Carpentry & Building Construction

Unit 6: Finish Carpentry

WebQuests

Estimating

Introduction
Making a sound estimate is a crucial first step for any building or renovation project. A good estimate will allow you to plan on the correct materials, costs, and labor. A poor estimate can cause material shortages, cost overruns, and delays. Since nearly every construction task, from big to small, requires some estimation, you can find many tools online that promise to help. Not all estimators are created equal, however, and it is important to evaluate a tool's accuracy and reliability.

The Task
An online calculator could save you some time up front yet lead to headaches down the road, is the estimate proves wrong. In this WebQuest, you will use two different online tools to estimate the number of tiles needed to retile your bathroom floor. Your evaluation should include the following

• descriptions of how the online estimators work;
• a comparison of the results;
• an analysis of the usefulness of the two tools;
• tips for what to look for in a good estimating program.

The Process
To successfully prepare your analysis you will need to complete the following steps.

• Choose at least two of the following online calculators to assist you in your project.
Bob Vila Home Renovator
HGTV.com
Tile Doctor
Tile Estimator

• Take measurements of your home bathroom, as if you were going to retile the floor. Input the same information into both calculators.
• Compare the results from the two estimators and analyze why they might have produced different results.
• List qualities to look for in evaluating online estimators, based on your analysis.

Guidance
Here are a few suggestions that might help improve your report.

2. Measure the room carefully. Estimating does not mean your measurements do not need to be correct.
3. When selecting an online estimator, consider that oddly shaped rooms require a more sophisticated program.
4. Online estimators are designed to save time, but some are more complicated and time consuming than others. Consider ease of use in your analysis.

Conclusions
Here are some suggestions for finishing your project.

• Talk to friends or family who work in construction or do home renovation projects. How often do they do on the job estimates, and how often do they use online tools?
• Write an analysis of the two online estimators, pointing out the differences of the two programs. Make recommendations for other users.
• Print out the results from the online estimators and turn it in to your teacher, along with your analysis and list of criteria for estimators.

Questions

• If you were to undertake this renovation project, what unknown risks could cause the estimation to be wrong?
• Many home supply stores offer free estimating services. Why might they offer estimates on materials? Would you trust them to be objective?
• Some people make their living solely as estimators for construction and renovating projects. What qualities and experience would you look for, if you were hiring a professional to do the job?