02 - RESOURCE PREPARATION

OBJECTIVE

Before starting the estimate, it is recommended to review the Resources table and identify all resources that may participate in the project.

This early preparation helps organize the resource database, reduce interruptions during estimating, and ensure that the main labor, material, equipment, subcontract, and transportation resources are available when needed.


RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE

1. Review the Resources table.

2. Locate the resources that may be required for the project.

3. Mark the selected resources in the "Use" field.

4. Review and update their current costs.

5. Add any missing resources that may be needed later.

A resource may be created even if its final cost is not yet known. In that case, it can initially be entered with a zero cost and updated when reliable pricing information becomes available.


RESOURCES TO REVIEW

Depending on the type of project, consider including:

• General labor.
• Skilled labor.
• Specialized technicians.
• Supervisors.
• Inspectors.
• Materials.
• Consumables.
• Owned equipment.
• Rented equipment.
• Vehicles and transportation.
• Cranes and lifting equipment.
• Special tools.
• Temporary facilities.
• Subcontracted services.
• Testing and inspection services.


COST REVIEW

Resource costs should be reviewed carefully before they are used extensively in the estimate.

When available, compare:

• Historical company costs.
• Current supplier quotations.
• Rental rates.
• Labor rates.
• Recent purchase orders.
• Market references.
• Transportation and delivery costs.
• Project-specific conditions.

The adopted cost should represent the estimator's current working value for that resource.

Costs can be updated later as better information becomes available.


WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Preparing the resources in advance allows the estimator to focus on building the estimate instead of repeatedly stopping to search for or create resources.

It also improves consistency because the same resource can be reused in multiple items with the same description, unit, classification, and adopted cost.

A well-prepared resource table helps:

• Reduce duplicate resources.
• Improve cost consistency.
• Accelerate Matrix construction.
• Facilitate later cost updates.
• Improve resource inventory reports.
• Maintain traceability throughout the estimate.


IMPORTANT

Do not wait until every cost is final before creating a required resource.

If a resource is known to be necessary but its price is still pending, create it and update the cost later.

This allows the estimate structure to continue developing without losing important resources from the project scope.


RECOMMENDATION

Complete a preliminary review of the Resources table before beginning detailed item analysis.

The objective is not to predict every resource perfectly, but to prepare the most probable resources so that the estimating process can proceed efficiently and consistently.