Editorial

Categories

Eliminate Downtime

Explore More

Follow us on

Construction cost breakdown: How to estimate the total cost

Published: 02. Juni 2022
By Trackunit
The cost of a construction project is an important aspect for anyone involved. Learn more about the construction cost breakdown with Trackunit.

The area’s zoning and geography also affect the construction costs per square foot. For example, earthquake-prone regions tend to be more expensive in terms of materials. Controlling these costs helps owners finish their projects on budget and allows contractors to protect profit margins.

The cost of a construction project can be one of the most concerning aspects for any individual involved in the project. This cost breakdown below will help alleviate some of that concern by detailing where your money goes when you are constructing a building.

A breakdown of the commercial construction costs

Multiple factors must be considered when it comes to commercial construction project costs. It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by the process. However, it’s important to also look beyond the construction phase and consider the operational costs after the build is complete.

Here is a breakdown of the costs that need to be taken into account:

  • Hard Costs: This includes the cost of maintaining the property with the materials and labor needed to make repairs, alterations, and enhancements.
  • Soft Costs: These are the costs associated with services needed to complete your project, including taxes, insurance, and permits.
  • Vendor Costs: This includes several start-up expenses like cables for computers, security, telephones, and signage.
  • Operational Costs: These are the costs over the lifetime of the building to operate it.

Various elements influence the commercial construction cost breakdown

Several factors affect commercial construction costs, including the cost of materials, labor, finishes, design, and permits. Labor can account for up to 40% of the budget, with employee wages, benefits, and training included in this line.

As you begin to think about the type of structure you want to build, it’s important to start budgeting for preconstruction costs. The size and scale of your project will greatly impact how much it costs to build, so be sure to factor that into your planning. For example, a medical office space is going to cost significantly less than a multi-story hotel or a stadium. Knowing these costs upfront can help you better plan your project from start to finish.

Depending on the regional location of your project, the area’s climate may impact the price of materials and finishes. For example, the need for durable and weather-resistant materials and finishes may cost more in the northern and Midwest regions of the US, where snow and ice storms are more common.

While the initial cost of a project may seem like the only factor to consider, additional costs must be taken into account when budgeting. The cost of repairing, replacing, or reconfiguring existing structures and the needed staff should be considered when planning for the future.

How to estimate your construction costs

It can be beneficial to estimate the total construction costs of your project. Construction costs can vary significantly from one project to another and from one location to another. The key factors that affect the cost of a construction project include the building quality, design and architecture, materials, labor costs, permits, and mechanical and electrical systems.

In order to establish an estimate for a construction project, the first step is to identify the class of commercial building it falls into. There are three classes of commercial buildings, ranging from Class A to Class C, with Class A being the highest quality. Once the class has been selected, the next step is calculating the floor area through structural design and architecture. The more complex the architectural design, the higher the construction cost per square foot.

To calculate the total construction cost, you must multiply the construction costs per square foot by the floor area. Construction costs can vary significantly depending on the location, with city buildings costing 2% to 6% more than suburban areas.

After calculating the labor costs, the next step is adding the estimated materials costs. The costs may be higher for large-scale commercial buildings and complex steel buildings due to the number of materials needed and the project’s complexity. Other expenses that may be included are permit fees and the price of interior and exterior finishes.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for cost estimation, but a good understanding of the relevant variables can help you create accurate estimates.

Trackunit helps minimize construction costs

Trackunit Manager provides you with a total overview of your entire fleet. This solution gives you endless possibilities, where you can track every movement and feature with your own customizable dashboards. It utilizes GPS tracking and alerts, so you can see where your fleet and equipment are located at any time of the day, which helps reduce idle time.

To effectively manage your fleet, you will need data. Data collection can happen through hardware installed directly onto your equipment or vehicles, or it can happen through ISO feeds with compatible manufacturers.

Trackunit Go provides an overview of all assets in the fleet, including scheduled services and active alarms. Trackunit Go helps you stay on top of your equipment by improving efficiency and equipment uptime. The intuitive map clusters show you exactly which assets are currently working, moving, or stopped and even provided a turn-by-turn navigation option.

Trackunit Go makes it easy to approve scheduled services with just one tap, and you can even add new schedules at the same time. For equipment with a CAN bus connection, you’ll see advanced sensor values like fuel consumption, engine speed, oil temperature, etc., in a simple, user-friendly widget layout.

If you want to try our services, you can request a demo here.

Share This Paper

Related

Construction cost breakdown: How to estimate the total cost

Why Sustainability Heads the Construction Agenda in 2022

Most popular

Tools Management Software: Optimizing Tool Utilization

Digitalization Generating Growth in Construction

Asset Maintenance Management: Develop an Effective Maintenance Strategy

100 Ways to Eliminate Downtime

Erhalten Sie E-Mails zu neuen Artikeln aus dem Bereich Telematik

So bleiben Sie immer auf dem Laufenden. Wir senden Ihnen eine E-Mail, wenn neue Artikel zum Thema Telematik veröffentlicht werden.

Today People are Reading

Industry Report

Constructing a better future

Did you know? 58% of the construction industry says sustainability will dominate agenda in next five years.