PROJECT COST

REPORTING GUIDE

State University Construction Fund

H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
353 Broadway - Albany, NY 12246
www.sucf.suny.edu
SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 1
A. PREFACE

This PROJECT COST REPORTING GUIDE has been prepared for use in conjunction with
the State University Construction Fund’s (the “Fund”) Consultant’s Agreements.

The purpose of this Guide is to present and clarify the Fund’s requirements under Contract
Article I for estimating and reporting project costs, outline acceptable cost estimation
methods and establish reporting format for various scopes of work. This Guide is not
intended to be a training manual for consultants or their estimators, nor does it attempt to
offer guidance in every instance of variation of project detail which is inevitable in SUCF
projects. Please communicate any questions regarding the use and application of this Guide
to your Fund representative.

This guide is to be used in conjunction with the Fund’s program directives. Discuss any
potential conflicts with your Fund representative.

This Guide includes information regarding:

General Requirements

Project Scope Classifications

Phase Submission Requirements for Estimates

Estimate Content Descriptions

Deliverables

Copyrights and Confidentiality

Value Engineering

Appendixes

SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 2

B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Requirements for all submissions
a. All estimates, at all phases except for Program Verification/Concept phase, will
have line item costs broken out into labor and materials. Equipment costs, where
appropriate, must be included in the material column. Labor and material cost
breakouts must not be “proportional,” i.e. having a blanket percentage applied to
unit prices. They must reflect an actual analysis of the labor hours and productivity
rates required to perform a task and the actual cost of materials for an item.

b. Follow Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) format for all estimates. The Fund
has no specific direction for versions of CSI to use however the estimate must
conform to the design consultant’s specification coding as it applies to the project.
The format must be consistent throughout the project phases.

c. The level of detail included in the estimate must relate to the level of documents the
estimate is based on. If certain objects or items of construction work are identified
on the phase submission drawings then that work must be identified in a line item in
the estimate. Where quantities can be measured or calculated, lump sums or
square-foot pricing will not be accepted. Refer to section D for further clarification.

d. Estimates must include costs that are required to complete the construction project.
Work not shown must be conceptualized. Conceptualizations must be verified with
the design team for acceptability and intent, and described in an accompanying
narrative. It is unacceptable to use contingency funds to provide funding for a
scope of work even if it is not shown on phase drawings or not yet designed.

e. Labor cost must be consistent with the NYS Department of Labor prevailing wage
rates and staffing definitions. Use the most current rates as found on the
Department of Labor’s website. Verify if any special labor conditions or Project
Labor Agreements (PLA’s) will be in effect; if so use the appropriate wages as
required by the agreement where they differ. Document all labor costs used by
showing the base wage rate, insurance rates, benefits, taxes, and describe any
blended rates using apprentices and multiple trades. Link:
http://wpp.labor.state.ny.us/wpp/publicViewPWChanges.do?method=showIt

f. The Consultant must examine the scope of work and corresponding budget and
confirm that the scope as presented can be accomplished within the corresponding
budget. Any change to the program must be tracked, at each phase of design to
determine if budget requirements have changed.

g. Identify any unplanned, unusual or extraordinary conditions and assess the extent
and nature of any budgetary impact so the Fund can provide project direction.
Examples would include any special systems required by onsite conditions
(example: supported foundations, underpinning, work in a congested location),
additions to the original program (example: required code upgrades to existing
systems, repairs required as a result of discovery during building inspections),

SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 3

 extraneous site work (example: providing temporary contractor facilities or
relocation of site utilities) or changes in user/campus requirements.

h. All estimates must be prepared using current unit pricing. The estimate must
reflect the intended construction schedule; the Fund may provide (by ourselves or
via a third party) either a detailed schedule or a list of milestones depending upon
the level of design completeness. Estimates must include a factor for escalation to
price the estimate in the projected time frame based on the submitted construction
schedule. The escalation rate must be calculated from the date of the estimate to
the midpoint of construction. The rate must match that currently being used by the
Fund. For all phase submissions, escalation shall be the final markup on the
Summary Sheet as it is separately tracked by the Fund.

i. Refer to Appendix D of the Cost Reporting Guide for an example of a Detailed

Estimate Worksheet. This format must be used for all estimate phases; Schematic,
Design Manual or Pre-Bid.

j. In developing estimates, items such as availability of potential bidders, as well as

the need to adjust the projected bid date due to seasonal factors, must be
considered.

k. Refer to the Estimate Content Descriptions in Section D for a further description of

estimate content requirements acceptable for each phase submission.

l. Completion of an Estimate Summary Sheet and Narrative is required as part of

each Phase Submission.

