JLC • MARCH 1996 JLC • MARCH 1996/0
Ask two estimators to take off and
price a specific item on a plan, and
most times the takeoffs will be different.
Both may be correct and even
usable, but every estimator has tricks
and shortcuts that affect the way the
estimate comes out. After 18 years of
estimating residential jobs, here are
some of the methods that work for me.
Different Levels of Accuracy
The estimates I do are for pricing
construction, not for materials purchase.
Therefore, I don't get too hung
up on what's called neat, or precise,
estimating. If you're estimating $150-
per-square-foot granite for a countertop,
you need to be as precise as you
can. But