Construction Cost Control

Cost con­trol is the key func­tion to ensure project and bud­get suc­cess. Effec­tive cost con­trol includes mon­i­tor­ing bud­gets, costs and the impli­ca­tions of pro­posed work changes, along with analy­sis of cost-relat­ed trends; all from the ear­li­est stages of the project. This course will cov­er con­cepts, tools and tech­niques of con­struc­tion cost con­trol with­in project man­age­ment. This course includes aspects from pro­fes­sion­al orga­ni­za­tions such as the Cana­di­an Insti­tute of Quan­ti­ty Sur­vey­ors, Roy­al Insti­tute of Char­tered Sur­vey­ors, Amer­i­can Asso­ci­a­tions of Cost Engi­neers and Project Man­age­ment Insti­tute to pro­vide a well-round­ed under­stand­ing of the ratio­nale used devel­op­ing cost con­trol systems.

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. Construction estimators and quantity surveyors will also benefit from this course, as it extensively reviews the processes involved in construction estimating, procurement analysis, and cost control.
  • Learning materials and resources 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 the concepts of construction cost control and how it can minimize the risk of construction cost overruns; maximize construction cost efficiencies that delivery projects under budget.
  • Minimize the negative cost effects or maximize the positive cost effects of any change to the scope of a project during its construction.
  • Understand both time-phased and scope-phased construction budgeting concepts, including the meaning and use of contingencies, cash allowances, and construction costs (both direct and indirect).
  • Demonstrate knowledge within earned value analysis and management as one of the methods of construction performance management of the project.
  • Demonstrate application of the proper performance baselines and metrics.
  • Apply skills to create practical guidelines on forecasting and controlling construction costs.
  • Perform a root cause analysis to help recommend proper actions to deal with situations.
  • Apply skills in cost reporting to make them succinct and meaningful to clients.
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:

  • All course assessments and exams will be completed in class.
Currently counts towards

We recommend that you apply to the program as soon as possible to lock in your course requirements as they are subject 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.

You can register for and take a course without applying and enrolling into the program.

Email

cst@ualberta.ca

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.