2. Comparisons
a. With the submission of the current phase estimate, provide a comparison of the
previous phase estimate to the current phase estimate. Identify in the comparison
the reasons for major cost shifts and changes. The comparison format shall follow
the estimate format.

3. Conformance to SUCF Budgets and Realignment

a. If the Consultant’s estimate for the phase exceeds the Fund’s Budget, the
Consultant must examine the overall project and its original cost basis, and
describe the changes in the project that contribute to the cost overrun. These
changes may include differences in the project scope, inadequate funding at the
time of budget establishment, different existing conditions from the original
assumptions, or other reasons; identify objectively what they may be.

b. Identify a path back to the original budget. Reasonable project reductions required
to reduce the estimated cost to match the available budget can be considered.
Reductions must not affect the constructability of the project. Refer to section G,
Value Engineering, for more information.

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 4. Review of Estimates
a. The estimate provided will be reviewed in detail by the Fund and may be verified
with an independent second estimate obtained by the Fund. The Consultant and
its Cost Analyst shall review the Fund's comments and concerns and, if applicable,
its second “check” estimate, and revise and reconcile their estimate accordingly, or
provide further documentation to substantiate their costs. The process shall
proceed until the Consultant's estimate is acceptable to the Fund. This process
does not relieve the Consultant of their responsibilities under Section B(5)d of
Article I of the Consultant Agreement. Appendix F describes the sequencing of this
process. The Fund reserves the right to refuse estimates which, in its opinion, do
not conform to the guidelines included herein, or are not comprehensive, not
timely, grossly erroneous or for any other reason.

5. Scope
a. Estimates must reflect the scope of the project as described in the drawings,
specifications, and related reports. Estimates must not omit scope contained in the
documents. It is a requirement that the schematic and design manual phase
submissions capture the full intent of the overall project even though it is
understood that all the details, means or methods on how to accomplish the intent
will be established in future submissions.

6. Narratives
a. Estimates must be accompanied by a narrative or assumptions-and-qualifications
statement. The narrative must describe any solutions to construction issues
proposed by the estimator as they relate to cost and constructability, and in the
case of interpreting intent in the project, must describe what measures were made
to capture the true cost of the project. The narrative must clarify any conditions or
make discussion points to which the estimator cannot convey in numbers.

C. PROJECT SCOPE CLASSIFICATIONS

1. General
a. Estimates and scopes of work are classified as New Building, Rehabilitation or
Site Work. Many SUCF projects incorporate more than one classification; separate
estimates must be prepared for each. In this instance an executive project
summary combining all of the classifications must be prepared.

2. New Buildings/Additions
a. Any new building or an addition to an existing building falls into this classification.
New work is segregated so that appropriate unit costs can be derived from the
estimate and compared internally to historical costs for similar building types.

b. Generally, all of the work that is enclosed by the new building’s envelope and
foundations is to be included in this work classification. Excavation and backfill
necessary for installation of foundations is to be included. Similarly, slab sub-base
is to be included in this portion of the estimate. Damp-proofing, foundation

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 insulation, utilities inside and 5 feet beyond the building footprint, and foundation
drains are also to be included in this section of the estimate. Selective demolition
of existing interior space (where required by the new work) will be included in this
portion of the estimate. (Refer to Appendix B of the Cost Reporting Guide for the
Fund’s version of the Project Estimate Summary Sheet for New Buildings.)

3. Rehabilitation
a. Any renovation to an existing building or space is to be included in this portion of
the estimate. Selective demolition of existing interior space will be included in this
portion of the estimate.

b. Refer to Appendix B of the Cost Reporting Guide for the Fund’s version of the
Project Estimate Summary Sheet for Rehabilitation work.

