
I've been an electrical estimator, project manager and service superintendent for 23 years. I've worked for three ENR "top 100" contractors on industrial, commercial, institutional and utility work ranging from small maintenance jobs and change orders through high-tech half-billion dollar design-build infrastructure projects.
Whether doing totally manual take-off and tallies or automated touch pad take-off and software extensions, the Means Electrical Cost Data has always been the go-to bible for me to get unit costs and regional and situational variables.
One of my particular talents is in preparing accurate pre-engineering conceptual budgets for projects in the earliest stages of development, something I would never have been able to accomplish without having the latest version of the Means annual cost book on my desk at all times. It has such universal credibility that I have even used data from it successfully as an "expert reference" in establishing work value in construction claim negotiations and lawsuits.
In my opinion, any electrical contractor who does NOT have and use an up-to-date version is at a disadvantage -- your competitors are using it and you should too.
By Kerry from Pittsburgh, PA