Woodworking Business

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Post a Response
The staff at WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at any WOODWEB Forum. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk.
Your Name:
Your Website:
Email Address:
Subject: Re: Career change to estimating

Message:

(read message guidelines).
Note: Do not use the below fields to advertise your business - only for links related to the discussion.
Thread Related Link URL:
Thread Related Link Title:
  To "point" to an image (picture) from another website, provide the URL (Web Address) of the file ( include ONE reference to http:// )
Thread Related Image URL:

Date of your Birth:

Upload a Thread Related File:
File Types: Image (gif-jpg-png-bmp), PDF, Sketchup, Video (mov avi wmv mpeg mpg mp4 ogg). (Image Upload Tips)

I have read the Site User Agreement and agree with the Terms

  <= Check to receive e-mail notification of responses

Message Thread:

Career change to estimating

3/7/19       
John Seiffert Member

I have been a woodworker for 25 years and would love to modify my career switching to estimating. I've had my own shop design/building custom furniture, millwork, cabinets for residential clients. I have essentially no experience in commercial work. I have been reading used text books and studying on the web for a few months learning all I can, and have experience over the years of working up Excel sheets for my needs. Although all my jobs are more or less one of a kind and typically challenging technically (a few pics attached show this). Can you give suggestions in how I might proceed with this goal?


View higher quality, full size image (2592 X 1936)


View higher quality, full size image (2592 X 1936)


View higher quality, full size image (2592 X 1936)

3/7/19       #2: Career change to estimating ...
rich c.

For large commercial companies, the estimator is nearly the most critical staff member they have. Hopefully you are in a position to accept a starting position with an appropriate wage based on experience. You may have to start in a CAD position to get to the estimator path. My suggestion would be to set a meeting with HR in a big company and discover their requirements for the position you desire. You could also contact the Architectural Woodwork Institute and ask for guidance there.

3/8/19       #3: Career change to estimating ...
David R Sochar Member

In my experience (AWI), commercial estimators become Project Managers and are the whipping boys of the business. If they do well, they are whipped to keep it up. If they do poorly on a job, they are whipped as punishment. Could just be my experience, but estimating alone is better than being a project manager. Better shops avoid the whip, though.
A good estimator is like gold. When my 10 man shop was imploding in 2008, I had several offers of partnership with competitors. Quite a compliment. Until I realized they all wanted one thing - my estimating process. Software, excel sheet, dice, whatever it was, they wanted it. My company had stood alone, prevailed against larger competitors, made a profit and grew at least 10% every year. That meant good estimating.

3/8/19       #4: Career change to estimating ...
Larry

No so sure I'd want to be an estimator. I'll assume that job would also be the person putting together the bid package. No longer an estimate but a fixed price. Seems like you would need to be very familiar with the methods, machines, etc. to get a good $#, or if all those #s have been put into the bid program then you are just counting door knobs.

3/8/19       #5: Career change to estimating ...
Pat Gilbert

You might want to check in with shops using Keytrix, Alan used to cite some amazingly accurate predictions/estimates

3/11/19       #6: Career change to estimating ...
Larry

Strikes me that a bid program is only as good as the #s that have been put in, that relate to that specific business's costs.

3/11/19       #7: Career change to estimating ...
Alan F. Member

AWI does estimating seminars, check with them its good basic training for labor and materials based estimating.

Unit based pricing should be developed from labor and materials IMO.

Unit based pricing doesn't always scale well.

Some Key skills for a commercial estimator.
1) identify conflicts in drawings, specs, finishes, scope and get written clarifications (RFI/RFC)
2) Check lead times of specialty items.
3) Identify unusual costs, security, training, hiring requirements for city or project
4) whats it take to get it in the building?
5) costs based on where you have to park/ when you can load.
6) what risks are you taking, how are you accounting for it in the bid? (liquidated damages, accelerated schedule, long warranty, details that may fail that they won't change.)
7) how does the customer want the bid broken out (alternates, format).
8) Whats the change order policy for the project?

Then you need to be able to identify and cost the scope.

Seminars

 

Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)