What Was That Cost Approach Web Site

[Dave Baird]

A few years ago I used a good cost approach web site that was free and in some pretty good detail. It was named buildercost.net or builders.net.com or something along those lines. Does anyone know the web site or even if they are still around? I can't find them now on my Goggle search. Thanks.

 

[Bobby Bucks]

http://www.building-cost.net/

I wonder how Marshall & Swift's stock is doing these days?

 

[G-man]

Wow, thanks for the information. My office has the Marshall and Swift book, but it's not always available when I really need it. Now I can look up simple reproduction costs without it. Thanks!

 

[Claudia Cullen]

Thanks for the link Bobby! I have 3 reports due tomorrow so I guess I'll be getting some use out of this site!

 

[Robert Dunkle]

Has anyone out there compared M & S with this site? I tried this site on a couple houses in the Tulsa area and it comes out $4-5 / sf above what I'm seeing new houses sell for.

 

[Steve Gish]

This thing is GREAT. My only concern is, will it stand up in a court of law. I know the web site says we get our data from contractors and subcontractors, architectural and engineering firms, material suppliers, material price services, analysis of plans, specifications, estimates and completed project costs, and both published and unpublished cost studies. I'm green and have to question everything.

I tried it on my house here in KC and it came out pretty close, within 1-2% replacement vs. appraised value.

I ran costs on a new deck I'd had an estimate done on by a contracter and I came out $3.00 difference. Pretty good I thought.

 

[Tejus]

In general, the lower the construction quality of the house the closer the building-cost estimate is to my local cost data.

If the house is high quality with upgrades, I have to scale up the building-cost estimate.