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@@ -5,12 +5,424 @@ title: "Mike Holt's Illustrated Guide to Electrical Estimating"
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tags:
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- authorship/other
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- exclude-from-word-count
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dg-publish: false
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authors:
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- Mike C. Holt
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dg-publish: false
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pages: 234
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publisher: Mike Holt Enterprises
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type: book
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year: 2023
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---
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# Mike Holt's Illustrated Guide to Electrical Estimating
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## Chapter 1---Introduction
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### Introduction
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### 1.1 Estimating versus Bidding
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### 1.2 A Good Estimating System
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### 1.3 Objectives and Purpose of an Electrical Contractor
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### 1.4 Why So Many Electrical Contractors Are Unsuccessful
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### 1.5 Project Management
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### 1.6 Can I Be Competitive?
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### 1.7 The Electrical Market
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### 1.8 Negotiated Work
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### 1.9 Best Value
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### Summary
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### Conclusion
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### Essay Questions
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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## Chapter 2---About Estimating
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### Introduction
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### 2.1 Qualities of a Good Estimator
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### 2.2 Duties and Responsibilities of the Estimator
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### 2.3 The Estimating Workspace and Tools
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### 2.4 Types Of Bids
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### 2.5 What an Accurate Estimate Must Include
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### 2.6 Improper Estimating Methods
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### 2.7 The Detailed Estimating Method
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### 2.8 How Accurate Can an Estimate Be?
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### 2.9 Manual Estimate, Estimating Software, or an Estimating Service?
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### Summary
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### Conclusion
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### Essay Questions
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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## Chapter 3---Understanding Labor Units
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### Introduction
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### 3.1 What is a Labor Unit?
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### 3.2 How Labor Units Are Expressed
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### 3.3 Using Work Experience
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### 3.4 What Is Included in the Labor Unit?
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### 3.5 Labor Units Do Nolinciuae
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### 3.6 Labor-Unit Manuals
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### 3.7 How to Develop Your Own Labor Units
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### 3.8 Your Labor Units as Compared to Your Competitors
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### 3.9 Knowing Your Competitors' Labor Units
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### 3.10 Variables That Affect Labor Units
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### 3.11 Are You for Real?
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### Summary
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### Conclusion
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### Essay Questions
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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## Chapter 4---The Estimating Process
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### Introduction
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### 4.1 Job Selection
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### 4.2 Understanding the Scope Of Work
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### 4.3 Preparing for the Estimate
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### 4.4 Plans and Specifications Review
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### 4.5 Estimate and Bid Notes
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### 4.6 Estimating Forms and Worksheets
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### 4.7 The Take-Off
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### 4.8 Determining the Bill-of-Material (Manual Estimate)
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### 4.9 Pricing and Laboring
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### 4.10 Extensions An Totals
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### Summary
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### Conclusion
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### Essay Questions
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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## Chapter 5---Determining Break-Even Cost
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### Introduction
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### 5.1 Labor Houis (Step A)
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### 5.2 Labor Cost (Step B)
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### 5.3 Labor Rate Per Man-Hour
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### 5.4 Labor Burden
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### 5.5 Total Material Cost (Step C)
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### 5.6 Direct Job Expenses (Step D)
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### 5.7 Estimated Prime Cost (Step E)
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### 5.8 Overhead (Step F)
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### 5.9 Overhead Calculation Methods
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### 5.10 Break-Even Cost (Estimated Cost) (Step G)
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### Summary
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### Conclusion
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### Essay Questions
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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## Chapter 6---The Bid Process
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### Introduction
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### 6.1 Profit (It s Not a Dirty Word)
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### 5.2 Profit to Prime Cost
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### 6.3 Other Bid Cost Considerations
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### 5.4 Bid Accuracy
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### 5.5 Bid Analysis
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### 6.6 Bid Proposal
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### Summary
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### Conclusion
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### Essay Questions
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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## Chapter 7---Unit Pricing
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### Introduction
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Now that you have learned the detailed estimating method and bid process,
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we are going to show you an alternative estimating method.
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It is called "unit pricing," and using it will save you time.
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You can safely use unit pricing on renovations, office build-outs,
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change orders, and other simple or small-scope jobs.
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### 7.1 What Is Unit Pricing?
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Unit pricing consists of developing an average price
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to install a given electrical component,
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such as a duplex receptacle, a 2 x 4 fluorescent fixture, or a switch.
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This price includes the outlet box, an average number of wire connectors,
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mounting hardware, and the typical number of raceway or cable box connectors.
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The "unit price" is then multiplied by the number of units on the drawings
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to arrive at a total bid price for the installation.
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### 7.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Unit Pricing
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You still do a take-off to determine the number of luminaries,
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switches, receptacles, and so forth.
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However, you just do not separately count the boxes, fittings,
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and other parts included in the unit pricing components.
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Often you do not measure the wiring runs for every opening,
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but use an average length per installed outlet as part of the "unit."
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Homeruns to panelboards, communications cabinets, and so on,
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must still be measured in the usual manner.
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#### Advantages
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Unit pricing is faster and easier than the detailed estimating method
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described earlier in Chapters 4, 5, and 6.
