ADDITIONAL SERVICES

VALUE ENGINEERING

There are many possible design solutions for any given project, but chances are statistically remote that the initial designs advanced for a project will produce the best value. During the early stages of design consideration, it is critical to be able to forecast the cost effectiveness of each design option. Utilizing value engineering, Building Evaluations, Inc. reviews plans and specifications with the goal of reducing the final cost without changing the utility, effectiveness or overall appearance of the finished project. Instead of merely solving new problems with old solutions, we challenge and question each area of the project with the goal of creating innovative and effective solutions which will help keep expenditures in check and reduce your final cost. Building Evaluations, Inc. can perform value engineering at any point in the design phase, identifying potential cost savings and presenting you with cost effective options.

CHANGE ORDER ESTIMATES

Change orders are a fact of life in any project, and some contractors view them as an opportunity for high profit margins since there is limited competition for their services at that point. Building Evaluations, Inc. can prepare an accurate, independent estimate of the additional work which you can compare to the contractor's proposal. These estimates will help you hold change order costs in line and can reveal inordinate mark-ups or inaccurate quantities.

CONSTRUCTION CLAIMS

If you become involved in a dispute during the course of your project, we will work with your attorneys to help establish the validity of your claim. Using a combination of estimating and scheduling techniques, Building Evaluations, Inc. will provide an 'independent' estimate of costs for a project or work item. In many cases we provide pictures and a scope of work which fully explains each item in the dispute. These claims estimates promote realistic negotiations based on factual data and provide a basis for a prompt and fair out-of-court settlement.

REPLACEMENT COST ESTIMATES

Replacement cost is the estimated value to replace an existing building based on current construction costs and methods. Replacement costs exclude architectural and engineering fees as well as below grade foundation costs. Replacement cost estimates are used to make sure that you are not over or under insured in case of disaster.

PROTOTYPE COST ANALYSIS

Building Evaluations, Inc. has developed prototype analyses for almost every major retail and fast food chain in the country. These detailed analyses include detailed breakdowns of all construction components for the prototype design. We develop the cost analysis based on a 20-city average which is then adjusted for as many as 720 domestic and 150 international cities, taking into account local building codes and construction methods. Our Prototype Cost Analysis has proven to be an invaluable tool for making capital expenditure decisions.

SCHEDULING

Our construction scheduling service utilizes Primavera's Sure Trak software system to create both critical path networks and Gantt charts for your project. Specifications and plans for your project are reviewed in order to determine which activities to include in the networks. When all data has been collected and a network developed, we issue an 'as planned' schedule, complete with monthly update of work actually performed, if required.

PRODUCT COMPARISONS



We have developed our own product studies which compare a product, such as brick, with competing products such as aluminum, glass and concrete. These studies analyze and highlight the life-cycle benefits of using one product over another and may be used in marketing literature to add credibility to benefit claims.

CONCEPTUAL BUDGET ANALYSIS

The conceptual Budget Analysis can project the cost of a proposed building design before the first line is drawn or specification written....in only 24 HOURS. The Conceptual Budget Analysis provides architects, contractors and owners with the current construction cost of a proposed building project based upon conceptual design data. A Conceptual Budget Analysis starts with the submission of project information. This information is then entered into our database which calculates the quantities of all construction tasks. The type, size, design and quality of the intended structure is taken into account when deriving the construction costs. Labor and material costs are adjusted according to the projects zip code location. This step-by-step process results in a report to you which provides a cost breakdown by building system. This service is also available for Conceptual Site Analysis. To make this service as quick as possible, you can now submit a conceptual budget analysis by filling out a form on this web site. To obtain a conceptual analysis on a building and / or site plan, contact Building Evaluations.