CEC Cost Databases & Resources 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which RS Means cost data line item component represents the cost of labor, material, and equipment combined for a specific task?
- Bare cost (Correct answer)
- Total including O&P
- Crew cost
- Unit price
Correct answer: Bare cost
Bare cost in RS Means represents the direct cost of labor, material, and equipment without overhead and profit markups.
Question 2: The BNi Building News cost database is primarily organized by which format?
- MasterFormat divisions (Correct answer)
- UniFormat assemblies
- CSI SectionFormat
- OmniClass tables
Correct answer: MasterFormat divisions
BNi Building News cost data is organized using CSI MasterFormat divisions, consistent with industry-standard specification structure.
Question 3: When using Gordian's RSMeans City Cost Index (CCI), a value below 100 for a location indicates what?
- Costs are higher than the national average
- Costs are lower than the national average (Correct answer)
- The data is outdated
- The location has limited data
Correct answer: Costs are lower than the national average
A CCI value below 100 means that local costs are lower than the national average, which is indexed at 100.
Question 4: Which cost database is specifically designed for heavy civil and infrastructure construction estimating?
- RS Means Building Construction
- RS Means Heavy Construction (Correct answer)
- Sweets Network
- Craftsman National Estimator
Correct answer: RS Means Heavy Construction
RS Means Heavy Construction Cost Data is specifically tailored for highway, bridge, underground utilities, and heavy civil work.
Question 5: In the Craftsman National Construction Estimator, labor costs are typically expressed using which wage basis?
- Union journeyman wages
- Open-shop average wages (Correct answer)
- Prevailing wage rates
- Federal minimum wage
Correct answer: Open-shop average wages
Craftsman's National Construction Estimator primarily uses open-shop (non-union) average wage rates for its labor cost data.
Question 6: What is the primary advantage of using square-foot cost estimating guides like those published by Marshall & Swift?
- They provide exact material quantities
- They allow rapid preliminary cost assessments (Correct answer)
- They include subcontractor bids
- They eliminate the need for location adjustments
Correct answer: They allow rapid preliminary cost assessments
Square-foot estimating guides enable quick preliminary (order-of-magnitude) cost assessments early in the design process when detailed information is unavailable.
Question 7: Which organization publishes the 'Construction Cost Indices' used to track inflation and cost trends in the construction industry?
- Associated General Contractors (AGC)
- Engineering News-Record (ENR) (Correct answer)
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- Construction Industry Institute (CII)
Correct answer: Engineering News-Record (ENR)
Engineering News-Record (ENR) publishes widely-used construction cost indices including the Building Cost Index (BCI) and Construction Cost Index (CCI).
CEC Cost Databases & Resources 2
Which RS Means cost data line item component represents the cost of labor, material, and equipment combined for a specific task?