the current summary, and either, another summary,
plete. Estimates prepared during the design process are usually
a baseline summary, or the elemental cost plan. Included as
expected to be a forecast of a reasonable bid. Therefore
part of a report to an owner, client, consultant, or other
estimates prepared during the design pr
...