4. Site Work
a. Site work includes all aspects of the project outside of the building envelope. Site
work is estimated as a separate component of the project to ensure accurate and
isolated building costs. All work such as mass excavation, pavements, sidewalks,
site utilities, athletic fields, site lighting, site improvements, etc. shall be grouped
into site. Note that building demolition (either whole buildings or select interior
demolition) is typically building related, these costs must be reported as part of the
New Building or Rehabilitation work classification.

b. In the case of site work or site utility projects that serve multiple buildings, or that
relocate utilities to enable other projects, the work must be identifiable from other
site costs so the value can be tracked by the Fund.

c. Refer to Appendix C of the Cost Reporting Guide for the Fund’s version of the
Project Estimate Summary Sheet for Site Work.

5. Appurtenant Buildings and Structures

a. A project may include accessory type buildings. Examples of these may include
connecting pedestrian bridges, chemical storage sheds, generator or switchgear
enclosures, etc. These structures must have estimates prepared separately from
the primary buildings they serve.

6. Projects with Multiple Phases

a. Projects that consist of multiple construction phases, or projects that encompass
design work for all construction phases of a project but intend to construct less
than the full scope, must have estimates that separate the cost on a per-phase
basis.

b. The cost to perform work in phases must be included in the estimate. Identify
actual work items (for example, temporary partitions, multiple mobilizations,
additional labor costs or any kind of work that is newly installed and then removed
at a later phase) in the phase in which the work occurs. Broadly defined “phasing

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 premiums” that consist of percentages applied to the cost of the work may not be
used.

7. Hazardous Materials Abatement

a. Projects that require hazmat abatement (including, but not limited to, lead,
asbestos, PCB’s, mercury, contaminated soil, etc.) must have costs included for
abatement. These costs will be included with the estimate classifications noted
above; for example, asbestos abatement could be in renovated buildings or
sitework, and contaminated soil removal could be part of all three classes. Do not
exclude hazmat remediation from a project estimate if it is part of a project.

D. DESIGN PHASE REQUIREMENTS FOR ESTIMATES

1. For All Phases

a. In all cases, the estimates submitted are responses to the consultant’s drawings,
specifications, design narratives and other submission documents. The level of
detail of the estimate must be commensurate or superior to the level of detail and
decisions made in the design submission.

b. Estimates are submit complete and in a timely fashion, and must include all
supporting documentation.

2. Program Verification / Concept Phase

a. As stated in the Consultant’s Agreement, Article I, Section B, Part (2) g., a
Concept Phase Cost Estimate verifying that the project can be completed within
the Program Budget is required. This is the only phase submission where a
labor/material breakdown is not required.

3. Schematic Phase
a. In the Schematic Phase, the estimate objective is to match the program scope,
after preliminary investigation by the Consultant, with proposed costs. Keep cost
estimates for program changes separate from the original scope. Whenever
possible, break the estimate into the most finite CSI format. Each line item will
have costs for Labor, Material and Total columns. At this phase, vendor material
budgets for major or unique equipment must be included as back-up to the
estimate. All markups are to be included on the Project Estimate Summary
Sheet(s).

4. Design Manual Phase

a. Estimates shall be taken off as finitely as possible with separate Labor, Material
and Total columns for each line item. Market condition research must be ongoing,
which includes the availability of potential bidders. At this phase, material quotes

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 for major equipment must be included as back-up to the estimate. All markups
shall be separately displayed on the Project Estimate Summary Sheet(s).
Approved changes are to be segregated within the estimate for ease of review.

5. Pre-Bid Phase
a. The estimate shall reflect the full scope of work, in line item fashion, including
separate Labor, Material and Total columns for each line item. No lump sums or
square foot allowances will be permitted. Manufacturer’s quotations for major
equipment must be supplied as back-up. Market conditions research must be
complete and corresponding adjustments incorporated, if necessary. Escalation
factors, if any, are to be adjusted based on approved project schedule changes.
For projects that include an extensive amount of work within a single trade, a more
finite estimate breakdown is to be provided. Costs associated with constructability,
such as phasing plan costs or premium time, are to be included and clearly
identified at this time.

6. Post Pre-Bid Phase Through Bid Award

a. The costs identified with any change to the scope as a result of Fund comments
after the Pre-Bid submission must be estimated and forwarded for consideration.
At the release of bidding documents, the consultant is expected to market the
project to contractors to garner the maximum number of possible bidders. Should
bid results vary considerably from the budget (guidelines vary depending on the
size of a project) a post-bid evaluation will be required, from the Consultant, to
explain the variance. This requirement must be completed within 7 calendar days
of the receipt of bids, as a determination on whether to award the construction
contract must take place by the Fund shortly after receipt of bids.

b. Addenda, if any, must have an estimate describing the cost impact. Include a cost
estimate that details any budget impacts and issue it to the Fund for review not
less than 1 week prior to the bid opening. It is acceptable to issue one estimate
that encompasses multiple addenda.

