ASTM E2514-15(2020)
(Practice)Standard Practice for Presentation Format of Elemental Cost Estimates, Summaries, and Analyses
Standard Practice for Presentation Format of Elemental Cost Estimates, Summaries, and Analyses
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Significance:
5.1.1 The application of elements (see 3.1.1 and Terminology E833) to the description and the summary and analysis of building construction cost provides a consistency, commonality, and utility through all stages of design that other forms of estimate presentation do not.
5.1.2 This practice describes a simple format for elemental cost analysis presentation that is both valuable and informative when used during the various design stages of construction development.
5.2 Use—Users include owners, developers, contractors, cost professionals, estimators, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, facility managers, and others involved in property development, construction, maintenance, and management.
5.2.1 Reporting—Cost reports structured by elements provide estimates, summaries, and analyses by applying “Cost to Function.” This application works whether the approach is “Design to Cost” or “Cost to Design.” Value analysis is greatly assisted through the allocation of estimated cost to elements.
5.2.2 Controlling—Comparison of progressively more detailed estimates is simplified where cost is allocated to appropriate elements regardless of design or specification, permitting efficient review and checking of new estimates. Design estimating using elements allows for benchmarking and the setting of cost limits (baseline) for a building design from the outset, and also permits the establishment of an elemental cost plan (see 3.2.1). Baseline records and cost plans are accessed and compared with current reports.
5.2.3 Recording—Historic and baseline cost records are easily kept for all forms of building construction, and in a format that can be used for the planning and design of future projects.
5.2.4 Other Uses—Elemental summaries and analyses are equally useful in forensic estimating and in quantitative risk analysis.
5.2.5 Relationship to “Trade” Estimating—Traditional trade (or construction) estimating summarizes cost to a pro...
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the concurrent use of relevant ASTM standards for the preparation of elemental cost estimates, summaries, and analyses and specifically their presentation in a concise, consistent, and logical manner.
1.2 While the style and directions use construction terms applied to buildings, the principles apply equally well to other forms of construction where appropriate elemental classifications exist.
1.3 This practice is not an estimating manual, nor is it a guide to the skills and knowledge required of an estimator or other cost professional.
Note 1: The skills and knowledge acquired by a trained and experienced estimator are essential to the successful application of any elemental presentation format. They are the foundation of any estimate and the underpinning knowledge required when applying the elemental technique.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: E2514 − 15 (Reapproved 2020)
Standard Practice for
Presentation Format of Elemental Cost Estimates,
Summaries, and Analyses
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2514; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope E1557 Classification for Building Elements and Related
Sitework—UNIFORMAT II
1.1 This practice covers the concurrent use of relevant
E1804 Practice for Performing and Reporting Cost Analysis
ASTM standards for the preparation of elemental cost
During the Design Phase of a Project
estimates, summaries, and analyses and specifically their
E1836/E1836M Practice for Building Floor Area Measure-
presentation in a concise, consistent, and logical manner.
ments for Facility Management
1.2 While the style and directions use construction terms
E2083 Classification for Building Construction Field
applied to buildings, the principles apply equally well to other
Requirements, and Office Overhead & Profit
forms of construction where appropriate elemental classifica-
E2168 Classification for Allowance, Contingency, and Re-
tions exist.
serve Sums in Building Construction Estimating
1.3 This practice is not an estimating manual, nor is it a
2.2 ASTM Adjunct:
guide to the skills and knowledge required of an estimator or
Basic Instructional Model Spreadsheet
other cost professional.
NOTE 1—The skills and knowledge acquired by a trained and experi-
3. Terminology
enced estimator are essential to the successful application of any elemental
presentation format. They are the foundation of any estimate and the 3.1 Definitions: Definitions—For other definitions of gen-
underpinning knowledge required when applying the elemental technique.
eral terms related to building construction used in this practice,
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the refer to Terminology E631; and for general terms related to
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the building economics, refer to Terminology E833.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- 3.1.1 element, n—in construction planning, design,
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter- specification, estimating, and cost analysis, a significant com-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
ponent part of the whole that performs a specific function, or
1.5 This international standard was developed in accor- functions, regardless of design, specification, or construction
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
method.
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the 3.1.1.1 Discussion—While through analysis, or by direct
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
application, construction estimates categorized into elements
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical (functional elements) with allocated costs, may be summarized
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
in an elemental cost summary or elemental cost analysis;
elements (functional elements) also provide a framework for
2. Referenced Documents
consistent preliminary project description, outline, and perfor-
mance specification, through all stages of planning, design,
2.1 ASTM Standards:
construction, and maintenance.
