Fundamentals of Cost Estimating | Live, Online

This program suits anyone new to estimating or shifting into it from another position in construction. It develops the ability to take details from construction drawings and shape them into estimates that are accurate, competitive, and aligned with the project’s scope and schedule.
The training walks through the full estimating process, from classifying and measuring the work, to structuring cost breakdowns that are easy to follow, to working through the Canadian tendering process. Real Canadian project examples are used throughout to strengthen blueprint reading, cost component analysis, understanding of market conditions, and knowledge of general contracting practices.
Everything is geared toward practical use on the job. The program prepares participants to contribute directly to competitive bidding and preconstruction planning for industrial, commercial, institutional, residential, and civil projects.

Each component of the program incorporates applied exercises using real project data to ensure relevance to current industry practice. Participants complete blueprint take-offs, classify cost types, develop crew rates, review bid compliance, perform market benchmarking, conduct risk assessments, and prepare preliminary schedules. Exercises replicate the deliverables required in competitive tendering and preconstruction planning environments.

Day 1 - Building Estimates from the Ground Up: From Drawings to Defensible Numbers

•  Understanding and classifying estimate types
• Cost type and cost group breakdowns for clarity and traceability
• Blueprint reading for cost estimating and quantity take-off techniques
• Crew development for self-perform work
• Pricing labour, materials, subcontractors, and equipment
• Identifying and quantifying project uncertainties
• Benchmarking and validating estimates

Day 2 – Navigating Canada’s Construction Landscape and Winning the Work

• Structure of Canada’s construction industry and regulatory frameworks
• Public and private tendering processes
• Bid compliance and documentation review
• Subcontractor coordination and resource integration
• Market intelligence and benchmarking
• Balancing bid competitiveness with cost and schedule risk management

Day 3 – Coordinating Costs and Schedules for General Contracting Success

• GC-level multi-trade estimating methods
• Managing incomplete design situations and associated risks
• Trade scope comparisons and bid package planning
• Procurement scheduling and alignment with estimating outputs
• Critical path method, float management, and resource allocation
• Coordinating cost and schedule to prevent overruns and delays

• New or soon-to-be estimators looking for a solid base in estimating and scheduling.
• Coordinators, site supervisors, or tradespeople ready to move into estimating.
• Junior project managers wanting more strength in preconstruction planning.
• Small contractor staff tasked with pricing, bidding, and basic scheduling.
• Professionals coming into Canadian construction from other sectors or countries.

Upon finishing the program, participants will be able to:

• Work through construction drawings to pull accurate quantities, confirm the scope, and check technical details that affect pricing.
• Lay out cost breakdowns for labour, materials, subcontractors, and equipment, using crew setups and pricing approaches that fit the job.
• Spot where missing details or scope changes could throw off the numbers, and put steps in place to manage the risk.
• Move confidently through Canada’s construction and procurement systems to put together bids that meet requirements and stay competitive.
• Tie estimates into workable schedules, applying critical path planning, float tracking, and smart resource allocation.
• Turn the estimating and scheduling work into a clear package ready for review by teams, consultants, or clients.