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 7. Summary of Contingencies and Markups for Phase Submissions
a. The following tables summarize the maximum recommended mark-up and
contingencies for each phase submission. Any deviations from these rates require
a detailed explanation.

Phase *General **Overhead ***Design ****Bid Escalation %

Submission Conditions & Profit Contingency Contingency
Date of estimate
Concept/Program Not more
See Below 15% 5% to midpoint of
Verification than 10%
construction
Date of estimate
Not more
Schematic See Below 10% 5% to midpoint of
than 10%
construction
Date of estimate
Not more
Design Manual See Below 5% 5% to midpoint of
than 10%
construction
Date of estimate
Not more
Pre Bid See Below 0% 5% to midpoint of
than 10%
construction

* General Conditions percentages must be reflective of the working conditions,

schedule and means/methods of construction. A detailed estimate of general
condition items is acceptable in lieu of a percentage.
** Overhead and Profit percentages must be reflective of the complexity of the
project scope, economic climate as well as the overall base construction cost.
For projects under $1,000,000 the average rate is 12.5%.
For projects between $1,000,000 and $15,000,000 the average rate
must not exceed 10%.
For projects between $15,000,000 and $50,000,000 the average rate
must not exceed 8%.
For projects over $50,000,000 the average rate must not exceed 6%.
*** Design Contingency percentages must reflect the level of completeness of the
contract documents at the submitted phase. The percentages shown are a not-to-
exceed value.

****Bid Contingency percentages must reflect the economic climate of the area at
the time of bidding. The Fund, at its discretion, may direct the consultant to use a
differing percentage or exclude bid contingency from a project estimate.

Do not include hidden contingencies, lower tier contractor markups, or unnecessary

percentages on item costs in an estimate. Unit labor and material prices shall represent
bare cost with no hidden markups. Material and equipment cost shall be based on
quoted or current market pricing.

b. Do not include contingencies or markups for the following:

Green building costs - These costs must be included in the estimate line items; a
percentage allocated for this work is not acceptable.

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 Phasing - Increases in construction cost required by a phased project must be
identified in the line items as construction scope; a percentage for this work is not
acceptable.
Overtime or premium time - If the project requires a non-standard rate, identify the
time any premium or shift differential work is applicable to in the estimate line
items. Again, a percentage for this cost is not acceptable. Note that the Fund does
not generally permit large amounts of overtime, in accordance with State policy,
and any need for this is a rare occurrence.

c. Markups for Mechanical and Electrical Trades

In all estimates, pricing for Fire Protection, Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical trades
must be included at the Subcontractor’s cost to produce. Separate line items
shall be included to show the overhead and profit, general conditions, insurance
and bonding costs of the subcontractor and these items will be included in the
estimate detail. This is a requirement for all estimates at all phases.

d. Fund’s Contract Approach

Estimates must reflect the Fund’s approach to awarding contracts as established
by the State Legislature. The Fund is exempt from the Wicks Law. Virtually all
contracts are awarded to a single prime contractor who is then responsible for his
own subcontractor agreements. The contracts are awarded on a lump-sum basis
to the lowest qualified bidder. The estimate is required to reflect this contracting
approach. There are occasional exceptions to this policy and the Fund will advise
the consultant if this policy will not be in effect for a specific project.

E. ESTIMATE CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS

The following table outlines the acceptable content for each phase submission in the
design process. Refer to this table when progressing from one design phase submission
to the next to clarify the requirements for each phase estimate.

Provide estimate detail organized in CSI Format. Specific version of CSI shall match the
organization of the design consultant’s specifications. A “systems” format is unacceptable.
Format Utilize separate Project Estimate Summary Sheets for each new building, each rehabilitation,
each addition, and each related site work project. Base cost shall be in current dollars and
pricing.

Schematic: Lump sums shall represent complete systems and be inclusive of all anticipated
ancillary work for that system. The actual labor rates and equipment cost shall be incorporated
into lump sums. Pricing shall represent labor, material, tools, shipping, equipment rental,
Lump Sum rigging, hoisting, etc. as required. Vendor quotes (provided selections are confirmed) must be
Pricing provided at the time of the phase submission.

