No comments about Means Square Foot Costs 1989.

No comments about Building News Mechanical/Electrical 1995 Costbook (Mechanical/Electrical Costbook).

No comments about Means Repair and Remodeling Estimating.

No comments about Home improvement costs for exterior projects.

No comments about 1996 National Plumbing and Hvac Estimator/Disk (National Plumbing&HVAC Estimator (W/CD)).

No comments about Means Square Foot Costs 1991 12th. Ed..

1 comments about 1996 National Construction Estimator (44th ed).

1. I must admit that I was hesitant when I started reading this book. It wasn't by choice, but by necessity that I became pleasantly surprised by Marques' wonderful narrative and witty reportoire on what could and should have been a dry subject. Oh, the reason I read the book was for work - and I increased my sales by 75% the first month after reading it. Thank you!

No comments about Means Interior Cost Data 2000 (Means Interior Cost Data).

1 comments about Mechanical Cost Data 2002 (Means Mechanical Cost Data, 2002).

1. As many HVAC estimators apparently know, this book has cost data for just about every mechanical system you can imagine. While the book would be overkill for most folks, those who are considering significant home remodeling projects may find it worthwhile as a way to fairly evaluate bids. A certain amount of time and knowledge is required to figure out how to use the book, but once you do it's a goldmine. As an example, I used it a week ago to verify a $65,000 quote for a big renovation job a coworker's friend was considering and found out that the heat pump piping was ten times too high - $20,000 versus $2,000! It breaks out materials, labor and profit/overhead so you know exactly what you are getting into. Money well spent, especially if you get last year's edition... so the costs are a little lower - it's a good spot to start bargaining with contractors!

1 comments about Interior Home Improvement Costs: The Practical Pricing Guide for Homeowners & Contractors (Interior Home Improvement Costs).

1. RSMeans is a well known name in construction--so well known that I expected much better from this book. Here are some pros and cons of this edition:
   Pros:
   You can get a very quick idea of what a broad range of projects will cost. Project costs are itemized in some detail: how much material and how much labor are required for specific size projects. Descriptions also include discussions of project quality differences and of what parts a DIY-er might reasonably complete. As a first pass in cost and time estimating this is very helpful information. Additionally, the book provides regional factors for adjusting project costs to local conditions. Also very helpful.
   But on moving beyond the first pass of estimating, the book falls short in the following ways:
   First, and most annoying, there is no discussion of labor costs by trade. Wallpaper hangers don't make the same as tile layers who don't make the same as plumbers. Thus, there is no way to estimate what you would really save using paint instead of wallpaper. You could estimate your savings based on the project's average hourly labor charge but this will be wildly misleading. And the average charge is the only number you can calculate from the project sheets because you are given only labor hours--not labor costs.
   Second, project details aren't consistent: bathroom projects include line items for electric outlets, switches, and lights. Kitchens do not. Lighting is a major element in good kitchen design. Where are these costs?
   Third, there is no discussion of demolition costs: What does it cost to rip out your old kitchen or bath before installing the new one? Similarly, it's not clear whether project costs listed for plumbing are for relocating drains or simply hooking up to existing locations. This can be a major cost factor.
   Why do these "cons" matter? Remodeling an island kitchen can cost $16,653 (p.127) or the same size kitchen remodel can cost $36,050 (p.129). This isn't a trivial difference. If you are trying to determine whether your proposed project is closer to $16k then $36k, you need better information than RSMeans provides. Differences in material choices often mean differences in labor hours. So just adjusting your material choices in hopes of controlling your costs could be very misleading.
   RSMeans could improve this book significantly by
   1. adding more and better detailed tables of information on "Alternate Materials" (see p. 121), including labor hours & costs and many more interior finish materials,
   2. adding a table of hourly labor costs by trade and discuss the contractor's role and fee in more detail,
   3. improving the consistency of the project detail sheets across projects (so that both kitchens and baths would have lighting and electrical outlets),
   4. providing users with project worksheets that are consistent with the book's project worksheets.
   The bottom line: Use this book for a first pass, but then, if you are a novice (or even if you aren't) get three professional estimates before you start any significant project.