Construction project management necessitates exceptional planning, organisation, and execution skills. A successful building project necessitates the collaboration of a team of specialists and suppliers. Contractors must collaborate closely with developers to establish the project’s scope in order to properly manage a construction project.
Construction is a time-sensitive industry that necessitates meticulous planning of project milestones, as well as their associated expenses. In order to have a successful project, contractors must create and adhere to a detailed budget.
What is a Construction Budget?
A construction budget is an estimate of the amount of money needed to complete a project from start to finish, including all associated costs and expenses incurred during the construction process. While the budget is an attempt to predict all costs associated with a construction project, you should leave some leeway to account for any unforeseen building expenditures or crises.
Construction budget planning is also essential for the estimate and purchase of materials. To determine what materials would be required, construction project managers start with the project plan, which is most likely a blueprint. Job site preparation expenditures, such as demolition, equipment rentals, permitting, and inspection charges, must all be addressed.
As the project progresses, additional costs emerge. For example, all on-site workers are subject to labour costs and safety regulations. Another factor to consider is transportation. Construction projects for both residential and commercial use will have different costs. All of these factors must be taken into account and calculated.
Why is Construction Budgeting Important?
When it comes to construction, builders and contractors have to work with limited funds. This is usually provided by a stakeholder looking to invest in the project and make a profit, which is why it is important to have a comprehensive budget to present to them. Without a basic budget baseline, you risk taking too much or too little of an investment and in turn creating problems for your project.
A construction project can only work seamlessly if you have a proper budget plan. Budget plans are also a great way to take your project from start to finish without any unaccounted expenses, allowing you to stay on schedule.
What is Included in a Construction Budget?
If you want to make a proper budget plan for your construction project, it is important to first understand the three basic cost categories. They are:
- Direct costs: These are the basic costs of your project, such as heavy equipment, labour and materials.
- Indirect costs: These are also known as general conditions and are essentially divided into three sections preconstruction costs, construction organization costs and project operating costs.
- Profit and Overhead: Profit is the gap between what you spent and what you earned. Overhead costs are operating expenses associated with running your project or business.
What you should include in your construction project budget is determined on the project you’re working on. However, a building budget should generally include the following:
1. Property
This cost is determined by the location of your construction and the scope of your project. This comprises the purchase price of the lot, as well as real estate fees, financing, and taxes.
2. Professional Fees and Services
Permitting, surveying, testing, architectural and design, master planning, structural, electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering, accounting, banking, and real estate expenses are all included in these costs.
3. Materials
Materials expenses, unlike other costs, can be negotiated, especially if you have a good relationship with your suppliers. Material expenditures are normally divided down into two categories: site preparation and building structure, and they account for a major amount of your construction budget.
4. Labor
This figure represents the cost of your workers, subcontractors, equipment operators, and other human resources. You should consider hourly salaries and workers’ compensation, vacation, and sick leave.
5. Equipment and Tools
The costs of materials and labour will influence the equipment and tools you choose, allowing you to determine what you’ll need to rent for the work. Include delivery, operation, fuel, and maintenance expenditures in your budget.
6. Project Management
To avoid overpaying, project management approaches help arrange and monitor a budget. Consider the price of project management software, as well as the cost of any office space, utilities, internet access, phone fees, and office supplies.
7. Insurance and Bonds
All construction projects are required by law to be insured. A deposit or bond could also be requested as a sign of faith that your company will follow through and pay all subcontractors, tradesmen, and suppliers. You are likely to be subjected to this if you’re working on a government project.
8. Utilities and Taxes
This comprises the costs of gas, water, sewer, and electricity at the construction site. It’s also likely that municipal and state taxes will apply to the development project. The extent and type of construction project you’re supervising determine these rates.
5. Contingency
This is where you give your budget some breathing room to handle unforeseen charges and expenses. Changes in scope, design or material upgrades, machinery breakdowns, accidents, and acts of God are all examples of this. Your contingency fund should typically be between three and ten percent of your entire budget.
How to Create a Construction Budget?
Managers in construction project management use three processes to generate a construction budget that is an accurate projection of how much the work ahead will cost. They are as follows:
1. Project Research and Analysis
You must analyze historical data for previous construction projects, interact with suppliers, and comprehend the job you’re about to start to accurately anticipate how much a construction project will cost. Examine resources, design possibilities, and other factors to set realistic expectations.
2. Project Development
After conducting research, the project owner or architect selects a final design. This information is used by the project manager to develop a requirements list, which includes materials and cost estimates. This informs the project bidding process, in which the project owner selects a general contractor and establishes the framework for constructing the actual construction budget.
3. Pre-Construction and Documentation
Now is the time for the project manager to speak with the stakeholders. This identifies prospective concerns that can be addressed prior to the project’s execution. The project manager has a paper trail to illustrate where unexpected expenditures may arise by recording the pre-construction period. The building budget can be influenced by these possible charges.
Things to Avoid When Construction Budgeting
Inaccurate estimations are one of the most common mistakes project managers make when putting together a construction budget. This might be compounded if you don’t have a firm project schedule in place before attempting a budgeting prediction.
Also, while estimating, there’s a tendency to focus solely on the bottom line, which can lead to general contractors accepting the lowest offers. The low cost may initially please your stakeholders, but if the work is of poor quality, that satisfaction will be short-lived. It can damage your reputation and, in the long run, cost you more money.
Your strategy is just as important as the building timeline. Putting off creating a detailed plan for your construction project will only slow you down in the long run. You might overlook dependencies, design faults, and other issues. This will cause the project to be delayed and may result in a budget overrun.
How Collab Management Helps with Construction Budgets?
At Collab Management we use an integrated project delivery approach. This, paired with our team of professional experts, gives us the knowledge, experience and connections we need to take your construction project to the next level.
With Collab Management by your side, you can create a comprehensive budget plan tailored to your project and have the guidance you need to seamlessly implement it. Contact us today or request a free quote online to learn more about our services!