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 Design Manual: Lump sum pricing shall be kept to a minimum at this phase. Vendor quotes, if
available, must be provided at the time of the phase submission.

Pre Bid: Lump sum pricing is unacceptable at this phase unless the work is of a highly
specialized nature and is substantiated by subcontractor or vendor quote. The quote must be
provided. Quotes shall be all inclusive of labor, material, equipment, supervision, etc.

Schematic: Quantity take off shall include take off from drawings / schematic plans. Anticipate
and conceptualize work not yet shown, but required for a complete system.
Quantity Takeoff
Design Manual: Takeoff shall indicate square feet, linear feet, cubic yards, etc. and counts for
individual pieces of equipment from drawings. Lumps sums shall be kept to a minimum.
Detailed takeoffs shall be provided for all divisions

Pre Bid: A detailed takeoff shall be provided showing all quantities for work included on
project. Lumps sums are unacceptable. The takeoff shall be as detailed as possible to provide
as true a representation of the scope of work.

Unit pricing shall be all inclusive of labor, supervision, material, tools, shipping, equipment
Unit Pricing rental, rigging, hoisting, etc. Material and labor costs shall represent typical market conditions
for the project location.

Schematic: Indicate pricing for components in individual divisions. Material and equipment
pricing shall represent typical market conditions at the location of the project.

Design Manual: Pricing for materials and equipment shall be adjusted for anticipated market
conditions and actual quotations from vendors. Include vendor quotations for major equipment
/ subcontracts with phase submission.

Pre-Bid: Update material and equipment pricing as necessary due to refinements in design.
Material Pricing Provide updated manufacturer's / subcontractor's quotes to verify major equipment / system
pricing.

In all cases, material pricing for each line item shall be in a discrete column. Equipment cost
items which represent a significant sum (examples: tower cranes, external hoists on high-rise
buildings, or any equipment costs that are pivotal to the constructability of the project) must
have their own line item costs identified in the estimate. General conditions percentages must
be adjusted to reflect the inclusion of equipment costs in the estimate detail where appropriate,
i.e. do not “double dip.”

Schematic: Labor cost shall be based on actual prevailing wage rates at the project location.
Labor rates shall be representative of the trade being estimated.

Design Manual: Confirm that labor rates are current and verify rates for different divisions.
Labor hours shall be indicative of the work represented on drawings and anticipate work not
yet shown on drawings.
Labor Pricing
Pre Bid: Verify labor rates and scope of work for labor takeoff. Adjust labor hours to
compensate for refinements in scope and job conditions.

In all cases, labor pricing for each line item shall be in a discrete column. Special labor cost
situations (example: weekend or shift work, any labor costs that are pivotal to the
constructability of the project) must have their own line item costs identified in the estimate.

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 Apply reasonable markup for General Conditions for bonds, job trailer, project management
and supervision, coordination, meetings, submittals, shop drawings, CPM schedules,
construction photographs, administrative work, temporary facilities, temporary utilities, cleaning
and fencing. Identify GC costs for special or unusual conditions (such as marine or railroad
General insurance, exceptional traffic protection, security requirements, etc.) as a separate line item.
Conditions Refer to section D.7 of the Cost Reporting Guide for mark-up percentages for each phase
submission. General Conditions shall appear on the Summary Sheet(s). Special equipment
(such as common-use cranes) or construction conditions (such as sheeting/shoring or offsite
staging areas) must be separately identified in the estimate detail and not “double dipped” in
the GC percentage.

Apply reasonable markup for overhead to include contractor's home office operation,
Overhead insurances, administration payroll, payment and performance bond, etc. Refer to section D.7 of
the Cost Reporting Guide for mark-up percentages for each phase submission. Overhead shall
appear on the Summary Sheet(s).

Apply reasonable markup for contractor’s profit. Refer to section D.7 of the Cost Reporting
Profit Guide for mark-up percentages for each phase submission. Profit shall appear on the
Summary Sheet(s)

Schematic: Abnormal market conditions are not typically forecastable at this phase.

Design Manual: Extraneous market conditions for material, labor and equipment may be
evident at this time. Project schedule must be considered to adjust for market conditions.
Equipment, material and labor costs must be adjusted to compensate for market conditions.
Abnormal Market
Pre Bid: Verify local market conditions for the project and verify quantity of available and
Conditions
willing bidders for project. Compensate for heavy competition or lack thereof for project.
Identify as additional line item / markup at end of estimate.

