Custom builder Jerry Householder can help you improve your estimating abilities and discover better ways to do a quantity takeoff, whether you prefer to use pen and paper or estimating software. He teams up with builder Emile Marchive III to show you: types of estimates and when to use them; tips and formulas for figuring quantities easily and accurately; procedures for integrating estimating with cost control, purchasing, and scheduling; how computer estimating can enhance your work; how establishing and maintaining a database facilitates your future estimates.

This second edition provides a new, larger sample floor plan and new elevations, work sheets, checklists, a comprehensive glossary, plus a list of resources and recommended reading. It has all you need to quickly come up to speed with the concepts and terms necessary to ensure that your next estimate is easier to understand and more accurate. Bring your houses in under budget and make your construction process more efficient by developing complete and accurate estimates. The closer you come to completing a job within budget, the less likely you are to waste time and money-and that means more profit!