High Tech Solution to Calculate Construction Costs

If you are planning to build a house, then the first thing you have to do is to calculate construction costs. Although you can easily ask for estimates from builders and contractors, it is still best if you can determine the actual expenses of materials you will use for the project.

Here is a high tech solution to accurately estimate the construction costs for any house building project.

Using Architectural Design Software

In the past, estimating construction costs was very expensive. First, you need to hire a licensed architect to design the house structure. Professional fees of architects are costly and this could take away significant portion of your budget for the project.

After getting the final blue print of the house design, then you have to ask several contractors to give you an estimate for the construction costs. However, most estimates will exceed your budget which could dent your finances.

By using architectural design software, you eliminate the need to hire an architect and you can easily determine the actual cost of materials for the project. There are lots of user-friendly design applications you can use and some of them you can download for free.

The Process of Computer-Aided House Design

The first thing you have to do is to select a house building and design application that would be easy to use. This way, you will not spend much time learning to use the software.

You have to find a construction design application that has a drag and drop utility. This will allow you to simply point and select the types of building materials you will use and drag-and-drop these to create a house structure.

All the elements of house building will be included in such applications. You can start by creating the structure of the house. Then you have to build walls, floors, windows, and roofing.

Once you created the basic house design, you can now switch to interior design mode. You will be able to select floor tiling, kitchen construction, plumbing, electrical wiring, and other aspects of house building.

If you can master the software, you will be able to create a complete house design with accurate measurements of dimensions in less than a week.

Automating Construction Costs

Now that you have a complete house design, the next step is to estimate the costs of materials you used on your design. You can run a complete inventory check from the software.

The design application will generate an accurate count of materials used for the design. You will get a complete accounting of materials that will be used for the house down to the smallest kitchen tiles.

Once you have the data, simply print out the list and start calling several construction material stores. You can also use to Internet to get different pricelists of house building materials. Base on the prices you gathered, you can now calculate the actual cost of your project.

Estimating construction costs nowadays is easier and faster if you utilize computer aided design software. All you have to do is to add the labor cost and other contingency expenses and you will be able to get an accurate estimation of the entire construction costs.

George Edmondson is an accomplished writer on construction costs estimation. There are numerous articles and resources about construction costs that you can find. Simply visit http://www.aboutconstructioncosts.com and learn how to accurately estimate construction costs.