Abnormal Market Conditions costs are rarely applicable to SUCF projects. Such costs shall
appear on the Summary Sheet(s). In all cases a detailed description of such conditions, and
potential mitigation, is required as part of the submission.

Apply design contingency to accommodate anticipated refinements in drawings, specifications

Design
and scope of work. Refer to section D.7 of the Cost Reporting Guide for mark-up percentages
Contingency
for each phase submission. Design Contingency shall appear on the Summary Sheet(s).

Apply bidding contingency to accommodate variations in contractor bids. Refer to section D.7
Bidding
of the Cost Reporting Guide for mark-up percentages for each phase submission. Show on the
Contingency
Summary Sheet(s). The Fund may, at its option, exclude this contingency.

Incorporate escalation in accordance with project schedule into estimate. Escalation shall be
calculated from the date of the estimate to the midpoint of construction according to project
Escalation
schedule. Escalation shall appear on the Summary Sheet(s). Verify the correct SUCF rate with
the Cost group.

SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 12

F. DELIVERABLES
1. General Discussion – Estimates must be complete and comprehensive. It is acceptable
to have estimates prepared by experts in different trades, however, each part of an
estimate must be combined into a single, complete summary sheet, and each component
must have a consistent format and appearance. The complete estimate must be
submitted at the same time as the design package to which it represents.

2. Electronic Submissions – All estimates must be submitted in electronic format.

Microsoft Excel is the only acceptable software for submissions. The Fund does not
require any data or formulas that the consultant may consider proprietary or copyrighted,
however, the submission must have active formulas such that the Fund can modify the
submission and return to the consultant for review. At a minimum, line item extension
formulas (a*b=c), column subtotals and links from subtotals to summaries must be
present. Editable PDF’s are not acceptable, nor are Excel files that have been “range
valued” such that no mathematical formulas remain.

3. Material Quotations – Estimates that incorporate certain equipment, machinery or

unique, proprietary or special systems must have costs for these systems documented
separately. Such items may include large emergency generators, electrical switchgear,
thermal generating equipment (boilers or chillers), automated parking equipment, or any
product or material custom made or not sourced through normal commercial channels.
Any product or system that represents more than 10% of the value of a submitted
estimate must have its costs verified with a material quote. These quotations must
include pricing for the specified product or material, and describe the scope of services
associated with it, i.e. delivery, assembly, maintenance agreements, training, etc. The
quote must be from a source that is authorized to sell the product by the manufacturer.
Historical data, or quotes for similar or equal products obtained from other projects, is not
an acceptable substitute for quotations for the specific project.

G. COPYRIGHTS AND CONFIDENTIALITY

1. Copyright – In accordance with the contract, consultants are reminded that all work
product for a project is the property of the State of New York. This includes all
deliverables related to the Cost Estimate as well as materials described within this
document that are intended to support the estimate.

2. Limitations – Consultant and their estimators are not required to convey copyrights of
source materials to the State of New York. Such source materials may include
spreadsheet designs, information from historical databases, or proprietary formulas or
algorithms.

3. Confidentiality – Cost data for any Fund project is to be treated with the utmost privacy.
Project cost data shall not be disseminated to any party outside of the Fund’s project
team, nor shall it be made available to contractors, material suppliers, or outside
organizations or individuals. Requests for cost data made under the Freedom of
Information Law must be referred back to the Fund.

SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 13

 4. Reuse of data – The Fund expressly prohibits the resale of complete or partial project
cost data to any and all outside parties, for any purpose. In the interest of aiding industry
collaboration, the sharing of project cost data for comparison or historical purposes is
acceptable provided the following is performed:

a. The project name and location is anonymized and regionalized, and not identified
specifically.
b. Public bidding on the project has been completed.
c. At the point of the project’s beneficial occupancy, the constraint of item (a) above
shall be withdrawn.

H. VALUE ENGINEERING
1. General Discussion – In the interest of maximizing value for the campus clients, users,
students and taxpayers, all Fund projects, at every cost estimate submission, and not
withstanding any project size or cost, will include a Value Engineering suggestion section.

2. Projects under budget - For projects that are at or under budget, a listing of ideas,
without pricing, will be an acceptable submission.