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It takes less time and therefore costs your company less money
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to determine the selling price for a job.
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Unit pricing is relatively accurate on repetitive jobs
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where many identical items of electrical equipment
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will be installed under the same (or fairly similar) conditions.
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#### Disadvantages
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Unit pricing is not suitable for jobs
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where outlets are not located at standard intervals.
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For example, if you have 200 identical fluorescent luminaries to install
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in a building where the ceiling heights vary from 8 ft to 15 ft in different areas,
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unit prices will need to be adjusted to an average luminaire height,
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or different unit prices will need to be applied for the different ceiling heights.
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### 7.3 Unit Price Example
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It is easier to demonstrate this concept with an example
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rather than trying to explain it in words.
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Determine the unit price for a duplex receptacle based on the following factors:
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* Labor Hour Adjustment---10%
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* Labor Burden---included in overhead
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* Labor Rate---$18 per man-hour
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* Material Cost Adjustment---15% (waste, theft, miscellaneous)
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* Sales Tax---7%
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* Overhead---$18 per man-hour
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* Profit---15% of Selling Price
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%% TABLE OMITTED %%
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### Summary
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#### Introduction
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An alternative estimating method is called "unit pricing,"
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and using it will save you time.
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You can safely use unit pricing on renovations, office build-outs,
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change orders, and other simple or small-scope jobs.
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#### 7.1 What is Unit Pricing?
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Unit pricing consists of developing an average price
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to install a given electrical component.
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This price includes the outlet box, an average number of wire connectors,
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mounting hardware, and the typical number of raceway or cable box connectors.
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The "unit price" is then multiplied by the number of units on the drawings
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to arrive at a total bid price for the installation.
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#### 7.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Unit Pricing
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You still do a take-off to determine the number of luminaries,
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switches, receptacles, and so forth.
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However, you just do not separately count the boxes, fittings,
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and other parts included in the unit pricing components.
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Often you do not measure the wiring runs for every opening,
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but use an average length per installed outlet as part of the "unit."
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Homeruns to panelboards, communications cabinets, and so on,
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must still be measured in the usual manner.
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**Advantages.** Unit pricing is faster and easier than the detailed estimating method.
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It takes less time and therefore costs your company less money
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to determine the selling price for a job.
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Unit pricing is relatively accurate on repetitive jobs
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where many identical items of electrical equipment
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will be installed under the same (or fairly similar) conditions.
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**Disadvantages.** Unit pricing is not suitable for jobs
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where outlets are not located at standard intervals.
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### Conclusion
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From the example,
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you can see that the unit pricing method can be a real time saver.
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Do not let this lull you into trading time
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for the accuracy required for estimating projects that are not small or simple.
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Even minor variations in the work environment
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can call for adjustments to the unit pricing method.
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Your company can use other costing and pricing methods as well.
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All of these have limited applications.
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Going outside the limits of these methods, or of unit pricing,
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can result in large financial losses.
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As you practice the unit pricing method
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and the more rigorous detailed estimating method you learned earlier,
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you will become more adept at each.
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The first few times you use the unit pricing method,
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you may also want to use the more rigorous detailed method
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and compare the results.
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### Essay Questions
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1. What is an alternative estimating method called that will save you time,
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and on what types of jobs can it be safely used?
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2. What does the average unit price include?
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3. When using unit pricing, what must still be measured in the usual manner?
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4. What are the advantages of using unit pricing?
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5. What are the disadvantages of using unit pricing?
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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#### Introduction
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1. An alternative to the detailed estimating method and bid process
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is called the "\_\_\_" method.
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* (a) square foot
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* (b) unit pricing
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* (c) shot-in-the-dark
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* (d) none of these
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#### 7.1 What Is Unit Pricing?
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2. Unit pricing consists of developing a(n) \_\_\_ price
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to install a given electrical component.
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* (a) set
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* (b) estimated
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* (c) average
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* (d) flexible
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3. The "unit price" is by the number of units on the drawings
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to arrive at a total bid price for the installation.
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* (a) added
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* (b) subtracted
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* (c) multiplied
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* (d) divided
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#### 7.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Unit Pricing
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4. The biggest advantage when using unit pricing
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is that you do not need to complete a take-off
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to determine the number of luminaries, switches, receptacles, and so forth.
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* (a) True
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* (b) False
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## Chapter 8---Software-Based Estimating
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### Introduction
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### 8.1 Computer Estimating System Functions
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### 8.2 Advantages and Benefits
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### 8.3 Pre-Purchase Considerations
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### 8.4 Hardware Considerations
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### 8.5 Cost Of Software
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### 8.6 Technical Support
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### 8.7 Can I Afford it?
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### 8.8 Software Vendors
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### 8.9 Training and Support
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### 8.10 Pricing Services
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### 8.11 Frequently Asked Questions
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### Summary
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### Conclusion
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### Essay Questions
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### Multiple-Choice Questions
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## Chapter 9---The Bid Process Review
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### Introduction
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### 9.1 Pre-Estimate
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### 9.2 Estimate Process
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### 9.3 Determining Break-Even Cost
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### 9.4 The Bid Process
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## Final Exam
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