Estimating "rules of thumb" for FP systems

[pipesnpumps]

If you use any rules of thumb in order to roughly guesstimate the material, labor, or total cost of a system or component, please post it here, along with a brief description.

Any real examples with actual prices and descriptions would also be helpful. I'm asking only to get a feel for typical costs.

Real world knowledge doesn't fall out of the sky on a parachute, but rather is gained in small increments during moments of panic or curiosity.

 

[b1ueshift]

If you are talking about the US, union labour tends to be a lot more productive because the union workers tend to be more experienced and have better training. Because of their higher pay rate, union labour tends to be more expensive overall.

Every job is different, repeditive jobs go quicker than jobs with lots of unique areas.

Jobs seem to be about 10% design, 35% materials and the rest labour.

A 2 man team can rough in about 40 heads per shift. Fit off will be about 30 heads per shift.

A 2 man team can add and relocate about 20 heads per shift.

You should allow one full shift to mobilise on site and demobilize (2 men for half a day to unpack and the same to pack up again).

 

[SprinklerDesigner2]

I learned every job is different and if you use rule of thumb to bid them you'll get the ones you wish you never saw and never get the ones you wished you had.

On any project sprinklers represent 5% of the project cost yet 50% of the problems.

Little things you would think weren't all that bad can have huge impacts on system costs. Like tie-in drains.

I pack a lot of stuff into a single sheet and what I have found is a technicians time is one week per sheet. If I have a building that takes two sheets it is going to take me two weeks to layout but this time includes the layout work, calcs, material pick off, fabrication pick off and purchasing the material.

1.25 man hours per head if pendent (includes rough in and finish) while standard uprights in a warehouse can be figured at 15 to 20 minutes per head. While rule of thumbs are nice you can really lose your rear for nothing beats experience.

To differ with Blueshift jobs seem to be about 5% design, 35% materials 25% labor and the rest going for overhead like insurance, fuel, electric and taxes. In this market if you can pay everything and break even you are doing better than most.

 

[b1ueshift]

Thanks Sprinkler Designer. I should qualify by saying the last estimating I did was about 12 years ago so your numbers are probably more accurate.

I completely agree, rules of thumb aren't accurate. Everything depends all kinds of other factors. Your 1.25 hours per head may be right for some jobs, but if you had good fitters and a nice big open plan building, I think it would be closer to 45 minutes.

 

[RainbowFS]

I've been a sprinkler contractor for 20+ years. We're small, like me and my brother small. The biggest job I've ever had was $140,000.
When we bid we do a rough materials list, head count, and estimate the time to fit it, which varies depending on the style of building. We're fairly inexpensive compared to the big outfits, but we don't get every job we bid either.
Back 10 years ago, when a contractor would call and want a rough guess I would get the square footage, divide it by 120 ft per head and multiply by $150 per head- that price would be the system only from the base of the riser. Getting the water to the building is it's own thing and I would prefer that someone elsee does it. But we do plenty of underground anyway.
That formula is out the window mostly. When looking for a rough estimate I will give a $ per sq. ft. which depends on the building. A Butler building/ open warehouse- $2/2.25 per foot
Complicated wood framed small office $3/3.50 per foot- always from the base of the riser only.
When I do that and later on do a "real" bid I am generally within a few thousand of my first guess.
We do the design, calculations, fab and install, so overhead is nothing really.
I'm not recommending this method to anyone, just telling how I do what I do.

Alex Traw
Rainbow Fire Sprinklers
Albany, Oregon