CHAPTER 9 PLANNING, ESTIMATING, AND SCHEDULING

Good construction planning and estimating procedures are essential for the Naval Construction Forces (NCFs) to provide quality construction response to the fleet's operational requirements. This chapter gives you helpful information for planning, estimating, and scheduling construction projects normally undertaken by Seabees. The material is designed to help you understand the concepts and principles involved; it is not intended to be a reference or to establish procedures. The techniques described are suggested methods that have been proved with use and can result in effective planning and estimating. It is your responsibility to decide how and when to apply these techniques.

Later in the chapter, you will encounter helpful tables to aid you in effective planning and estimating. Keep in mind that these tables are not intended to establish production standards. They should be used with sound judgment and in accordance with established regulations and project specifications. Man-hour tables are based upon direct labor and do not include allowances for indirect or overhead labor.

We provide helpful references at the end of the chapter. You are encouraged to study these, as required, for additional information on the topics discussed.

DEFINITIONS

LEARNING OBJECTIVE. Upon completing This section, you should be able to identify basic planning, estimating, and scheduling terms.

In planning any project, you must be familiar with the vocabulary commonly associated with planning, estimating, and scheduling. Here, we'll define a number of terms you need to know as a Builder.

PLANNING

Planning is the process of determining requirements, and devising and developing methods and action for constructing a project. Good construction planning is a combination of many elements: the activity, material, equipment, and manpower estimates; project layout; project location; material delivery and storage; work schedules; quality control; special tools required; environmental protection; safety; and progress control. All of these elements depend upon each other. They must all be considered in any well-planned project.

ESTIMATING

Estimating is the process of determining the amount and type of work to be performed and the quantities of material, equipment, and labor required. Lists of these quantities and types of work are called estimates.

PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES

Preliminary estimates are made from limited information, such as the general description of projects or preliminary plans and specifications having little or no detail. Preliminary estimates are prepared to establish costs for the budget and to program general manpower requirements.

DETAILED ESTIMATES

Detailed estimates are precise statements of quantities of material, equipment, and manpower required to construct a given project. Underestimating quantities can cause serious delays in construction and even result in unfinished projects. A detailed estimate must be accurate to the smallest detail to correctly quantify requirements.

ACTIVITY ESTIMATES

An activity estimate is a listing of all the steps required to construct a given project, including specific descriptions as to the limits of each clearly definable quantity of work (activity). Activity quantities provide the basis for preparing the material, equipment, and manpower estimates. They are used to provide the basis for scheduling material deliveries, equipment, and manpower. Because activity estimates are used to prepare other estimates and schedules, errors in these estimates can multiply many times. Be careful in their preparation!

MATERIAL ESTIMATES

A material estimate consists of a listing and description of the various materials and the quantities required to construct a given project. Information for preparing material estimates is obtained from the activity estimates, drawings, and specifications. A material estimate is sometimes referred to as "a Bill of Material (BM)" or "a Material Takeoff (MTO) Sheet." (We will discuss the BM and the MTO a little later in the chapter.)

EQUIPMENT ESTIMATES

Equipment estimates are listings of the various types of equipment, the amount of time, and the number of pieces of equipment required to construct a given project. Information, such as that obtained from activity estimates, drawings, specifications, and an inspection of the site, provides the basis for preparing the equipment estimates.

MANPOWER ESTIMATES

The manpower estimate consists of a listing of the number of direct labor man-days required to complete the various activities of a specific project. These estimates may show only the man-days for each activity, or they may be in sufficient detail to list the number of man-days for each rating in each activity-Builder (BU), Construction Electrician (CE), Equipment Operator (EO), Steelworker (SW), and Utilitiesman (UT). Man-day estimates are used in determining the number of personnel and the ratings required on a deployment. They also provide the basis for scheduling manpower in relation to construction progress.

When the Seabee Planner's and Estimator's Handbook, NAVFAC P-405, is used, a man-day is a unit of work performed by one person in one 8-hour day or its equivalent. One man-day is equivalent to a 10-hour day when the Facilities Planning Guide, NAVFAC P-437, is used.

Battalions set their own schedules, as needed, to complete their assigned tasks. In general, the work schedule of the battalion is based on an average of 55 hours per man per week. The duration of the workday is 10 hours per day, which starts and ends at the jobsite. This includes 9 hours for direct labor and 1 hour for lunch.

Direct labor includes all labor expended directly on assigned construction tasks, either in the field or in the shop, that contributes directly to the completion of the end product. Direct labor must be reported separately for each assigned construction item. In addition to direct labor, the estimator must also consider overhead labor and indirect labor. Overhead labor is considered productive labor that does not contribute directly or indirectly to the product. It includes all labor that must be performed regardless of the assigned mission. Indirect labor includes labor required to support construction operations but does not, in itself, produce an end product.

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