Construction Estimating

In this course you will learn the fun­da­men­tals of esti­mat­ing con­struc­tion projects costs from con­cept to com­ple­tion, includ­ing types of cost esti­mates, the ten­der­ing process, cost­ing site over­heads, and final assem­bly of ten­der. The roles of esti­ma­tors and indus­tri­al cost engi­neers will be explored as well as val­ue engi­neer­ing and cost con­trol process­es and tech­niques. Cost risks inher­ent to Alber­ta con­di­tions will also be discussed.

Course at a glance
  • Recognized by CIQS, Gold Seal, and Blue Seal both as required education for accreditation and continuing professional development (post-accreditation maintenance).
  • Aimed at a wide range of construction workers, including tradesmen and journeymen, managers and supervisors, administrators, contractors, consultants, architects, and construction business owners.
  • Comprehensive content that includes risk analysis specific to the Alberta construction industry, covering topics such as earned value performance analysis, value engineering, risk analysis, and lifecycle costing.
  • Learning materials available through eClass, the University of Alberta’s eLearning management tool.
What you will learn

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Understand how a construction tender estimate is produced from a set of drawings and a cost database.
  • Prepare and interpret cost reports and identify costing trends over a number of reporting periods.
  • Understand the scope of conceptual estimates for construction projects and how these are produced and presented.
  • Discuss various methods of tendering construction contracts.
  • Understand the role of the construction estimator within the organization of a typical construction contracting company.
  • Identify items of particular cost risk for construction projects in western and northern Canada.
This course has no prerequisites

Students from all educational backgrounds welcome. You can register for this course without applying and enrolling in a program.

Take note:

  • Course assessment includes group work, individual assignments, and exams.
  • This course includes computer-based activities, as Excel will be extensively used in class and for assignments. 
Currently counts towards:

Applicants intending to enrol in a program are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to lock in their course requirements since they are prone to change.

*If you are already enroled in this program, please refer to your specific program requirements as outlined at the time of your admission: Bear Tracks > Academic Advisement.

When will
this course be offered?

New course schedules are released each June and November.

Course not yet scheduled

This course is not currently scheduled, but may be offered in an upcoming term.

New course schedules are announced each June and November.


Sign up for updates

Interested in future offerings of this course? We can let you know when this course becomes available.