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
E833 Terminology of Building Economics 3.1.2 elemental cost analysis, n—in construction planning,
design, specification, estimating, and cost analysis, a tabulation
of cost categorized by major group element, group element,
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Perfor- or element, or any combination thereof, to which a parameter
mance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.81 on
quantity, or parameter quantities, has, or have, been applied to
Building Economics.
derive benchmark figures (rates, ratios, percentages, and so
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2020. Published December 2020. Originally
forth).
approved in 2006. Last previous edition approved in 2015 as E2514 – 15. DOI:
10.1520/E2514-15R20.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Available from ASTM International Headquarters. Order Adjunct No.
the ASTM website. ADJE2514.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E2514 − 15 (2020)
3.1.2.1 Discussion—Elemental cost analyses are valuable framework for elemental cost presentation especially when
tools in planning, estimating, and controlling construction cost used for design stage construction cost estimating of buildings,
through all stages of planning and design. The benchmark
and also:
figures are primarily derived from underlying estimate detail
4.1.1 Identifies three arrangements, estimate, summary, and
but can, in some circumstances, be used directly to approxi-
analysis, of elemental cost presentation;
mate estimates for other projects.
4.1.2 Provides conventions for use in completing these
3.1.3 elemental cost summary, n—in construction planning,
presentations; and
design, specification, estimating, and cost analysis, a tabulation
4.1.3 Provides suggestions for some typical uses, including
of cost categorized by major group element, group element,
reporting, error checking, change tracking, and comparison
or element.
through the planning, design, construction, and final archival
3.1.4 group element, n—in construction planning, design,
record stages common to all building projects.
specification, estimating, and cost analysis, a significant com-
4.2 This practice is about arrangement, format, and presen-
ponent part of the whole that includes relevant elements
tation only. It is not an estimating manual and relates solely to
which, as a group, perform specific function, or functions,
the presentation of elemental estimates or costs, or both, in a
regardless of design, specification or construction method.
very specific format.
3.1.5 major group element, n—in construction planning,
design, specification, estimating, and cost analysis, a very 4.3 For the purposes of this practice an estimate is deemed
significant component part of the whole that includes relevant
to be the whole corpus of measurement, description, and
group elements which, as a group, perform major specific
pricing detail that together make up the total sum. The two
function, or functions, regardless of design, specification or
formats referred to in this practice, elemental summary and
construction method.
elemental analysis, are either a summary arrangement or an
analysis arrangement of this underlying estimate detail. These
3.1.6 parameter quantity, n—in construction planning,
formats represent a high-level presentation of the basic esti-
design, specification, estimating, and cost analysis, a measure
mate. An elemental estimate is different in that there is no
of the amount (quantity) of work included within a major
underlying detail and so, in this case, the presentation is the
group element, group element, or element, or any combina-
estimate, using the elemental analysis format.
tion thereof, which, using standardized metrics, ensures con-
sistent elemental cost analysis preparation and comparison.
5. Significance and Use
3.1.7 sub-element, n—in construction planning, design,
specification, estimating, and cost analysis, a component part
5.1 Significance:
of an element that performs a specific function, or functions,
5.1.1 The application of elements (see 3.1.1 and Terminol-
regardless of design, specification or construction method.
ogy E833) to the description and the summary and analysis of
3.1.8 UNIFORMAT II UII, n—a hierarchical breakdown
building construction cost provides a consistency,
structure of construction work ordered by elements.
commonality, and utility through all stages of design that other
3.1.8.1 Discussion—Primarily designed for cost manage-
forms of estimate presentation do not.
ment (planning, control, and analysis) during the planning,
5.1.2 This practice describes a simple format for elemental
budgeting, and design phases of construction, its hierarchical
cost analysis presentation that is both valuable and informative
elemental breakdown structure is also used for qualitative –
when used during the various design stages of construction
text rich – reports (preliminary project description, condition
development.
assessment, asset description), and other quantitative – text and
5.2 Use—Users include owners, developers, contractors,
numerical – purposes (value engineering, risk analysis, pre-
liminary time schedule, building information modeling). cost professionals, estimators, architects, engineers, quantity
surveyors, facility managers, and others involved in property
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
development, construction, maintenance, and management.