3. Projects over budget – For projects over the Fund’s established budget, a listing of
ideas along with deduct pricing will be required. The pricing will be detailed using the
same line items and level of detail that has been supplied in the phase estimate
submission.

4. Scope and nature of ideas – Value Engineering should reflect an in-depth brainstorming
of cost saving alternate solutions to a design problem. In this spirit, virtually all ideas
should be made available for team review, including ideas that may conflict with Fund
standards or those that may be counter to campus or user requests. VE ideas that
include random or generalized reductions in scope, including reductions in net SF or the
wholesale deletion of space, building structural bays, or fitout of areas are discouraged
and should not be suggested as methods to regain budget and contract compliance.

5. Presentation – VE should be organized by trade, and costs built up based on CSI

divisions, as the remainder of the estimate. A copy of the SUCF VE reporting log is
shown in the Appendix and is available as a live Excel file from your Fund representative.
This log shall be used for all VE submissions.

SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 14

APPENDICES
Appendix A:
AREA TAKEOFF METHODOLOGY FOR COST ESTIMATING

1. General
a. The areas defined below are used to determine the Program Budget for projects that
deal with new construction, and where applicable, major rehabilitations. The definitions
provided herein are intended to be comprehensive; however, situations may arise for
which this guide is not inclusive, including some possible specific conflicts with the
Design standards. Questions regarding such situations must be directed to the
assigned Construction Fund Design Coordinator.

2. Net Program Area

a. The Net Program Area is the programmable interior floor space enclosed by walls,
ceiling and/or roof, and a constructed floor assigned to a particular academic or support
function of a building. The Net Program Area for various types of space (i.e.,
laboratories, classrooms, offices, etc.) is subject to Facility Programming Standards
established by the State University of New York (SUNY) in conjunction with the Fund.

3. Optimum Gross Area

a. The Optimum Gross Area of a building is the net program area, plus all additional
building space theoretically necessary to connect the areas in an efficient design
solution. The Optimum Gross Area is arrived at by multiplying the Net Program Area by
a Grossing Factor. Grossing Factors vary with the type of space being constructed and
have been generated from historical data compiled by the Fund.

4. Design Gross Area

a. The Design Gross Area of a building is the total space enclosed by the exterior walls of
a structure. For the purpose of establishing the Project Program Budget, the design
gross area is calculated on a straight area basis as taken off from design drawings.
Typically this is the area used to develop the project cost estimate, as it is the
“actual” area of the building.

5. Areas Included In Design Gross Area (Space not included in net program area)
a. Building Components
• Space occupied by columns, walls and partitions, shafts, chases, furred space.
• Toilet rooms (including vestibule and dressing rooms).
• Locker space in public areas (Locker Room will be assigned Net Area).
• Closet or Coat space (Cloak Rooms will be assigned Net Area).

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 b. Public Areas
• Display space • Stair hall and stairway
• Anterooms to any Net Area space • Elevator and escalator
• Corridor or passage • Book lifts and dumbwaiter
• Circulation space
• Pedestrian tunnels

c. Service Areas
• Janitor or utility closet • Air conditioning, mechanical, fan
• Mechanical / Electrical Rooms rooms, penthouses, mezzanines,
• Steam and heat distribution room shafts
• Telephone switch room, IDF
rooms

6. Areas NOT To Be Included In Gross Area

• Plazas, uncovered atria or other site features not part of a building
• Loading dock platforms that are not inside a building
• Porches, platforms or decks
• Areas under canopies that are otherwise not enclosed
• Below-grade spaces that are uninhabitable, i.e. elevator pits, pump pits, pipe or
utility tunnels, or transformer vaults that are outside the building
• Non-assignable accessory buildings or sheds, such as emergency generator
enclosures or chemical and gas storage sheds

Note that the cost for these parts of a building must be included in the overall estimate. They must
be clearly defined as being a special part of the project cost and not the overall building.

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Appendix B:
SAMPLE ESTIMATE SUMMARY SHEET FOR NEW BUILDINGS,
BUILDING ADDITIONS, OR REHABILITATED BUILDINGS

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Appendix C:
SAMPLE ESTIMATE SUMMARY SHEET FOR SITE WORK AND
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

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Appendix D:
SAMPLE DETAIL ESTIMATE WORKSHEET
The following worksheet depicts an example of the required format for estimates submitted to
the Fund. This is the minimum acceptable level of information required. Please refer to section
E for a complete description of the estimate format and content required for each Phase
Submission.

