Last month we stressed the critical importance of performing a “quantity survey,” or counting parts and pieces. If you missed one full floor on a high rise or forgot to include the return air system, your unit pricing would not produce a realistic estimate or bid. You must measure and count accurately for your estimating to have any value.
Your first task concerns purchasing all the pipe, fittings, fixtures, equipment and materials. Many companies do not have a full-time purchasing agent who knows the market and has ample time to shop around and compare current availability and prices. This is called “ordering” materials rather than “purchasing.” Depending on the size of your company and the annual volume of your purchasing, you need to analyze cost vs. savings. How much would an efficient purchasing agent cost vs. how much could an agent save you on buy out as well as coordinating on-time deliveries and returns?