3.2.1 elemental cost plan, n—an estimate, summarized and
5.2.1 Reporting—Cost reports structured by elements pro-
presented in element groups, that has been sanctioned by the
vide estimates, summaries, and analyses by applying “Cost to
owner/client.
Function.” This application works whether the approach is
3.2.1.1 Discussion—In practice an elemental cost plan in-
“Design to Cost” or “Cost to Design.” Value analysis is greatly
cludes the high level presentation figures contained in any of
assisted through the allocation of estimated cost to elements.
the relevant presentation formats referenced in this standard
which, when sanctioned, become the benchmark figures 5.2.2 Controlling—Comparison of progressively more de-
against which subsequent estimates are compared.
tailed estimates is simplified where cost is allocated to appro-
priate elements regardless of design or specification, permitting
3.3 For additional guidance on certain other terminology
efficient review and checking of new estimates. Design esti-
related to estimates, budgets, cost plans, and cost models refer
mating using elements allows for benchmarking and the setting
to Appendix X1.
of cost limits (baseline) for a building design from the outset,
4. Summary of Practice
and also permits the establishment of an elemental cost plan
4.1 This practice covers the concurrent use of several (see 3.2.1). Baseline records and cost plans are accessed and
ASTM standards that together form a valuable and tried compared with current reports.
E2514 − 15 (2020)
5.2.3 Recording—Historic and baseline cost records are 6.1.3 Once design has commenced each succeeding esti-
easily kept for all forms of building construction, and in a mate is prepared using the increasingly more detailed design
format that can be used for the planning and design of future documents. Consequently, there are construction details that
projects. can be identified, quantified and estimated very early in the
5.2.4 Other Uses—Elemental summaries and analyses are process, which will become progressively more detailed. These
equally useful in forensic estimating and in quantitative risk updates will be consistently presented in a format that is
analysis. valuable in tracking cost by means of comparison and so
5.2.5 Relationship to “Trade” Estimating—Traditional quickly become either an elemental summary or an elemental
trade (or construction) estimating summarizes cost to a analysis.
product, or trade classification. This is valuable when construc- 6.1.4 Hierarchy of Use—An elemental cost estimate re-
tion work has been fully specified or contracted, but is less so
quires the use of cost figures derived from other, pre-existing,
through the planning and design stages. The two systems (trade analyses.
and elemental) are compatible in that they both relate to the
6.1.4.1 The estimate presentation uses high order parameter
same end product, for example, a building; they differ solely in
ratios and unit rates derived from a database of elemental cost
the way cost is aggregated. Each estimate form can be
analyses of similar work.
converted to the other by coding or allocating each construc-
6.1.4.2 The retention of analyses from previous projects is
tion component to an appropriate trade/product division or
an essential prerequisite to the successful preparation of an
element. During design evolution, changes in design and
elemental estimate presentation.
specification can make trade estimates difficult to compare with
6.1.5 The preparation of continuing estimates through the
previous or other, or both, estimates and so can hinder the
design and documentation phases is an iterative process, while
process of cost control during the design phase.
preparation of the initial cost estimate is not. Continuing design
5.2.6 Additional Narrative Information—While costs pre-
estimate presentations, based on increasingly developed design
sented in these formats are descriptive in themselves they do
detail will far outnumber those of an initial cost estimate during
not tell the full story of a project’s design. Narrative description
the design life cycle of a project.
of the construction work should also be an integral part of any
6.1.6 Cost modeling, based upon empirical knowledge, an
complete presentation. Reference and description of this nar-
understanding of basic requirements, and data obtained from
rative form can be found in Practice E1804, and in Classifica-
elemental cost analyses of similar, completed, projects, can
tion E1557 Appendix X3—Preliminary Project Description
also be used to generate an elemental cost estimate, summary
(PPD).
or analysis presentation.
6.1.7 An initial cost estimate will be very simple and brief,
5.3 A detailed description of the presentation formats now
although the presentation will appear to be identical to an
follows. These descriptions are provided in eight sections, each
elemental cost analysis of a detailed estimate, or a complex
intended to aid understanding of a particular facet of the
cost model.
formats:
Appearance Section 6
6.2 Elemental Cost Summary—This format is primarily
Element Inclusions and Exclusions Section 7
used for reporting as it provides a summary of the underlying,
Basic Rules Section 8
detailed, estimate in a simple, consistent, form. An example
Layout Section 9
Numeric Precision Sec
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