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Appendix E:
EQUIPMENT COST FOR PROJECTS
Group II Equipment - Equipment that is permanently connected to a facility with design
characteristics that must be coordinated with various trades is classified as Group II and
typically identified in CSI Divisions 10, 11 and 12. Some examples include laboratory fume
hoods, sterilizers, dishwashers, scoreboards, permanent basketball backboards, folding
partitions, floor mats, etc. This equipment must be included in the project estimate.

Group III Equipment - Equipment that requires floor space but does not require a
permanent connection to a utility is classified as Group III. Some examples include desks,
chairs, A/V equipment, computers, telephone system hardware, etc. This equipment is not
included as part of the project estimate.

Telecommunications and data wiring may be classified as Group III Equipment or as part
of the base building scope. This is a campus decision. Verify the status of this item with
the project’s Design Coordinator.

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Appendix F:
FLOW CHART FOR SUCF REVIEW OF ESTIMATES

This information is supplied for the consultant’s understanding of SUCF internal procedures
and steps to reconcile and approve an estimate. These may change at the discretion of the
Fund.

Consultant SUCF DC SUCF Costing

delivers phase submits estimate reviews documents YES
submission to & related docs to and marks up Costing
SUCF Design SUCF Costing. electronic estimate. agrees
Coordinator with
(DC).

Costing may perform Costing may make

in-house estimate or informal inquiries to NO
obtain third party marketplace, consultant or
“check” estimate. their estimating sub-

Consultant Reconciliatio DC submits Costing

revises n meeting marked-up submits
estimate takes place electronic marked-up
and submits with DC, estimate to electronic
to DC consultant, consultant. estimate to
estimating
sub-
consultant
and third

Costing utilizes
consultant’s
estimate
(reconciled or
YES not) as basis for
Costing
DC submits fee payment
agrees with
revised estimate recommendation
revised
to Costing. memo and
estimate?
internal budget.

NO

Costing utilizes previous

YES NO budget, in-house or check
Additional estimate as basis for fee Costing finalizes
reconciliati payment recommendation internal budget
on attempt? memo and internal and recommends
budget. DC discusses the further progress.
decision with the
consultant.

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Appendix G:
ESTIMATE ORGANIZATION EXAMPLE
The following is an example of an organization of multiple component, multiple phase
estimates required. (See also Appendix H.) The example is based on the following scope:

Campus X requires a new science laboratory. The new building will be sited partly atop the location
of an outdated structure which will be demolished. It will have a pedestrian bridge connecting to a
nearby, existing building, which will contain faculty offices for the instructors assigned to the lab.
This existing building will be partly renovated to accommodate these offices. The laboratory also
has a small, separate storage building where solvents and reagents are kept. Several utility projects
are required to allow the construction to take place on the site. When complete the project will
incorporate site amenities and features that will integrate the new and existing facilities into a
complete part of the campus. Several alternates are planned to maximize funding usage.

Master Summary
(rolling up total project construction costs and
repeating values from the list of alternates)

New Building Demolition of Sitework Renovated

Summary Existing Bldg Summary Bldg Estimate

(rolling up all new (showing unit price (rolling up all site (showing unit price
building costs) detail and all costs for the project) detail and all
markups) markups)

New Laboratory Phase 1

Building Estimate Steam Mains
(showing unit price detail and all markups) (showing unit price detail and all markups)

Pedestrian Bridge Phase 2

Estimate Steam Mains
(showing unit price detail and all markups) (showing unit price detail and all markups)

Chemical Storage Building Water Main

Estimate Relocation
(showing unit price detail and all markups) (showing unit price detail and all markups)

Alternates List & Estimate All Other

(showing unit price detail and all markups, Sitework
rolling up to a separate list) (showing unit price detail and all markups)

SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 22

Appendix H:
SAMPLE MASTER SUMMARY SHEET EXAMPLE

SUCF Project Cost Reporting Guide Rev 3/16 23

 Appendix I:
VALUE ENGINEERING LOG

Appendix J:
CONTACTS

For all project related questions, contact your SUCF Design Coordinator.
For general questions regarding estimating standards and procedures, contact:

Chief Estimator, Capital Program Management

(518) 320-1770

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